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'Handbook of Arabia. Vol II. 1917' [‎248] (252/542)

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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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248
SOUTH-WESTERN ROUTES
miles, j
total, stagesj
Dir. NE., by long ascent out of gorge, and then
descent.
8 m. Mefhaq, village 1. of road; important fortress
(alt. 5,700 ft.) on mound to r., commanding
road ; 2 wells below village.
Dir. NNE., in ever-increasing gradients round craggy
spurs ; very rough surface in most parts. At
about 6 m. road circles rock pinnacle, 150 ft. high,
with observation-post on crest. Ascent becomes
steeper still and involves a strenuous climb on
to ridge between two deep valleys; along this,
ascent somewhat easier into Suq el-Khamis. Two
miles before village, a small hamlet and mosque
are passed.
135 34 Suq el-Khamis, walled village of stone houses ; garrisoned,
and forming a strong strategic point; pop!
about 300 ; alt. 7,760 ft. (Bury gives 7,200 ft.).
Military hospital, adjoining stores and quarters
for company of soldiers ; water excellent from
wells.
Dir. NNE., still ascending in a succession of zigzags,
up main scarp of Jebel Minar.
2 m. Turkish post and tower to 1.
7 m. Salami Pass, highest point of Hodeidah-
San'a road ; alt. 9,400 ft.
Minar Caracol, a stronghold perched on Jebel
Minar and commanding the pass; Beit es-Salami,
an Arab tower, overlooks it from a height on 1.
Road, still winding, now drops to Bo'an with
bad surface throughout.
148 13 Bo'an (Bau'an), small village with market; alt. 8,900 ft.
Road from this point into San'a is good on the whole,
and motors could pass ; here and there are small
rough and rather steep descents, but between
these the ground is level.
2| m. White-domed watering-place for men and
animals.
2 m. Yazil, village to 1., a little above road.
2 m. Mutnah, village to 1., on high knoll some little
distance off. To r., elevated post of Sinam
(Thinam) Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. (alt. 9,180 ft.), usually held

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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' [‎248] (252/542), 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_100023896535.0x000036> [accessed 9 March 2025]

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