Sun. 26. [26 April 1914] Off before dawn, clear and still. Crossed 2
Halba valleys which go into the Milh of Tudmor [Tadmur (Palmyra)].
A mighty storm crossed our path in front of us, thunder, flickering
lightning and bent hail clouds following behind, scourged by a wind
we could not feel. It all passed over into the hills but afterwards
malicious scuds of rain troubled us, after all the splendour and the
pageant had passed. What with the weather and with his anxiety at
seeing tracks of a big ghazzu - so he thought them - Assaf went too
much to the N. We hove up against tents and flocks of the Sba', Ibn
Sa'aiyid and Masraf, and their herdmen put us straight. We were in
sight of Tudmor lying in a bay of the hills and facing the desert. Seen
thus it looked indeed like the Arab city, the desert city, not the Roman.
The ground sandy with shih and sand plants I had not seen since the
Nefud [Nafud, An] - particularly the tree with whip like green streamers
for leaves. Seeing that Buharra was too far off we camped in a wadi
in these sand hills with good 'aishb after 91/2 hrs march. Very tired
and perplexed because my rafiqs cannot guide me to the ruined
khans. Have sent Assaf off to Masruf's tents to see if he can get a
man. He came back with a man. Thunder and rain. Sayyif brought in
a lot of qata[?] eggs. [Written at top of page:] Assaf found some
fledgling khabbara