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National Geographic : 1909 Feb
Contents
RAILWAY BUILT FOR PILGRIMS longing to the permanent inhabitants of Tebuk. All that were seen were of a distinctly negroid type, different from the nomad Bedouil. The surrounding coun try is but sparsely inhabited by Arabs. Besides date palms, there are in the gardens a few lemon trees and pome granates, and outside are some few fields of wheat, cultivated principally as green fodder. The Italian engineer in charge of this section had managed to make a garden in the sand, where by means of irrigation he grew most kinds of Euro pean vegetables, but none of the inhabi tants seemed inclined to copy his ex ample. It seems certain that Mohammed visited Tebuk in his earlier wanderings, and tradition refers to Jebel Sherora as the Pulpit of the Prophet, probably from its commanding position overlooking all the surrounding country. The rainfall in this country is ex tremely capricious, and perhaps two or even three years may elapse before there is any appreciable fall here, although at Maan there appears to be always some rain in the spring. Of animal life there appears to be very little. An antelope, which the Turks call a wild cow, but which looks to be Oryx beatrix, is to be found in this district, but only in small numbers. The large troops of gazelle seen north of Maan do not roam here. It is said that the ostrich is occasionally found, and the skin of one specimen is preserved in Maan station. The desert air is extremely dry and clear, always invigorating, and even the great heat in summer is not as insupport able as in a damper climate, where the thermometer is probably lower. Climate has, without doubt, a great effect on the human character and intellect, and the nervous, high-strung temperament of the Arab is to a great extent the creation of his environment of desert, with its splendid mirages to fire the imagination and sparkling air to keep the nerves al ways alert. South of Tebuk want of water is again a great difficulty, and the small posts have to be supplied daily from the train. At Medain-Salih the valley widens a little, and here are found some rock-cut tombs similar to those at Petra, but far fewer and less ornate. Traces of a town exist, but there is nothing now visible except the usual fort of the pilgrim. Here again, as well as at Tebuk, the site would seem a favorable one for trying artesian wells, but no attempts have been made to prove their success or otherwise. The permanent way has been laid throughout by Turkish soldiers, but the station buildings, all of very solid ma sonry, as well as bridges and culverts, of which there are a great number, have been constructed mostly by Italian work men, with some Greeks and Montene grins. As many as three or four hun dred Italian workmen were employed at one time on the works near Tebuk, and so little did fanaticism come into play that they built the fine new mosque at Tebuk. Subsequently they instructed some Turkish engineers, who continued the work from El Ula to the Holy City itself. It is difficult to think of this railway becoming a great highway or developing any great trade with Central Arabia, as the section from Maan to Medina traverses an unproductive country with out possibility of development, and the interior of Arabia has no surplus prod ucts to dispose of. In any case, when the line reaches the sea, at Sherm Ra bigh, it is probable that any trade, either export or import, to Medina or Mecca will pass through that port in preference to the long land journey. The following summary of distances shows the extent of the line: Damascus to M aan ............... to Tebuk . ..... . ..... to El Ula ............ to M edina ............. to M ecca .............. 285 miles 430 609 " 820 " 1097 The gauge of the line is the somewhat curious one of 1.o5 meter (3 feet 5~ inches), which was necessary, when the line was first commenced, to correspond 171
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