Mon. Dec 22 [22 December 1913] Heavy rain till past 8 and the desert a sticky sop. But a wind rose and dried things and though it was still very threatening I got off at 9.40 and all went well. We rode along the eastern edge of the Harrah all day but had to come into camp at 2.25 under Umm Idu because of the rimth. Our guide Uwaiseh, sits on his camel like a sack and does and says nothing. Abu Naum I have christened him, his name being Abu Ali. The black points of Umm Idu, volcanic, rise above the full khabra opposite my tent, with heavy clouds above them. The stony hills draw together in front of us like the gates of an abandoned Hades. A desolate world, cold and grey. 'Ali has a wife in Baghdad but her doings are not zain on account of her mother who is a kelbeh and has kharrabat her. In Taimal, says M. [Muhammad] there are women who have had from 30 to 40 husbands; this conduct is not approved. Ali thinks one wife and one husband best. M. thinks if a wife has not a child it is better to take another. When a woman is divorced she ought to wait 3 months before remarriage but the Arabs divorce in the morning and marry at night. M. told me the tale of Huber's being murdered by the Harb. His zelameh came into Hayyil [Hail] wearing Huber's clothes and Muhammad ibn al Rashid sent and caught the Harbi and despached him to Stambul. But nothing happened to him. Huber's two boxes of papers were sent back, but the zelameh stole his money. M. says to the camel drivers "Ya Agail!"