File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎203v] (404/450)

It has been stated that 20 per cent, of the Japanese rifles have burst, mostly after
firing a few rounds. I repeatedly asked to be given as many of these as possible, in
order that they might be examined in Cairo, but no notice was taken of my request
beyond the usual vague assurances that they were being sent.
One of the burst rifles was shown me on my arrival; but I had little time to
examine it, and was unable to recover it subsequently.
The_ Sherif also sent a message to say that he no longer needed any Le Gras
ammunition. It appears that he has been wanting this for several months, and that
there is no such ammunition as Aza, for which we have been searching. The confusion
was due to the translator’s mistake.
As I thought that the High Commissioner would like to know the condition of the
British Consulate, I obtained the keys from the Chief of the Municipality and went
over it on the morning of the 3rd. The Consulate is a large four-storied building facing
north, situated a few yards from the North Gate. It needs colour-washing and paintino-,
but no structural repairs. The only furniture left consists of three or four cheap
cup ooards and a few old chairs. There are two safes, which were opened by the Turks
and of which the keys are missing. I was informed unofficially that the Sherif did not
want the British Consul to hoist the British flag for the present. I took no notice of
this, and. as matters stand, the Sherif has agreed to allow him to come in under a
month. I strongly urge that the appointment be made without delay. If it is
undesirable to give him the title of Consul, he might be called Assistant British Agent,
and work under the officer whose appointment I have recommended on the last page of
this report. ”
J transferred to R.I.M.S. “ Hardinge ” during the course of the afternoon. Faroki
who had been summoned on shore by the Sherif, returned with a message that no more
stores were to be landed from H.M.S. “Anne,” and that sambuks would be sent next
morning to take them to Rabigh. I flagged this further change of plans to RIMS
“ DufFerm ” as we steamed out.
Faroki also gave me a letter from the Sherif (Appendix VIII) in which he
complained that the failure to land the batteries and supplies at Rabigh, in spite of the
assurance irom the Sherif Nasir and Sheikh Hussein Mubeiriq that it would be safe to
do so, had adversely affected his position at Medina. The facts of the case had evidently
been misrepresented and all the blame placed on us.
We arrived off Yenbo at 9 a.m. on the 4th instant, and Ruhi Effendi was sent to find
£ Ut 1 au teS ^?? WS ;! crowd c . ollected > and presently a big fat man, who called
imself Sherif Ibn Abdullah, came off in a canoe. He said that Yenbo was in the hands
oi the Sherif that the tale of the Germans and their women, previously reported, was
untrue, and that there were no Turks in the town. Having ascertained that the’ship
had no supplies for Yenbo, he said to Ruhi : “ You cannot land. Go away quickly.”
His attitude was the reverse of friendly. On his return Ruhi saw a dozen Turkish
rLii' 8 ^ P r °kakle that Yenbo is in the hands of the Arabs, who care as
little lor the Sherif and the English as do those of Rabegh.
Jamil Effendi Rabei.~On my arrival at Jeddah I found that Jamil Effendi Rafei
who is an employe m the Sudan Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , in Cairo, and who was sent to Jeddah as the
secretary of Faroki, had been treating the English officers there with consistent rudeness,
At the first meeting between Colonel Wilson, Captain Warren, tnd Sherif Zeid he had
sat on a table with his tarbush off, and had neglected at any time during the conversation
to give Colonel Wilson the titles which his rank of Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. demanded. This was a
deliberate act of discourtesy, as Jamil Effendi is a Government servant and cannot plead
ignorance. He told Colonel Wilson that the Sherif had appointed his Civil Repre
sentative in Jeddah, a statement which was not in accordance with facts On two
occasions { he was very rude and off-hand to the Captains of R.I.M.S. ‘‘Bufferin’’ and
. . .b Hardinge, and actually paid a call on the latter in his pyjamas. At my
first meeting with Sherif Zeid he repeated to me the tale that he was Civil Representative
m Jeddah and added that Sherif Zeid was merely looking after some arrangements
about camels I had to check him sharply on two occasions during my interview with
S enl Zeid, firstly, when he rudely snatched up my letters to the Sherif, which were
ymg on the table at my side; and again, when he broke into my conversation with
4 i ar °n 1 m dur y :is ( 1, I believe that the Sherif was also annoyed with him. He lived in
1 ^ Governor s house, and in about two days after his arrival had gained complete
influence over Sherif Zeid and was managing all the affairs of the town. He sent a
letter purporting to come from Sherif Mohsin to the Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. , in which he very broadly
hinted that Colonel vYilson would be doing better work governing his province. I
showed the letter to Sherif Moshin afterwards. He was very annoyed, and said that