'Field Notes on Lower Mesopotamia' [‎28r] (62/112)

for at least ten years, and they would gladly get
rid of the Turks. The Bani Lam Arab tribe is
also usually in a state of hostility towards the
Turks. They have recently (1914) had trouble with
the Shaikh of Muhammareh.
Ihe tribes in the Basrah Vilayat, generally, have
probably as many rifles as they can afford to buy.
The favomite pattern is the Martini, but there is
also a sprinkling of Mausers. Where breech
loaders are deficient, the favourite substitute is
a double-barrelled muzzle-loading gun. Other
weapons are swords, 12-foot lances with a for
midable blade, curved daggers about a foot
long, double-edged, and very sharp at the point.
For several years the Arabs have been very
friendly towards the British, and on several
occasions prominent chiefs have come forward with
suggestions of a British Protectorate, which the
Resident at Baghdad found somewhat embarrass
ing to deal with.
The Arabs of Basrah and the neighbourhood,
in 1913-14, only needed a leader and a little
encouragement to rise against the Turkish adminis
tration. In June 1913 the Turkish Commandant
of Troops was actually murdered in Basrah by
Arabs.
Kuwait.
The Kuwait unit of organization is the
A khabra consists of 10 men with their arms and
probably 100 rounds of ammunition each.
Kuwait