File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎111v] (231/834)

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they had been warned by their outposts of our approach and,
taking us to be what we were not, namely a raiding party out for
plunder, had decided that the only course open to them was to
ambush us and either sell their lives as dearly as they could or
buy immunity by negotiation in circumstfdices advantageous to
them.
Their plan had been completely successful, but they were as
relieved as we to find that our business was as innocent as theirs,
and we were soon on amicable terms, but the negotiations had
taken some time and we were compelled to halt for the night
where we stood. The Shaqra caravan did the same and the next
morning we parted on our different ways with mutual expressions
of goodwill.
Before long we passed out of the Nafudh on to the Subai
plain, and traversing it for twelve miles in a south-westerly
direction made our midday halt in the vicinity of the Rughailat
mounds, a mile due west of which stood the bushes of Dhalma,
as the end of the storm-channel of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Subai is called . 5
Three miles further on we reached the wells of Qunsuliya,
situated close to a ruined fort dating back to the days of the great
Sand. Most of the wells, about seven in number, contain water of
inferior quality at about twenty to twenty-five feet below ground
level, and only one of them has water suitable for human
consumption.
Moving now roughly parallel to the line of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Subai,
discernible a ' JOut a Tn ^ e away, we continued our march over the
suncracked plain, covered with a litter of dead Tarfa bushes.
AH round us were obvious signs of the passage of flood water,
wide local accounts attribute the destruction of what must have
fromVe^i Subai ° f ^ bU8he8 to optional flood
After a march of twelve miles we halted in a part of the
plum known as el-Taraf, and the next day a long march of
s/mt'd whirli"" '"Vl" 8 "' esl< , l ' l y 'J"' e<:tl " n across a succession of
visible n tt^V W Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. S,lbai from t 1 * Harra, now
wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. itself^and to"^ '! south-west, brought us into the
Khurma in its bed. 6 ‘ ate I )la,ltatlons ai| d village of
moment ™! 8 “werfalf lit In^TT’l "- 1 * 0 at ^
thet^^r^hf into'or’ 'the 1 ' 6 ^ 6 llei 'r e ^ COn " ecti ™ "'i* 1 '
tribesmen with the local h' m ir o a , USe - f of the ''-vodus of the
the latter had incurred the displeasure of" l ’ e ^
embracing the Wahhabi fodi i t le ^ iei M of Mecca by
Wahhabi faith because hi fa T 01 '. pe , rha P s ^ embraced the
and that the Sherif of Mecca hadAmn^ ? her l E ’ s dis P lea . sur e,
Taraba and the Buaum tribo ‘u , lnmisslolie d the Emir of
occasion offered The Diace w t ^ e re ^ s ^hurma as
the place was therefore virtually in a state of