'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [‎142r] (289/540)

that would read to 50 feet with a maximum of, say, 4 ,000 feet, would be most
suitable,if such an article is available. I had a private one which reads up to
15, 000 feet, but found it useless.
4. The accompanying map is traced from the original plotting and there
may be inaccuracies due to tracing, but I trust not many. The red contour lines
on it do not represent heights, but are an attempt to show the main rise and fall
and drainage of the ground; this applies also to the blue streams which only
appear as such for a few hours after heavy rain. In my tour the points Burgan
Hill and Wara Hill were known, in the sense that they have apparently been
surveyed by ajqualified surveyor with theodolite or plane-table and their positions,
taken from the Secret " Map of Country round Kuwait, scale i" to 4 miles',
Register No. 914-S. of 1906 are assumed to be correct. I left these known points
, on the 1st February and only again came on another fixed point (on the same
ma P)> .J e ^ e l Sanam, on the 21st February after some 350 miles. My dead-
reckoning would appear to have been fairly accurate as I closed on this hill to
within a few miles. In my map I have not attempted to distribute the error, but
left it in the march from Jarishan Hill to Ar Ratk.
5. The bearings given as " invisible approximate " were taken from the direc
tion carefully pointed out by my Bedouin guides and are of interest merely to
show how very good a reliable Bedouin's sense of direction really is, for they
had no marks or tracks to go by other than the sun and stars.
6. The asterisked notes below deal in detail with certain points and refer to
the corresponding red asterisks in the accompanying observations.
^1. Thamilat-ut-Turkz. —I think this place is shown incorrectly on Major
Knox's map of his tour to Hafar in 1906. During a previous tour, in November
1909, I was led to suspect this, but was then unable to locate it accurately. On the
present occasion I visited the spot and got bearings which put it at least 10 miles
south-east of Knox's position. During his tour, Knox had hired Bedouins who do
not appear to have known their country particularly well as some, 1 believe, lost
their way on that occasion, and it would seem that Knox must really have been
at a place called Thamilat-al-Erbid which he marked as Thamilat-ut-Turki.
*2. Al-Hafar wells.'—My bearings and dead-reckoning place these wells 16
miles east and a little north of Knox's position, but in view of the manner in
which my route closes on a known point ! am inclined to think my position is
the > more accurate. It would also make Knox's marches to and from Hafar
more propable as at present they seem (from my experience) extraordinarily
long, especially as his camels were hirelings and not particularly good beasts.
*3. Bearing of Bat in hollow, —It will be seen that I differ a good deal as
to the direction of Al Batin near Hafar from Knox. Unfortunately I had to
travel this portion at night, as was the case with Knox also, but our course was
steadily kept. It was with " the North Star in your left eye," as the Bedouin
phrased it and two or three references to the compass showed this to give about
38' to 42' as our direction.
*4. Rigai Wells.~~N[y position for these wells is about 10 miles east and a
little north of Knox's, For the reasons already given above under, 2,* Hafar
wells, I am inclined to prefer mine again.
*5, Shiggat-a/- Wasiya. —When fixing the debouchure of this valley I was
informed in response to enquiry that it was the only valley debouching into Al
Batin from the east, south of Jarishan hill, and found the information to be correct.
In previous sketches I believe three such valleys are shown, as well as another
position shewn in the secret map of the Intelligence Branch (D. sheet No. 30)
scale 2 miles to inch, a blue print, and both would seem to be incorrect.
^ *6. Jarishan Hill. —In the secret map (blue print) last quoted, Jarishan Hill
is given as some 9 miles north-east of the position I show on my map, but I am
inclined to think that half way between the two would be more correct, especially
as I find that the cross distances from Ar Ratk and from Jebel Sanam to Jarishan
on Knox's original sketch are within 4 and 5 miles of those shown on mine, and
that from Halaiba is almost identical.