File 756/1917 Pt 1 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 1 to 65’ [‎456v] (917/1240)

, , K The camels were bad and the saddles worse. The
a hall. ihe c lv ratioI , e d and there was very little
animals weie no P P^ in „ on t j ie r0 ad. On camping, the
suitable green g camels to roam about m search of food,
Arabs would ^ ^“X departure, it sometimes took over
so that when t • ] s before loading could be begun.
r; r if 4
Arab The majority show no respect but, rather, some
insolence They continually incur unnecessary risks by their
Itoh conduct, such as singing and shouting within hearing of
he enemy, and approaching enemy positions (as the party did
on the railway line) up the middle ot broad wadis that could be
overlooked for miles bv any outpost on the top of a h,11. In one
place as we neared a Bedouin encampment 1 asked one ot the
Leyl of what tribe the Bedouin were and whether they were for
die Sherif 1 No,’ he replied, ‘ not for the Sherif ; for British
a-old.’ In this part of the world, gold is now so plentiful that
the British sovereign may almost be said to be the unit ot
coinao’e. The filthiest Arab unearths (the term is no mere faeon de
narler) a ba<>' of gold when making his purchases in the Suq T
L,l tW r^m) for a camel as an ordinary procedure.”
Notwithstanding these disconcerting elements (Bimbashi
Garland says that at one stage he was firmly convinced that
Abdul Kerim had no intention of ever reaching the railway
line), the ] arty, which had left Wejh on February 12, did
reach the vicinity-of the line towards sunset on'February 20,
the distance being something over 120 miles as the crow flies.
The- Aneizah scouts reported all clear ahead, and the party
arrived within about'300 yards of the railway line. One man of
the Ageyl was sent forward to ascertain whether it was safe and
possible to take the camels any nearer. He reported that it
was ; hut Abdul Kerim and his Juheinah could not be induced
to approach any nearer. Bimbashi Garland, however, and the
Ageyl, with several sheikhs, went forward on their camels,
finally dismounting and securing them about 150 yards from
the railway line. Abdul Kerim and his men stayed at the first
stopping place ,300 yards away, chattering and lighting cigarettes,
and in general giving away the position to any Turks who
might have been about. On reaching the line, the raiders found
a small two-span, strongly-built bridge. Some of the Ageyl
were instructed about the charge to be used and the position in
which it was to be placed, while Bimbashi Garland went
southwards along the line about 400 yards, accompanied by
Ali Nafgan and three sheikhs, to lay the first mine. Up to
this time, they believed that the guides had. as they stated, led
them to a point roughly midway between two stations, Toweira
and Mudurij, about fifteen miles apart. They had been preparing
the mine about five minutes and the hole for it was half dug,
when one of the Ageyl ran up saying that he heard a train
approaching. It being contrary to all his information that the
lurks should run trains in the dark, Bimbashi Garland, hearing