The sand of the Dahana is quite red and was well covered with green plants apparently affording excellent camel food. It is not a dune area, and would not be bad for pipe lines except that there is water only at a few spots like Lina.

On May 4 the party started for Jumaima by way of the Darb Zubeda (See Map No. 2). This is the main road from Baghdad to Mecca. After ascending the escarpment, this road crosses a plain of solid rock.

Fig. 15 The Darb Zubeda Solid Rock

However, there was a great deal of grass in some spots and many grazing animals were observed here and there along the road farther on. Several artificial cisterns and some apparently natural pools of standing water were observed, especially the large pool at the Qasr Ez Zabala.

Fig. 16 Birka at Qaar Ez Zabala