'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [‎140r] (285/540)

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camels going about fair. Passed large numbers of the various sections of the
Umtair with their tents, herds and camels moving slowly eastward over the
excellent grazing on the whole of this plateau. Heard report that some of the
Malaiba Umtair were raided last night by Dhafir Bedouin.
loth February. —Sent off Ghanaim with a post to Kuwait and hope he
arrives all right. Marched at 9 a. m. keeping along the well-defined track until
at 1 p. m we began to descend into the Falaij-al-Janubia which comes in from
the south and drains into the basin, of the Hafar wells It is abroad valley and
about 50 feet below the surrounding plateau As Khalaf said we had got well
on our way, we halted at 4 p.m., the camels having marched fairly well. Zaid lost
the Shaikh's remaining hawk Shalwa Considerable excitement at numerous
horse-tracks, fairly fresh, and obviously those of the raiding party we heard
about yesterday.
nth February, —Marched at 9 a. m. and kept veering gradually more and
more to the north following the Falaij bottom. Khalaf rather nervous about
approaching the Hafar wells too close, so we camped an hour short of them in a
convenient fold of the ground at 1 p m., and sent on Khalaf and another man
to reconnoitre as we wanted water badly. They came back after an hour very
much scared and with a report that they had seen a large body of raiders in
possession of the wells, watering their animals. They said they had counted
about 10 or a dozen horsemen and estimated the a thaluls" at a hundred; the
party were moving off east and were probably either Dhafir, Muntafik or
Shammar. There was nothing to be done except lie low and hope we should
not be seen. I had a look round later and decided it would be safer to march
at sundown, take up our water in the'dark and continue our road up A1 Batin by
night, thus cutting in behind the raiders and getting away before they should
return to water their horses. Accordingly the water-camels went on ahead while
we struck camp, had a meal, and followed at 8 p m. It was pitch-dark with no
moon to help, but after the camels had settled down and the men stopped
chattering we got along all risjht; the camels' pad-feet in the soft sand made so
little sound that 20 yards off it would have been almost impossible to hear our
caravan. We reached the well agreed upon in an h jut to find no signs of the
men sent on ahead or their beasts. This made things exceedingly awkward,
for the wells are notoriously unsafe at night, that being the only time outlaws and
those with unpaid blood-money due from them take their water. We had only two
or three empty water-skins, the nearest water was two good marches away, and the
30 fathoms rope required for these wells with the rest of the skins was with the
missing men. We couched the camels and three of us visted every well in the
place with the bare result that water had been freshly spilled at one. The only
solution seemed to be that the men must have got frightened at our delay and
gone on ahead by our intended route up A1 Batin. Accordingly, we marched at
10 p.m., our, course being with the " North Star in your left eye" as the Bedouin,
put it. It was too dark to read the compass very well and the Bedouins were
nervous about striking a light giving us away. After about 20 minutes I was
relieved to hear a whisper which proved to be Zaid looking for us What we had
surmised had happened and he had the water-camels hidden a little way off. We
continued our way up A1 Batin, the camels marching particularly well—because
they could not see to graze was the Bedouins' reason. It was bittery cold and
by 2 a.m. (of the 12th February) I decided we were far enough from the wells to
be fairly safe, so we bivouacked in the open without tents or a fire, with the
camels parked to windward to keep off as much of the wind as possible, though
we got the benefit of their powerful scent instead.
12th February. soon after dawn, rather damp with the dew, but after
some coffee got off at 8 a.m. and marched for if hours, the camels going badly,
and then camped for a rest. U is unfortunate I had to travel this part of AI
Batin at night, as curiously enough Knox also did it at night, though in the reverse
direction. 1 wanted to send back to try and pick up Mathoor, my post- sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. ,
who should hava reached Hafar yesterday or to-day, but the Bedouin considered
the idea rank foolishness and eventually I agreed that Mathoor would probably
be able to look after himself well enough and if he came down to the wells might
pick up our tracks and follow ; however, if he did not catch us up before Rigai