Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎28v] (57/802)

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porters and schoolboys from the Government schools paraded the town shoutin^j^
such slogans as: “Down with the Jews! " “ Palestine belongs to the Arabs.
“ Long live our King ! ” “ There is a God ! ” “ Let not Palestine be partitioned !
Each little band had a leader, the most vociferous being the head porter of the
custom-house, who was used to encouraging gangs of coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. to push new cars in
crates out of the custom-house to the agents’ garages. The din suddenly diedj^
down about 11 a.m.; one theory is that the local deputy acting kaimakam, taken
by surprise, telephoned to the Government at Taif and received orders to stop
the processions, another that the demonstrators had by then become bored and
thirsty. So far all the agitation appears to come from the Hejazis.
274. Mr. Ousman, who returned to Riyadh from Bahrein on the 19th July,
reports that he is housed in one of the better class residences of that town. It
belongs to the local Minister of Finance, who the pro-consul says can neither
read nor write; but it is a filthy, fly-ridden place. The streets in Riyadh being
about 2 yards wide, Mr. Gusman’s first task has been to knock down some
houses which are in the way of the lorries which are transporting his electric light
plant. The heat is terrific. Riyadh strikes Mr. Ousman as one huge prison;
there is a curfew at 10 p.m., and no one is allowed to enter the town after that
hour.
275. Telegrams of congratulation were sent by the Legislative Assembly to
the King and to the Amir Feisal on the occasion of the escape of the heir apparent
from injury in a slight motor accident in England; the press reports indicate that
the accident took place while the Amir Baud was travelling either from or to
Scotland towards the beginning of July.
276. The hot weather has not prevented a good deal of acrimonious discussion
about motor transport. Sheikh Abdullah Suleiman left the cool breezes of Taif
for the heat and quarrelsome atmosphere of Mecca to attend a meeting of the
Motor Transport Company on the 10th July. Complaints of maladministration
by Muhammad Suroor and others appear to have been before the meeting, but
everyone was whitewashed. Sheikh Abdullah announced to the meeting that the
Government had decided to open a grand garage at Mecca, and to change the
bodies of the company’s buses so as to make them similar to those of the Iraqi
companies. Objections to the latter proposal on financial grounds were over
ruled, and 400 buses were ordered to be brought up to the new standard. The
directors proposed that motor-bus fares for the journey to Medina from Mecca
should be raised from £g. 7^ to £g. 8; but Sheikh Abdullah Suleiman showed
reluctance to increase the cost of the pilgrimage.
277. The Amir Feisal is reported to have visited Rakbah and Samuda on the
10th July on a hunting trip.
278. The Amir Saad, son of the late Amir Abdullah-bin-Jiluwi, and
Governor of Hasa, came to Taif from Riyadh about the 3rd July, and is reported
to be on his way to Egypt for treatment for his eyes.
279. Sheikh Ibrahim-bin-Muammar, late Saudi Charge d’Afiaires at
Bagdad, arrived in Jedda and took over the duties of kaimakam on the 31st July.
He has evidently made an exchange of posts with Sheikh Muhammad Id-al-
Rawwaf (see paragraph 258.)
280. Preparations for the impending arrival of the Amir Saud and his
brother the Amir Muhammad at Jedda were in full blast at the end of July. The
Amir Feisal, accompanied by a large number of the King’s sons, nephews, grand
children, and retainers arrived in Jedda on the 28th July. Dancing round fires
in the streets, the erection of triumphal arches decked with green and white, and
much carpet-spreading and cleaning up in the customs-sheds and quays, where the
heir apparent will land, were noticeable signs of national rejoicing.
281. Hardly any flying has been done during the past month. Shortage of
oil and petrol has been the explanation.
282. The Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate ((Limited) have recently been
prospecting at Madain Salih for coal, which would be useful to them in smelting
or extracting the gold at the Mahd-ed-Dhahab mine. The coal which was said
to be at Madain Salih, however, turned out to be nothing but lava and certain
old gold workings there were not worth developing. The prospectors therefore
turned their attention to a place named Muraighib (or Muraikib) 70-80 miles from
Yanbu, where ancient workings for gold have been discovered. It is reported
that samples from Muraighib have been found to contain promising percentages of
gold; the road from Yanbu to Muraighib has been made passable for cars; hopes