"ملخص لثورة الحجاز" [و‎‎٧‎٩] (٣٠/٩)

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it useless, rendered him practically dependent on convoys* from other parts of Arabia
9 I on the local harvest.
Southern Hejaz considerable demolitions were carried out by Sherifs Abdulla
and Ali. On the Ist May at Bowat and Hafira, on the 10th at Abu Nairn, where the
bridges over the Wadi Hamdh were attacked, on the 14th at Bir Jedid and Tovveira,
where 800 rails were destroyed. At Mudurij on the same day 1,500 rails were destroyed.
On the 19th the Bowat bridges were bombarded for four hours and a French demolition
party destroyed 5 kilometres of railway, and in the same sector on the 22nd, French
and Bedouin demolition parties destroyed 6 kilometres of railway and five culverts.
20. ! ! >n Kasbid (see paragraph 9), who had remained in his camp near Medain Saleh,
except for one minor raid from Jedaha during February, was suspected by the Turks
of intrigue and had been kept practically a prisoner, while many of his followers had
deserted him. About the end ot April or early in May he left his camp for Hail, but
was intercepted by Sherif Abdulla's Bedouins near Teima, and in the engagement
which ensued his entire transport was captured, 30 of his men killed and 31 taken
prisoner, he himself escaping to Hail.
21. In .lune the railway was still
and crafhc south of Maan had been at a st/inHst,!]! sinr»p the 11th April.
t throughout the Maan to Mudowere
sector and tratfic south of Maan had been at a standstill since
North of Maan the railway was still cut as far as Juruf ed Derwish, but on 'the
12 th June a small Turkish concentration commenced at Kutrani with the
object of reopening it. On the 16th a column with supplies left Kutrani.
reoccupied Ferifre, and on the 18th entered Juruf ed Derwish, after having found
EI Hasa unoccupied'. On the 19th the column, which had met with considerable Arab
resistance, returned to Ferifre. Meanwhile, Maan remained invested, and between the
15th and 23rd was bombed three times by the Royal Air Force, in addition to which
raids on a large scale were carried out on Kutrani. Three Turkish aeroplanes were
seriously damaged.
22 . On the 22nd June, Sherif Nasir was attacked near Hasa by two battalions of
Turks with machine guns and a battery of field artillery, who were driven back bv the
Arabs to Ferifre after severe fighting in which they lost 20 killed and 15 prisoners. On
the 24th the station and, camp at Amman were bombed. On the 27th, Feisals southern
column destroyed a bridge south of Maan, and on the day following attacked and
captured the station at Kalaat el Ahmar, the garrison surrendering. Following the
capture of this station, Mudowere (next station to the north) was evacuated bv its
garrison who attempted to reach Maan, but were practically all captured bv the Arabs.
In Southern ilejaz, on the 21st June, Sherif Abdulla destroyed 200 rails, a
bridge and 2 kilometres of telegraph line between Seil Matara and Meshed, while
another 500 rails and three bridges were destroyed between Istabl Antar and Abu
Naam. On the 29th , June a further 210 rails and two bridijes were destroyed in this
O %/
neighbourhood.
Dy^ntery was now reported to be rife in the Hejaz Expeditionary Force, and the
food conditions were extremely bad, while scurvy had broken out at Tebuk ami
Mudowere.
23. About the middle of June King Hussein's attitude again became difficult.
He wired to his agent in Cairo expressing his disgust at the Anglo-French intentious
regarding Syria, as alleged by Jemal Pasha in his farewell speech made at Beirut prior
to his departure from Syria. King Hussein stated that this speech (made in November
and widely quoted) had only just been brought to his notice. Though it was not
known at the time, the Sherit's attitude was almost certainly influenced by uneasiness
regarding a situation which had arisen at Khurma, about 80 miles east of Taif. This
town, though undoubtedly in the Sherifial sphere of administration, had become
contaminated by the spread of Wahabite influence through the Akhwan Society!
* In this connection, ample evidence had been forthcoming to show that considerable convoys of
supplies from Koweit were reaching' enemy destinations, both in the Uejaz and in Palestine. A proposal to
establish a blockade cordon with the assistance of troops was found to be impracticable, and other measures
were adapted. The Sheikh of Koweit, whose actions in the matter had not been above suspicion, waa
cautioned, and gave assurances that he would make suitable arrangements and hold himself responsible that
no such traffic should be carried on, and that all export of goods from Koweit to the interior should be
carefully supervised and regulated. During March, April and May. 191i3, Gve couvoys airgregating 1,500
camels were captured east of Medina by detachments of Sherif Ali's Army. See Appendix K.
t The Akhwan organization is centred in Riadh. It is a Bedouin society which exists to promote the
spread of pure religion in the Wahabi sense among the different tribes of Arabia. The abolition of ail
inter-tribal warfare is one of its cardinal doctrines. Three hundred and more of these Akhwan are being
educated in Riadh to be the religious teachers of the different tribes. The society, entry into which appears
to be easy, numbers many thousands in many different tribes, and enthusiastically supports the present ruling
house in Riadh.