From Thence The Valley Becomes Still Narrower, Running
Between Steep Rocks For About One Hour.
It was in this spot that
Mohammed Aly's first expedition against the Wahabys, under the command
of his son Tousoun Beg, was defeated in autumn 1811.
They had possession
of both mountains, and the discharges of musketry from each side
[p.313] reached across the valley, where the Turkish army attempted in
vain to pass. Most of the Sheikhs of the tribe of Harb, and the two
great southern Wahaby chiefs, Othman el Medheyfe and Tamy, were present,
with two of the sons of Saoud.
At seven hours and a half, we passed El Kheyf, the last village in the
valley of Djedeyde; several insulated groups of houses are also
scattered along the valley. About eighty tents of Turkish soldiers were
pitched here, to guard this pass; one of the most important positions in
the Hedjaz, because it is the only way by which caravans can proceed
from Mekka or Yembo to Medina. The Harb tribe are well fitted, by their
warlike temper, to defend this post. Even before the Wahaby conquest,
they had repeatedly been at war with the Syrian caravan, and Djezzar
Pasha himself had been several times repulsed here, and obliged to take
the eastern Hadj route, at the back of the great chain, rather than
submit to the exorbitant demands of the Beni Harb for permitting the
Hadj to pass through their territories. Abdullah Pasha of Damascus, who
conducted the Hadj eighteen times in person to Mekka, was compelled to
do the same. Whenever the Harb are in amity with the caravan, they have
a right to a considerable passage duty, which is paid at Djedeyde.
Szafra appeared to me better peopled, and to contain more houses, than
are now in Djedeyde. In speaking of this pass, the Arabs generally join
the two names, and say, "the valley of Szafra and Djedeyde." Beyond El
Kheyf the valley widens, and forms many windings. Our caravan was here
in constant fear of robbers, which kept us awake, though the severe cold
during the night would not have suffered us to sleep. Our main direction
from Kheyf was N. 40 E. At twelve hours, gently ascending through the
valley, we entered a plain, situated in the midst of the mountains,
about ten miles in length, called El Nazye, where we alighted.
January 26th. We remained encamped here the whole day, some passengers
having acquainted us that disturbances had broken out on the road before
us, which we did not discover to be a false report till the next day.
The rocks surrounding this plain are partly of granite, and partly of
lime-stone. The plain is thickly covered with acacia-trees.
[p.314] Good water is found on the side of the mountains, but not in the
plain itself. Some Bedouins of Beni Salem, to which tribe the
inhabitants of Djedeyde also belong, pastured their flocks here: they
were chiefly occupied in collecting food for their camels from the
acacia-trees; for this purpose, they spread a straw mat under the tree,
and beat its boughs with long sticks, when the youngest and freshest
leaves, from the extremities of the twigs, fall down: these are esteemed
the best food for camels. I saw them sold in measures, in the market at
Szafra. We exchanged some biscuits for milk with these Bedouins; and
one, to whom I had given a small dose of rhubarb, brought me some fresh
butter in return.
January 26th. We started at two P.M., and an hour and a half's march
over the plain brought us to the mountain. The whole breadth of this
plain is about six miles. We then entered the mountain in the direction
N. 50 E. The mixed rocks of granite and lime-stone present no regular
strata. We next passed through a short defile, and, at the end of two
hours and a half, entered a small plain called Shab el Hal, between the
mountains, where were several encampments of Bedouins. At five hours, we
entered a broad valley, running in a straight line, and covered with
white sand. The night was cold, and the moon shone beautifully; I
therefore walked in front of the caravan, whose pace being slow, I soon
advanced, without perceiving it, to a considerable distance a-head.
Finding that it did not come up, I sat down under a tree, and was going
to light a fire, when I heard the tread of horses advancing towards me.
I kept hidden behind the trees, and presently saw some Bedouins of very
suspicious appearance pass by. After waiting a long time for the
caravan, and unable to account for its delay, I retraced my steps, and
found the camels standing at rest, and taking breath, and every soul
upon them fast asleep, the foot-passengers being still behind. This
happened to us several times during our journey. When the camel hears no
voices about it, and is not urged by the leader, it slackens its pace,
and at last stands still to rest; and if the leading camel once stops,
all the rest do the same. I roused the Arabs, and we proceeded. The next
day, we learnt that some travellers had been plundered this night on the
road - no doubt by the horsemen
[p.315] who passed me, and who probably dispersed when they saw a large
caravan approaching.
The valley in which we were travelling is called Wady es' Shohada, or
the "Valley of Martyrs," where many followers of Mohammed are said to
have been killed in battle: their remains are covered by rude heaps of
stones in different parts of the valley. Here also are seen several
tombs of hadjys; and I observed some walls, much ruined, where a small
chapel or mosque appeared to have stood: no water is found here. This is
a station of the Hadj caravan. At the end of nine hours, we issued from
this wady, which is on a very slight ascent; and then taking a direction
E.N.E. we crossed a rocky ground, and entered a wide plain called El
Fereysh, where two small caravans from Medina bound to Yembo passed us.
At the end of eleven hours and a half we alighted.
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