[Un-numbered file] 'Diary of Colonel Hamilton's Visit to Nejd 1918' [‎30r] (59/206)

shrub; tufts of grass. Some hares were seen and chased. ‘Ali al Dhuwaihi shot
one running with his rifle and presented it to me.
17th October .—Owing to the broken
At Temp. 55 o -60 o , Bar. 21 , 8(y. country we are moving over we could not
Distance —44 hours, 140 miles. start till just before the first flush of dawn.
We reached Gara’a, 2 famous old wells, at about 9-45 a.m. The wells
are situated at the head of a valley directly between and under some castle-like
sandstone hills. We were 4 hours and 10 minutes on this day’s march.
Hamud (Athar Barazi’s young brother), Turjim, Sahili ibn Khuraim, and
Mauwar al Jansawi came with 5 other mounted men and had coffee. While
receiving them the Shagrah caravan began to arrive under its Amir, ‘Abdullah
ibn Sadhan. He says that he met a very large Shammar caravan coming from
Najd under Ibn Jabrin or belonging to that section of the Shammar. He
thinks that they have in all probability been sent by Turki as their people are
camped beyond Artawiyah.
Hear at every place that Ibn Rashid is now in Teimah ; also that he is
now deserted by most of the Shammar. The latter can get nothing from the
Karbala "Najaf-Shmawah line and are very hard put to it for food. All the
Shammar say that they wish to take sides with us or, to put it in their own
words, to come under the Government. My experience of the Arabs of the
Shamiyah (i.e., desert south of the Euphrates) during the last 2 years or so
all goes to show that their friendliness to the British is genuine. I think the
Bedouins are traditionally pro-British. We have a great name among them
for humanity, justice, and honesty. They always say that the Englishman
is a man of his word, If he says “ yes ’* it is all right and if “ no ”, he cannot
be compelled to change his mind, though open to argument.
The wells here are lined with stone for about 50 ft. I measured the
distance to the water and found it exactly 50 yards (150 ft.). There were only
about 4 ft. of water in the well (1 of 2 only). The water is brown, but
with the clearness of a peat-burn and sweet, though almost tepid. The well’s
mouth is some feet above the general level rather like a volcanic lake iq
diminutive. This shape :—
The hachuring represents paths, of which there are 8 in all. Eight
camels can work at the same time drawing water. The wells are said to be
of the time of the Prophet; they are pretty sure to be that, if not older. The
Mutair own and maintain them, but all Arabs use them. The distance from
' these wells (Al-Gara’a) to Al-Asafa is 4 hours.
Everyone appears to be against our going to Artawiyah, which is said to
be a hotbed of Muhammadan puritanism. Not only is the foreigner unwelcome,
but all outsiders are put in quarantine for various periods until their orthod oxy
is ascertained. It is proposed, therefore, to water next at Dujani or Gaiyiyah.
One of our dullahsce, or water skin buckets, fell down the well. A boy
was let down to fetch it up. I gave him a present of R2. It was a risky
business with a rope of uncertain breaking strain but the boy made no demur,
getting into an old leather bucket and being lowered,150 ft. to the water’s
edge.
t This morning was very cold; The pamp was all asleep ; every living thing
stretched out on the sandy scrub beneath the stars, except one camel hopping
about on 3 legs, the near fore being tied up to prevent her going far afield.
We have only riding camels (theluls) even for baggage and can move very
rapidly in case of necessity.