File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎208v] (425/834)

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“ From the station, the line runs south over an open plain for
about eight miles, and then enters the mountain gorges, where
begins a°regular chain of sangar defences between stations up
to Abu Naam.
“Zumurud. —The line enters mountains between several strong-
posts and bears slightly west and runs through a chain of posts
to Zumurud, which consists of one big square building. On a
hill close to the station there is a post with a mountain gun so
placed that it can fire on to the camel-tracks running to Seil
Matran and the approaches to its own fort. It is reported that
there is a well, but that the water is too salty for drinking. The
wood near the station seems to have been all cut down for fuel.
About two miles west of the station, in a cup in the mountains
on the old Pilgrimage Road, is an old square fort in fairly good
repair ; outside this fort are two big wells with ample water, and
inside is a splendid big masonry-built well with inexhaustible
good water. In July 1917, Col. Newcombe and myself seized
this water and held it for several days against the Turk ; but the
disadvantage is that the outer station defences on the hills can
fire directly on to the approaches of the fort. In February 1918,
when passing, I sent scouts to have a look at these wells, and
they were reported blown in by the Turk.
“ From Zumurud the railway twists through a narrow valley
until about seven kilometres out. There the T urks are reported
to have a strong post, and to be boring a well, blasting through
the rock with the explosive they have picked up on the line.
They have reached water, and it is believed it will be good, when
the taste of explosive wears off. All the line here is protected by
small posts, and many curved rails are used in construction.
“ Bir Jedid, known by the Arabs as Soweira. I have not
seen the actual station, nor do I know what its water supply is.
All round the post is a ring of fortifications, and last time 1
visited it they used one mountain gun and two machine guns.
Here the Turks have been using the wadis running to Jebel Nahar
for fuel-cutting. Close to this station, inland about fifteen miles,
is a water supply at Smar (this also is only five hours’ ride from
Zumurud), which makes it possible for a force to assemble on
water unseen in the mountains, and remain in the vicinity of the
line. From Bir Jedid the line winds like a snake on curved rails
to Toweira ; there were originally many culverts, but these have
now all been destroyed and the Turks have filled them in
with sand.
“ Toweira .—I have not seen the station, nor do I know what
its water supply is ; but in the defences in the hills there was a
mountain gun. From here again the railway winds through the
mountains over many destroyed culverts to a strong post known
as Wayban, about seven kilometres out; it is reported that there is a
mountain gun here. The line then coils through a narrow valley
to Mudahrij, which fort I did not actually see as there was a
strong fortified hill between me and it; the hills on the other