[Un-numbered file] 'Diary of Colonel Hamilton's Visit to Nejd 1918' [‎47r] (93/206)

BBwP**
with the Shagra caravan. We had one or two very
unreliable Shammar Hafeeks (friends) with us and
|ie If ear ed further visits and demands from Barazi
and his tribe who* are now camped at the al-Asafa.
The Shagra caravan was a bit worn out and would
prob .bly need a day’s rest. I agreed. I think
our Shammar Rafeek Bin Dhhaiman is a suspicious
character, having caught him several times whis
pering or talking apart with the Barazi brothers.
His joining us also was very old. H e came to us
on our first march and asked what arrangements
we had made for him. We said we knew' nothing
about him and told him to go to the Shaikh. lie
has never been satisfied since his arrival.
Agreed with Abdulaziz to shake him off on the
first opportunity.
Fahad al Dhafiri is an old man sent with me
by the Shaikh. He is reliable,I think,and most
cheery, always singing out the quaint phrase
"Shughal Taiyar”, which he says he picked up
from Colonel Knox, v/hen the latter was Political
Agent here.
We have some Salubbis with us. Many things
about them and most of all their regular feature?
differentiate them from the Arabs. They may well
be a remant of one of the Crusaders,as they
themselves claim. Salib means cross and the
word Salubi can be easily understood to signify
Crusader. They are greatly despised by the
Arabs but have many privileges and can go every
where without fear of bei$g plundered. The
Kuwait missionaries told me that the cross
figures in their marriage ceremonies as one of
the emblems or symbols used in the rites. Our
Arabs would not water the S-alubbas* camels till
I went to the well myself and persuaded them
to do so.