'Southern Nejd: Journey to Kharj, Aflaj, Sulaiyyil, and Wadi Dawasir in 1918.' [‎25r] (54/100)

_ 41 —
Mohammed one and all withdrew into their shell on our arrival
and made it quite clear by their attitude that, whi]e they dis
approved of our coming, they would neither assist us to be
comfortable nor actively interfere with our arrangements.
Such an attitude had at least something to commend it, but
Ibrahim, who was in charge of my party and whose treatment
of delicate situations exhibited neither tact nor commonsense,
decided without consulting me to raise the issue of their right
of passive objection to Ibn Baud's orders. To this end he
quite gratuitously sent two men to the Amir of the A1 Mohammed
demanding the supply of some flour or grain; the demand was
flatly refused and the messengers returning with the tidings to
Ibrahim were sent back a second time to support their demand
with threats ; on this occasion they were seized, deprived of their
rifles and swords and beaten for infidels. What happened
next I do not know but I was sitting writing in my . tent when
suddenly I heard some shouting in the distance taken up by
cries in our camp of " To arms ! To arms ! " Not knowing
what had caused the trouble I joined what remained of our party
in putting our camp into a state of defence and the next hour
was spent in awaiting the outcome of a loud abusive altercation
taking place a short way off between representatives of both
parties armed to the teeth. In such situations the main danger
seems to lie in the accidental firing of a shot: if the altercation,
however hot and vitriolic, is not so interrupted, peace by com
promise is assured; and so it happened in this case, Ibrahim
and his companions eventually returning to camp and the enemy
to their houses. The net result was the return of the seized
rifles to us with expressions of regret conveyed by a neutral
party, we received no visit from the offending Amir and no
flour, and two of our party had suffered insult and injury. Such
was Ibrahim's victory on which I expressed my opinion very
freely over our evening meal.
The Majma valley is a drainage outlet of some importance
in that on it concentrate from both sides all the ravines of the
Tuwaiq plateau southward of a point close up to the Dhabahiyya.
Known in its upper reaches as Shaib Maragha it forms a narrow,
deep trough running up through the heart of the plateau which,
as already noted, shews signs of rapid disintegration as it
approaches the level-crossing of the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. . To the east of the
trough lies a broad, rough ridge overlooking the Haman valley