143 
Medina and Ta'if are included in the Hedjeaz, but 
are without the Beled el Haram. 
There is no river in the Holy Land. The only water 
to be found is that of some inconsiderable springs, which 
are not numerous, and the brackish water obtained from 
the deep wells. 
Thus it is a real desert. It is only at Mecca and Me- 
dina that they have wrought cisterns to preserve the 
rain water, on which account it is very rare that a gar- 
den is to be seen throughout this large territory. The 
plains are either composed of sand or bad earth, entirely 
abandoned; and as the people do not sow any kind of 
grain in any part of the country, they are fed with flour, 
&c. which comes from Upper Egypt, from Yemen, 
from Ta'if, where a little land is cultivated, and from 
India. 
Although the whole of the Beled el Haram is covered 
with mountains, which I believe to be formed of schistus 
and porphyry, yet these do not exist in long chains. 
The highest are those of Medina and Ta'if; which towns 
are situated upon a bountiful land, with plenty of water, 
and covered with gardens and plantations. 
The Holy Land does not contain any other consider, 
able towns than Mecca and Djcdda. As for the rest, 
they are generally little else than miserable villages, 
composed of barracks and tents, established near a well 
or a spring, except some few pointed out upon my 
geographical map. 
When pilgrims arrive upon the confines of the Beled 
el Haram, from whatever country they may come, 
whether by land or by water, they ought to sanctify 
themselves by the ceremony laharmo, and put on the 
Ihram, or sacred costume of pilgrimage. 
Although the Sultan Scherif is the natural lord of the 
