Not far off is a smaller house, where oil and various wares from Gaza
are sold for the benefit of the neighbouring Bedouins, who all belong to
the Zowarkas. Behind the houses are a number of slender palms, and at a
short distance lies the burial-ground, containing a few graves, with
numerous aloes growing between them. In the centre stands the Koubba
of Sheik el Zvoyed, built of square stones, with an inscription in
Arabic over the door. The interior of the Koubba is cupola-shaped, and
it contains a tomb covered with green cloth stretched over a wooden
frame.

[Illustration: OUR CAMP IN SHEIK EL ZVOYED.]

Water is procurable from the sand-hills somewhat to the west behind the
houses, not saline, but not of good flavour. The Bedouins of the
neighbourhood go there with their donkeys to draw it in black Gaza jars.
Both men and boys may be constantly seen threading their way along the
sandy path; many of the boys have fine regular features, with sparkling
eyes, but of that melancholy expression so peculiar to Bedouin children.
In many parts of the country surrounding Sheik el Zvoyed, ruins and
heaps of stones are to be met with, telling of places formerly
inhabited.

On returning to the camp I found the packing completed, and after
shaking hands with the telegraph man we at once continued our journey.
At first we passed through meadows, partially bordered with trees, and
across sandy hills, and then descended a grassy slope called Lazga, from
which we surveyed the extensive plain before us, with the sandy hills on
the left projecting into the bright green surface like islets in the sea
(see sketch). To the right are two large "Sidr" trees called Sager el
Emir (the tree of the Emir) or Magrunte.[3] In the gently undulating
plain there are many daffodils and blue-flowering Iris. The pretty
meadows then alternated with barley fields, where numerous birds, such
as larks, large buntings, and quails, are constantly to be seen. From a
slight elevation we could overlook the whole of the plain stretching
away beneath us, and in the distance we saw three Bedouin tents, and
some cows grazing on the rich meadow land. We then passed the road
leading to Arfeh, about two miles distant, where good water is to be had
in the very middle of the sand.

[Footnote 3: Large specimens of _Zizyphus Spina-Christi_, Willdenow,
called "Sidr" in Egypt, where its fruit is called "Nabak." In Palestine,
the tree is named "Doom," and the fruit "Sidr."