'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎399] (418/1050)

BAT—BAT
399
bathath—
See Samawah Qadha.
BATIH—
A considerable tract of land in Kiiwait territory between Kuwait Bay and the Turkish
butpost of Safwan: Batih begins 23 miles north of Jahrah, its extent from south to
north is 22 miles, and its end 11 miles south of Safwan. On the east it is separated
from Khor-as-Sabiyah by a low-lying tract called Rodhatain, and on the west it reaches
to the locality known as Umm-al-Khllan. Batih consists of undulating perfectly
waterless desert and lies somewhat high, its elevation above the sea varying from 130
to 210 feet. Numerous slight ridges cross it from west to east, the more northern
appearing to be included under the common name of Hamar,* and the slope of the
country downwards from west to east is uniform but gradual. Batih is traversed
from west to east near its northern extremity by a broad, shallow depression called Bil
Jirfan and towards its southern end by a series of sandy runs, through which the
rainfall drains from the higher ground in the west down to Rodhatain : between these
twcs on the southern side of a well-marked ridge, is a locality which appears to be
generally known under the name of Batih-al- 'Aud or Great Batih. A few gazelle are
to be seen in Batih,
BATIH-AL- ^AUD—
A locality in Batih {q. v.}.
BATIN—
A village iq the Abu Dhabi Principality {q. v.).
BATIN—
A sandbank off the island of Abu 'Ali {q. v.),
BATIN—
That portion of the bed of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hanifah which passes through Dara'iyah {q, v.),
BATIN OR BATAIN—
The final and lowest section of the great Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -ar-Rummah, of which the middle and
upper course lies in Najd. The Batin may be considered to reach the Kuwait frontier
first at Hafar; from Hafar it runs for about 61 miles north-eastwards to Riqa'i and
from Riqa'i it continues in the same direction for about 95 miles further to the neigh
bourhood of Jabal Sanam, to the westward of which it passes at a distance of 15 miles,
thereafter vanishing altogether, t
The Batin is generally a well-marked depression, varying in breadth from 8 miles
(as at Hafar) to 2 miles (as at Riqa'i). The actual bottom or bed of the valley measures
about 3 miles across at Hafar, but it is ordinarily much less, and for some distance
above Riqa'i its width does not exceed ^ a mile; it shows no signs of water action,
but it is covered with a level deposit of dark-coloured clay which may have been
gradually washed down from the higher ground on either side. The level bed bears
large patches of low scrub which give cover to gazelle and bustard.
Between Hafar and Jabal Sanam the Batin is approximately the north-western
boundary of the Shaikhdom of Kuwait, but the Shaikh asserts that his influence
extends some distance beyond it.
The routes from Basrah and Kuwait to Qaslm run along the Batin, the former
joining it near Jabal Sanam and the latter at Riqa'i.
The Hamar ridges have a slightly reddish tmge (whence their name) and are said to curve southwars
between Batih and the sea ending somewhere near Mdairah. The drainage, nevertheless of the connfrvSwaS
Khor-as-Sabiyah is apparently not intercepted By these ridges. It is from the WghS' part of HamS crowed
by the road that Safwan is first described by the traveller from Kuwait y t oi namar crossed
tA later report, from Bedouin information, states that the Batin below Jabal Sanam mssM «mith nf * nT*™.
ealled Barjislyah, and then a little north of Zubair Town, and Anally ends inTmar^ a placc