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'Handbook of Arabia. Vol II. 1917' [‎204] (208/542)

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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. .

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204
WESTERN ROUTES
miles,
total, stages.
the Mecca conduit issues from the hills
VegetaWes are cultivated in a valley leading
The road now becomes rocky and is enclosed between
mountains; valleys cross in all directions • acacia
trees occur in great abundance.
6 m. Wddi Numan is entered. There are some
wells and a few plantations to S.
4 m. Sheddd, cluster of huts and coffee -shops •
wells of very good water.
32 32 Jebel Qdra. The route begins to ascend the outlying
flanks of this mountain chain, which forms the
great watershed between Mecca and Ta'if. From
Mecca to this point the ascent has been easy and
gradual, almost imperceptible.
If m. Qabr er-Haflq, a tomb built of loose stones.
12 m. Quhwat d-Qovci, a few huts among boulders
on the slope of the mountain, near a stream
which comes down from a spring at the head
of the pass. The real ascent of Jebel Qora
here begins. Camels are unloaded and their
burdens carried to the top of the pass by
mules and asses, for which purpose some 200
are kept here. At the top other camels are
ready, to carry on to Ta'if. The ascent is by
a very steep and bad road, with many wind
ings. Steps are cut in certain places, and
some half a dozen resting-places have been
made at intervals. The stream mentioned
above is crossed several times.
5 m. Naqb el-Ahmar, an isolated peak (500 ft.
above the track) is passed to r.
2 10 Bas el-Qdra, a village at the top of the pass, in a plain
about 3 m. long by 1 m. broad, with large masses
of granite scattered about. The plain is well
irrigated by a number of small rivulets of ex
cellent water. There are walled fields among the
rocks, and fine trees. Many of the fruits of
Europe flourish here, especially the vine, which
produces grapes of the best quality, but there
are no palms.

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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
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'Handbook of Arabia. Vol II. 1917' [‎204] (208/542), 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_100023896535.0x00000a> [accessed 5 April 2025]

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