Wed. Jan 28. [28 January 1914] Today I thought to start and go S. to Ibn Jazi. But Harb, his brother 'Awwad and 'Audeh assembled in the men's tent and said that Ibn Jazi had gone W - we hear he is at the Tor - the desert towards Taimah is empty and raided by the Hetaim, Harb, 'Awagi, Faqir and others. By the life of this dawn said Harb. They strongly advised me to take the Sirhan [Sirhan, Wadi] road. Moreover my men were frightened, even Ali, so I could do nothing but agree. 'Awwad is to go with us, but his hajin is azar and has to be fetched today. So we leave tomorrow, sending for water tonight. There is a gossip that Ibn al R., if I arrived at Taimah wd sallim me to the dowleh and the rly, but they cannot know this. I climbed up into the hills this afternoon by a stony gorge, full of the meagre Spring of the desert. Flowers, white and red and purple, even the thorns covered with white green ....... They were poor enough but they looked like separate jewels. I have some on my table tonight. Moreover from the top I looked over fold after fold of golden red sand and smoke grey ridge, with the black tents of the Howaitat scattered up and down. Harb's favourite phrase is la al Qallil wa la al kattur. The moon is in her 3rd night; we saw her yesterday very slender and Salim stood with open outstretched palms and gave thanks. Salim and F. [Fattuh] think nothing of the Arabs. S. Alhamdulillal who did not create us Arabs. F. Alh. who created the Turks! I. Alh. that there is no rly in the W. Sirhan. S. Who would make a rly into this Jehannum? M. [Muhammad] today took a prophecy in the sand Min aimta surt rammal? said F. You make the mark of thumb and little finger 4 times . . . . . [5 dots] Then strokes made by 2 fingers between each [3 dots followed by 10 small downward strokes] Then a long stroke at haphazard in the middle and a long stroke 3 on either side, then 2 then 3. At the last there will be some of the finger marks over at either end - 6 is unlucky, anything short of 6 is all right, but best if the number is uneven.