File 756/1917 Pt 1 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 1 to 65’ [‎466v] (937/1240)

_ 148
SINAI.
The following notes on the range, disposition and tenure of
the tribes in north-western Sinai are taken from a recent mmute
I eut -Col A C. Parker, Military Governor of Sinai
Ay aid a.
This tribe lives in the country which may be described
rouphly as the triamde Maghara-Um Mukhsheib-Ismaiha The
Sheikh Selim Abdullah has been at Ismaiha throughout the war,
assisting Lieut.-Col. Jennings Bramley, D.S 0, and numbers of
the men have acted as British agents A number have also
acted as Turkish agents, and about forty Turkish rifles were
accepted by Salman Shereif, the Sheikh appointed by the Turks,
and distributed among the tribesmen at Maghara. N ur Lttendi,
the Turkish officer at Maghara, was always doubtful about the
loyalty of these men, and a few of them deserted and came to
Egypt.
On March 21, thirty-three of the Turkish rifles with some
ammunition were brought in to El Arish and satisfactory
promises given for the collection and handing in of the remainder.
Da way hr a.
This tribe normally inhabits the country north of the line
Bir Abu El-Afein, a point four miles east of Salmana, watering
from Abu El-Afein, Bir El-Abd and Salmana. With the British
advance a great number of the tribe was removed to Egypt,
losing in the process a considerable number of their stock, for
which they have now received L.E.300 compensation from
Government.
Some of the men remaining (probably about ten) were
supplied with fire-arms by the Turks, and these retreated with
the Turks. Salem Abu Deinat, one of the chief men of the
tribe, arrived at El-Arish from the east on March 21, and begged
that the tribe might be permitted to return to their land. The
reply given was that Id Sueilim, the Sheikh now with the
Turks, must first appear at El-Arish, bringing all Turkish rifles
issued.
Teaha.
The area of this tribe is roughly bounded by the line
Bodhia-Nekhl-Kossaima-Helal-Yelag, though they own more
country to the south. The sheikhs are now havering and
writing letters to explain that they cannot come in for fear ol
l urkish reprisals. They may be expected to make submission
shortly.