ملف ٣٧ لسنة ١٩٠٥، جزء ٤، "تخطيط حدود عدن" [ظ‎‎٣‎٦] (١١٩٧/٧٩)

mam** t
22
94. All the troops originally posted at j^ ar ^Jafela! on aooolnt
ofthr^nheS: Clothe ^lac^nd ofly a small post of observation was
““^“rd to ^ «* 'Z
Sn g r
well populated, but very
little food and not much forage, can be got out oi it. ^
96 After some deliberation, the Resident determined that it would be
96. Atter some oen ’ t of tll0 Mausatta Sheikhs, and that
^e 1 ? 88 f° ^1* launch the survey party into the Shaibi country at
once^^eforfitf movemen^coufd be antilip’ated 5 ! with as strong an escort as
once, ociuie ^ ; T . „ nf i f 0 n e ready to support the escort, ir
could conveniently b h e ^^ a ; ail f le at Dtbala. The treaty entered into
wU^tlufMausatta would prevent the Sheikhs of that section from openly dis-
nlavinf annoyance, and certainly from taking any active part against us ,
wXthe ShJibi themselves, though disunited, and quarrelling among them
selves, were, on the whole, too much interested in the demarcation to o er
opposition to an armed force.
97 On 31st August, the survey party, and an escort of 100 British
Infantry, 100 Native Infantry, and two mountain guns, rendezvoused at Kballa,
a viUa-e on the east side of the Dthala plain about 12 miles from that place
bv road The next day they ascended to Awabil, a Shaibi village near the
ed<4 Of the hills overlooking Dthala. The people were generally friendly and
survey operations were commenced at once On the 4th beptember, how
ever a small party was unexpectedly fired at by the people of a village called
Hadera and most unfortunately a native surveyor was killed. Captain Warne-
ford Political Officer, with several Shaibi Sheikhs and some troops, pro
ceeded at once to the spot, and the village towers were blown up without
resistance, the people having already fled. The survey of the Shaibi border
was then completed without further trouble, and the survey party with its
pseort proceeded to cross the Bana river, which is the boundary of the Shaibi
country After a most difficult march they halted at Rubiaten, a village
and small district, which, with three other small districts called Juban, Nawa,
and Dabiani, belongs to the family of Sultan Kahtan, and to the Mausatta
Sheikhs The people are dependants of the Yaifai and the districts are clearly
included in the territory of the tribe. The inhabitants were very friendly,
and the survey party was able to do good work at this place. On the day
the escort reached Rubiaten, a military post of 200 infantry and two camel
guns was established at Awabil, under the command of Captain Shewell, 123rd
Rifles, to maintain communication with Dthala.
98. Reports were now received that Saleh bin Omar, the brother and
rival of Sultan Kahtan, with a following variously stated at from 1,000
to 2 000 men, was making for Rubiaten with intent to attack the survey
party and detachment there. On the afternoon of 12 th September Captain
Warneford heliographed from Rubiaten that Saleh bin Omar, with at least 1,000
men had crossed the Bana and was in the Shaibi country. As the survey party
and its escort might find itself in an awkward position, if attacked in the very
difficult country about the Bana, or if the enemy interposed bet ween it and Awabil,
General Maitland moved out the following morning with 300 of the Dublin
Fusiliers and four guns of No. 6 Mountain Battery. It was impossible to reach
Awabil in one march from Dthala on account of the distance aud the long and
difficult ascent to that place, but on arriving there on the 14th it was
found that the Yaffai gathering had attacked Captain Shewell’s post the
previous morning, and had been smartly repulsed with a loss of about
20 killed and mauy wounded, our casualties being one man of the
Hampshires killed, and four soldiers and sepoys wounded. It was after-