Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

400 APPENDIX.
mainder of tlie caravan goes across the sandy
valley of Wadi SeU, and over a lower ridge of
the mountain of Karra to Tayf . Another portion
of the caravan goes to the east, along the
beautiful cistern road of Wadi Soci to a western
suburb of Mecca, where it is again divided;
part entering the town, and part turning off to
the south and south-east beyond the citadel of
Mecca, past the southern suburb of Samieh,
which is busied with all kinds of trade, and
where it remains some time for some unaccountable
reason, as no steps seem to be taken to
dispose of the slaves. From Samieh the further
route of the slaves is to the east, along the
broad district of Naaman and past an Abdia
Bel el Scherif, where beautiful gardens are
sheltered
by palm date-trees, and then passing
the sacred Gebel Arafat to the beginning of the
valley of Naaman, where slaves are often sold.
Near Arafat the valley becomes
narrower with
singular turns and twists, and is then called
Wadi Thama, where two hamlets are : one
stationary and the other temporary. A fine
artificial road leads zig-zag over the high mountain
of Karra to a smooth well-formed plateau
(gneis), about 8000(7500) feet above the level
of the sea ; here there is the large but ill-built
village of Hadda, where barley is cultivated, and
fruit culture carried on.
In spite of there occa-