Feb. 11. [11 February 1914] Yesterday's journey was more amusing. We began to see landmarks; but the country through which we rode was very barren. In the afternoon we came to a big valley, the Wadi Niyyal [Nayyal, Wadi], with good herbage for the camels and there we camped. And just at sunset the full moon rose in glory and we had the two fold splendour of heaven to comfort us for the niggardliness of the earth. She was indeed niggardly this morning. We rode for 4 hours over a barren pebbly flat entirely devoid of all herbage. They call such regions jellad. In front of us were the first great sand hills of the Nefud [Nafud, An]. And turning a little to the west we came down into a wide bleak khabra wherein we found water pools under low heaps of sand. The place looked so unpromising that I was prepared to find the water exhausted which would have meant a further westerly march to a well some hours away and far from our true road. We watered our camels and filled the water skins in half an hour and turned east into the Nefud. We have come so far south (the khabra was but a day's journey from Taimah [Tayma']) in order to avoid the wild sand mountains (tu'us they are called in Arabic) of the heart of the Nefud and our way lies now within its southern border. This great region of sand is not desert. It is full of herbage of every kind, at this time of year springing into green, a paradise for the tribes that camp in it and for our own camels. We marched through it for an hour or two and camped in deep pale gold sand with abundance of pasturage all about us, through the beneficence of God. We carry water for 3 days and then drink at the wells of Haizan [Bir Hayzan]. The Amir, it seems, is not at Hayyil [Hail], but camping to the north with his camel herds. I fear this may be tiresome for me; I would rather have dealt with him than with his wakil. Also report says that he informed all men of my coming but whether to forward me or to stop me I do not know. Neither do I know whether the report is true.