[Un-numbered file] 'Diary of Colonel Hamilton's Visit to Nejd 1918' [‎30v] (60/206)

IQth October —Halted for the day. Last night ‘Abdul ‘Aziz cameand said
„ that he thought we should revert to our
At ctdww.”—"Temp. 68 j Bar. 2250'» •• ii £ a. n* • i i ji y
original plan or travelling with the Shagran
caravan. We had one or two very unreliable Sham mar rajiqs (friends) with tis
and he feared further visits and demands from Barazi and his tribe who are
now camped at the Al-Asafa. The Shagrah caravan was a bit worn out and
would probably need a day’s rest. I agreed. I think our Shammar raftq, Ibn
Duhaiman, is a suspicious character, having caught him several times whispering'
or talking apart with the Barazi brothers. His joining us also was very odd.
He came to us on our first march and asked what arrangements we had made
for him. We said we knew nothing about him and told him to go to the Shaikh,
He has never been satisfied since his arrival. Agreed with ‘Abdul ‘Aziz to
shake him off on the first opportunity.
Fahad al Dhafiri is an old man sent with me by the Shaikh. He is reli
able, I think, and most cheery, always singing out the quaint phrase “Shughal
Taiyar” which, he says, he picked up from Colonel Knox when the latter was
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. here.
We have some Salubis with us. Many things about them and most of
all their regular features differentiate them from the Arabs. They may well
be a remnant of one of the Crusaders as they themselves claim. Salib means
“cross” and the word Salubi can be easily understood to signify crusader. They
are greatly despised by.the Arabs but have many privileges and can go every
where without fear of being plundered. The Kuwait missionaries told me that
the cross figures in their marriage ceremonies as one of the emblems or
symbols used in the rites. Our Arabs would not water the Salubis’ camels
till I went to the well myself and persuaded them to do so.
Heard from Barazi that the Turks have agents out buying camels
from the Shammar and have already secured a large number Ibn
Bashid is ^arranging the purchase for them. Have heard of no Turkish nr
German officer^ about. _ -
19th October. —Started at dawn ; reached camp, a circular plain shut in by
Distance—52 hours, miles. low hills, after 8 hours’ march. Marched
over very rough, stony ground, crossing
some water-courses, deeply scoured, apparently by floods. Water appears to flow
north. Stiff cloudy. South breeze; very cool. The Shagrah caravan in 3
large squadrons followed us at about 3 miles’ distance.
Khudhayar, the 6-foot Zanzibar negro servant sent to look after me hv
the Shaikh of Muhammareh, had a swelling on his thumb. Had to oneratV
with a penknife ; filled up with boracic and bandaged. After the pus came
out Khudhayar had instant relief; hope he gets all right again soon. Last
night he slept beside me, suspecting treachery on the part of some Shammar
guests of ours. This marching with a caravan is tiring, but it seems advisable
in view of our untrustworthy Shammar rqfiqs, to stick to them till we reach
the real dtrah of the Mutair. reacn
30th October, Marched badly for about 9 hours, trying in vain to be slow
enough for the Shagrah caravan to keep up
Eventually, at 1-30 p.m., sent Muhammad
. ibn Hahabas with my compliments to the
Amir of the caravan to enquire when he intended to halt. His replv wbhK.
was polite and florid, amounted to this—that his camels were a rotten lot
in bad condition and that he intended halting at the first place where L™li
grazing was to be had. So I sent Mirshid on to look for a camp He
a charming little hollow, with plenty of grass {nussi) for the horse To ^
as yesterday we are crossing the Summan, a stony, undulating tract of countrv*
We seem to^be moving through a succession of amphitheatres which have /*
apparent exits; mostly circular, with a diameter of 1 to 2 miles Crn<s •
from one to another is rough going for camels. I wonder that their feet
it and I don t believe that any but the locally-bred beasts could. d
Managed to shake off the Shammar crowd, which is bound for Artmvi\ t.
and joined up with us yesterday. But I shall have to leave the caravan Sn &
they are too painfully slow* VtUi a & ain ;
Distance—61 hours, miles.
At dawn —Temp. 65°, Bar. 2,500'.