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'Handbook of Arabia. Vol II. 1917' [63] (67/542)
The record is made up of 1 volume (271 folios). It was created in 1917. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
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SOUTH-EASTERN ROUTES (Nos. 70-75) 63
Sohar there is a good camel-track, but after heavy rain some of the
wadis that must be crossed are formidable ; when the route is near
the sea caravans can pass along the beach where streams in flood
are more easily crossed. From Sohar to Bireimi the track follows
the
Wadi
A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
el-Jizi, a shallow water-course between bare and sterile
hills, and after passing the watershed it crosses a fairly level plain ;
it offers no difficulties to transport animals. From Bireimi to Abu
Dhabi the track lies across stretches of sandy desert, mostly dunes
and undulating downs ; the only physical obstacle encountered is the
tidal salt-water creek that must be crossed ten miles from Abu Dhabi.
Supplies. Along the coast, water is obtainable at all stages from
wells at 15—20 ft. ; fuel, fodder, and livestock are available all
along this section ; and supplies can be obtained from the bazaars
at Sib, Barkah, Masna'ah and Sohar. Water, fuel, and grazing are
abundant from Sohar to Bireimi. From Bireimi onward there
are no villages nor settled inhabitants ; water of poor quality and
in limited quantities is obtained from wells and water-holes, whioh
are soon exhausted and take time to replenish ; grazing is very
scarce during the summer months.
The other routes He outside Oman proper but connect it with
Hasa. Route No. 74, from Hofuf to Ras el-Kheimah, passes across the
southern border of El-Qatar ; it traverses
Trucial Oman
A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates.
to Bireimi
by the route nearest the coast, which is that usually followed by
caravans in summer, the line of the route more inland being given
as an alternative ; from Bireimi it follows the main line of traffic
northwards through the Oman Promontory to Ras el-Kheimah on
the NW. coast. The route is practicable only for camel transport.
It lies over fairly level desert, winding incessantly among sand-
dunes and zig-zagging from well to well. There is no recognizable
nor well-worn track, and no two caravans follow exactly the same
course. When the track crosses sand-dunes it is obliterated as soon
as made, and it is advisable for caravans to keep in close order.
Supplies. Over nearly four-fifths of the route, as far as Bireimi,
water is neither good nor abundant. There are some long stages
without water, including three double-stages ; but it does not seem
to be necessary on any portion of the route to carry more than three
days supply. From Bireimi northwards water is plentiful during
the winter months, except at Ras el-Kheimah, where it is always
scarce and indifferent. During the summer months there is a general
scarcity of water. For the first 125 miles grazing is abundant after
rain, but not plentiful from that point to Bireimi ; from Bireimi
northwards it is plentiful during the winter months. Fuel from
About this item
- Content
This volume is A Handbook of Arabia, Volume II, Routes (Admiralty War Staff, Intelligence Department: May, 1917) and contains details on routes in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as information on transport and lines of communication arranged on a geographical basis. Chapters concerning meteorological information, hygiene and disease, and vocabularies have also been incorporated. The volume was prepared on behalf of the Admiralty and the War Office. The sources from which the routes have been compiled, together with notes on directions and distance, appear at the head of each chapter, while some sections have been compiled on the basis of native information. Authorities cited include: George August Wallin, William Gifford Palgrave, Carlo Claudio Camillo Guarmani, Lady Anne Blunt, Charles Huber, Julius Euting, Gerard Leachman, Gertrude Bell, Anders Christian Barclay Raunkiær, William Henry Irvine Shakespear, and John Gordon Lorimer.
The volume includes a note on confidentiality, title page, and a 'Note' on the compilation of the volume. There is a page of 'Contents' that includes the following sections:
- Chapter 1: Methods of Transport;
- Chapter 2: Communications, A. Northern Routes, B. Eastern Routes, C. Central Routes, D. Western Routes, E. South-Western Routes, F. Southern Routes, G. Souther-Eastern Routes;
- Chapter 3: Routes, A. Northern Routes, B. Eastern Routes, C. Central Routes, D. Western Routes, E. South-Western Routes, F. Southern Routes, G. Souther-Eastern Routes;
- Chapter 4: Meteorological Observations;
- Chapter 5: Hygiene and Disease;
- Chapter 6: Vocabularies;
- Appendix: Note on the System of Transliteration and Glossary of Topographical and Common Terms;
- Index;
- Plates.
There is also a 'List of Maps' and a 'Note on the Spelling of Proper Terms'.
There is one map contained in this volume: 'Map 5. Key Map of Routes'. In addition, there are nine plates by Douglas Carruthers, Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear, Captain Gerard Leachman, and Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (271 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged in chapters. There is a contents page, list of maps, alphabetical index, and list of plates.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the front cover, on number 1, and ends on the map which is inserted at the back of the volume, on number 271.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'Handbook of Arabia. Vol II. 1917' [63] (67/542), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/E84/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023896534.0x000045> [accessed 12 March 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/E84/2
- Title
- 'Handbook of Arabia. Vol II. 1917'
- Pages
- front, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1:534, ii-r:ii-v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence