File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎36v] (81/834)

I ' Ml;
— 466 —
North-West.
Intelligence.
Uarl> Unrest.
Since the events related on page 428, there has not been any
fresh manifestation of unrest among the Harb, so far as we
know ; but disaffection certainly continues, in not only the Masruh
and Hawazim but some other Beni Salim clans. It is to be
attributed in part to solicitations by Ibn Rashid since he has been
hi the Medina district, in part to the sinister influence of Sheikh
Husein Mubeirik, who still lurks in the high ground behind
Rabugh, but more to the stoppage of Harb supplies and payments
by King Husein. After all, have not these Harb clans robbed
all and sundry for centuries on the Medina-Mecca roads ? They
hardly know any other way of life, and still expect to be bought
off as in the past. The King does not seem seriously perturbed,
but is using the situation as a lever for obtaining an increase of
his subsidy. Sherif Ali sent Sheikh Baraka to the Hawazim to
see what could be done to keep them quiet, and declares that,
in any case, he can dispense with their alliance and get up his
supplies through Juheinah country. Our representative at
Jiddah has some suspicion of the governor, Sherif Muhsin,
hereditary Emir of the Harb, in all this matter.
Railway Raids.
(a) Southern Section .—The operations of Sherif Abdullah’s
and Sherif Ali’s parties noticed on page 449 have resulted
in the burning of Bowat station, the destruction of enemy posts
south of Bowat and north and south of Stabl Antar station,
the annihilation of a Turkish platoon and Arab occupation of
this station itself for several hours. So far as we can unravel the
course of events, they happened thus. During the day of
November 11 , an Arab attack was made with artillery on Bowat
station and though it was repulsed with the aid of reinforcements
sent from both south and north, a part of the permanent wav
was destroyed. During the night following the line was cut
north and south of Stabl Antar, and on the morning of the 12th
an attack was made on the station. After bombardment, the
Arabs charged, and though beaten off for the time from the
station itself, they captured an advance post on the north and
another on the south, together with a platoon which sallied to
the assistance of the latter from the station barracks. These
posts had resisted _ stoutly. Later the Arabs seem to have got
into the station with two guns and four machine guns, and by
their fire they drove back a relieving force, sixty’ strong
which had come down from Hadiyah. The latter, ’ however’
succeeded m clearing the line to the north, and holding on till
nightfall ; then it retraced its steps under cover of darkness and
rushed btabl Antar again. What happened immediately after
that we do not know, but, on the 15th, a detachment sent up
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