'Field notes. Mesopotamia' [‎24r] (52/230)

Batin. On the south the Turks had no station nearer to Kuwait
town than Musallamiyah Island ; the Shaikh’s boundary on the
south may be considered to run westwards from Jabal
Manifah on the coast to Nta’ and onwards to Wabrah. It is
a task of great difficulty to circumscribe the Shaikh’s territories
on the remaining sides with even approximate accuracy. Shaikh
Mubarak stated (1904) that on the north-west his influence
reaches to the Batin and somewhat beyond it, and that on the
west the inhabitants of Summan, but not those of Dahana,
acknowledge him; and his assertion is to some extent borne
out by known facts in regard to the occupation of Hafar, which
Ibn Rashid, though at one time he seized it, was unable for
long to retain. We may therefore consider that the Shaikhdom
is bounded between Jabal Sanam and Hafar by the Batin,
and that south of Hafar the border is the line dividing Summan
from Dahana as far south as the point where that line is inter
sected by the route from Wabrah to Riyadh. These being the
limits of the Kuwait Principality its length from N.-N.-W. to
S.-S.-E. is about 190 miles, and its breadth from E.-N.-E. to
W. S. W. about 160 miles.
The maritime possessions of Kuwait consist of the islands of
Bubiyan, Warbah and of Failakah, which, with its northern
and southern outliers of Mashj an and ’Auhah, is situated at
the mouth of Kuwait Bay, and of the islets of Kubbar, Qaru and
Umm-al-Maradim.
Kuwait Harbour .—A remarkably fine bay some 20 miles long
and 10 miles wide, stretching approximately'east and west, forms
an excellent and flourishing harbour. The surrounding country
to the southward is low-lying, level, and of the ordinary desert
type, stretching away as far as the eye can see. The Hill
Fort” shown on the charts, sonje 1\ miles south-east of the
town of Kuwait, stands 180 feet above sea level, and is a con
spicuous object when entering the bay from the sea. It is a
well-built square erection, with towers at the corners. There is
a small village to the south-east of this fort on the coast,
nestling among palms and other trees.
For anchorage and landing see page 110.
With the exception of some sand-hills immediately to the
south of the town, which are referred to in greater detail further
on, the general character of the country along the southern