THE NEAR EAST 
oryx is unknown (except for one specimen in Dr Jayaker’s collection 
from Oman, and certified to have been procured in that country, and live 
specimens at Aden, said to have been brought from the southern Nafud) ; 
it probably inhabits the country inside the coastal belt of mountains, 
from the Yemen highlands to Oman. In Northern Arabia, and along the 
Persian Gulf, it is not found, but around the Nafud in the north-west 
the oryx are numerous and in this locality alone is it feasible to hunt 
them. 
When the Bedawin are not in the neighbourhood the oryx can be found 
for a certainty at the end of a seven days’ camel ride from the Hedjaz 
railway, east of the Dead Sea. But should there be ample rain the Arabs 
move far into the desert, and the oryx, no doubt, retreat further away. 
As no one would visit such a warm and waterless locality in summer, 
one’s chances depend largely upon the season. The Hedjaz railway passes 
much closer (than seven days* ride) to the haunts of the oryx; in fact, I 
have seen their tracks within a few hours of the railway south of Tebuk, 
but that region is forbidden to Christians, misruled by the Turks, and 
the Bedawin who range the neighbourhood are not powerful enough 
to grant protection to a European hunter, even if he persuaded them 
to have dealings with him. By making friends with such a tribe as the 
Beni Sakhr of Eastern Moab, with the Howeitat, or even the Anazeh of 
the Syrian Desert, the traveller can avoid the usual dangers of desert 
travel and reach the haunts of the oryx. It entails some arrangement, a 
dependable guide, a certain amount of money and ability to put up with 
considerable discomfort. A light, fast caravan is indispensable. As few 
men as possible should be taken, every additional detail meaning slower 
pace, more food and water to carry and less time to hunt. It is essential 
that the entire caravan be self-supporting as long as it is away from the 
wells. When water finishes, hunting has to be abandoned. In early spring, 
during a very dry season, I found the oryx numerous along the western 
edge of the Nafud sand desert. They seemed to be as much in the sand 
dunes as on the hard, level stony plain bordering them. The former were 
covered with tracks, and I should say that they are their true refuge and 
feeding ground for the greater portion of the year. Excellent grass grows 
in the sand, as well as numerous peculiar parasites that thrive on the 
roots of the ghada bushes, and are full of juice; these the antelope dig 
for during drought. It is an advantage to find the oryx in the sand, for 
then stalking is possible, whereas on the bare plains beyond they may 
31 
