'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎372] (391/1050)

372
BAI—BAI
BAINtJNAH—
See Dhafrab.
bair—
The most important of a number of watercourses which occur in the Ardh-as-gawwaii
{q.v.), in North-Western Arabia, and trend north-east towards Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan. They are
crossed by travellers journeying between the Dead Sea and Tayma, the better known
amongst the others being Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hasa and Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hidrij. They are deep-sided watercours
es, and contain a considerable amount of vegetation, tamarisk, and thorn scrub. In
these dry water-channels are piled up heaps of dead wood and old trees washed down by
sudden floods. In Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hidrij, which is roughly 120 miles south-east of the Dead Sea,
there are ostriches, this being probably their northerly limit.
In the upp;)r part of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Bair, at a point about 65 miles east-north-east of the oasis
of Ma'an, are some wells containing excellent water at 40 feet. Bair is one of the summer
ing places of the Bani Sakhr : the wells provide ample water for a large number of men
and animals and the deep velley supplies at all times of the year sufficient pasturage.
At these wells are the remains of a large khan or caravansarai which for architectural
reasons may be dated in the Umayyad period. It was no doubt a stage on the Umayyad
road mentioned by Muqaddasi as running fom Tayma to Damascus and may without
question be identified with the stage called by him Wubayr. In Muqaddasi's day the
route had already fa len into disuse.
Close to these ruins is the tomb of the Jidd, or forbear, of the Bani Sakhr, a place
regarded by them as of great sanctity, and a camel is sacrificed by any shaikh of the
Bini Sakhr camping in the valley.— {Carruthers, January-February 1909; Miss. G. L.
Bell, Jarmary 1914.)
1SAIRAM 'ALI (J ub-i)—
One of the numerous small waterways on the Persian frontier and draining from
the Pusht-i-Kuh range towards the marshes north of Kut-al-Amarah. At certain
seasons of the year this waterway is dry.
BAIT (Q abr)—
A tomb in the Amadi tribal district ia Hadhramawt, 1- ing a few miles south-east of
Kurbaida 1 !. The place consists of 4 little houses and 13 wells.— [Wrede -y 1843.)
BAIT-AL- 'AINAIN—
See Sanaisal ( Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. ).
BAIT-AL-FALAJ—
There are three main wells of which one is in the fort, another just north of it, and the
third 300 yards north of it. There are also two springs 300 yards north-east of the fort,
Ijoth being worked y hand pumps, as also is the well in the fort. The water supply is
ample (even for a brigade and very good).
In addition to Bait-al-Falaj itself, which is a large defensible house belonging to the
Sultan of Masqat, there is a small cluster of huts 200 yards north-north-east of it, which
liowever are now deserted. Adjoining Bait-al-Falaj is a patch of ground about 100 yards
square which is cultivated by the British garrison as a vegetable garden. Another
patch surrounds well no. 3 and is J of an acre in extent.
* Bait-al-Falaj is 1| miles from Matrah by a good track, and 3 miles from the British
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Masqat as the crow flies. The track to Masqat is impassable for animals, the
usual way of going there being by boat from Matrah, the journey taking about | an hour.
There are no supplies or livestock at Bait-al-Falaj other than those maintained by the
British garrison there. The latter now consists of one battalion of Indian Infantry.
On January 11th a body of about 3,000 rebels attacked the outpost line here, but were
defeated with heavy loss.— {Murphy.)
BAIT-AL-FALAJ (W adi)—
A very short valley in fho Masqat district of the 'Oman Sultanate ; it begins 3 or
4 miles south and a little west of Masqat town, runs 3J miles to the north-west and then
turns due north reaching the sea at DSrsait, 1^ miles from Bait-al-Falaj. The only places