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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎255v] (515/1062)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (527 folios). It was created in 6 Jan 1929-15 Jan 1938. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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98
4 For testing the alluvial deposits he advocates the use of a (blank)
machine costing three hundred to four hundred
£ 3 oc—*oo. pounds f. o. b. JNew York, which could also be used
for finding water. It would be easy he says, for capable labour properly
lunervised and with an interpreter to learn how to work the drill and make
thl necessary calculations with a year’s practice. He adds: I repeatedly
«uH strongly advise you to enforce this, that your subjects may be able to
carrv out°tne work in future instead of employing persons from abroad”.
Once found the gold may be won by dredging, a suitable machine costing
’ ahrmt thirt.v thousand Dounds.
5. Mr. Twitched then turns to minerals in lodes. The greatest
mineral wealth in the world, he states, is that obtained from lodes. As a
result of his brief investigations hei thinks that of the more valuable
minerals, gold, silver iron, lead, mica and petroleum exist in the Hejaz.
and there may be others, he adds. He advocates the training of personnel
to distinguish samples. He had made a collection himself and commends
its extension. “All industry depends on minerals” he says, “in a direct
or indirect way. The progress and success of the United States of
America are based on their minerals. I must strongly and repeatedly draw
your attention to the great importance which should be given to the matter
of your minerals”.
6. Mica .—Getting down to detail, Mr. Twitchell states that at Yanbu’
he was shown samples of mica, one a particularly large (37 cm. x 10 cm.)
and a good piece of “mica muscovite”. Its source was not known and it was
most important to discover it. India at present produced sixty-five per
cent, of the world’s output of mica, a mineral which required but little and
inexpensive machinery to produce. Every endeavour should be made to
find and produce it. (I learn independently that promising samples are
found in the hills immediately behind Jadda).
7. Iron .—At Salwan, thirty-two kilometers West (1) of Yanbu’ he
found a sample of iron which he calls “spacpolarite”. The sits was a small
volcanic area three by twenty meters and four hundred feet up by aneroid
but he does not think that the geological formation warrants exploitation or
further search.
8. Talc .—Two kilometers North of Yanbu’ an-Nakhal he found a small
deposit of talc, but of no importance or value.
9. Coal .—Eight kilometers North of Wejh, at Himeyra and Qibla,
hs suspected the existence of coal. Although he found none, he thinks that
it may be worth following the layer southwards.
10. Emery .—At the same place and twelve kilometers from the old pil
grimage for there was a presumption that emery existed, but he thinks it is
of no value. '. 11 12 * 14
11. Gold I Silver. —Thirty-five kilometers North of Wejh on the
Dhaba road he found large angular pieces of quartz and advises that the
mountains to the Eastwards be examined to discover its source. Samples
should be taken and examined for gold or silver.
12. Gypsum. North of Yanbu’ he found many sites of gypsum, useful
for making lime and for improving the condition of salty soil. There was
also gypsum at Jabal al Kabrit, thirty-two kilometers North of Dhaba.
Sulphur. On the same mountain he thinks that there might be
light veins of sulphur (kabrit means sulphur) but he himself found none, the
area which he examined having no value.
14. Gold and Silver .—The most important part of Mr. Twitchell’s
report concerns the old workings for gold and silver at Al Qarayat and Ras
ash-Shuweyta I attach as Appendix “A” a verbatim translation of the
bad Arabic in case it may be of interest to one with sufficient technical
knowledge to decypher it. I have added to appendix “A” a translation of
a further report of gold being found near Taif.

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Content

This volume compiles printed copies of letters, telegrams, memoranda and newspaper extracts relating to Britain's involvement across the Arabian Peninsula during the period 1929-1938. Whilst the correspondence encompasses all matters concerning British interests in the region, much of it relates to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia). Matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:

  • Reports of unrest in the Hejaz.
  • Relations between Imam Yeha Hamid-Ud-Din [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn, Imam of Yemen] and Ibn Saud.
  • Reports of raids and arms trafficking on the Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan -Nejd frontier.
  • Reports of the proceedings of British naval ships in the Red Sea.
  • Details of the Akhwan [Ikhwan] revolt against Ibn Saud, including the movements of one of the revolt's leaders, Faisal Dawish [Fayṣal bin Sulṭān al-Dawīsh], and his surrender to the British in Kuwait.
  • Relations between Kuwait and Nejd.
  • Relations between Iraq and Nejd, including a proposed meeting between Ibn Saud and King Faisal [Fayṣal] of Iraq, and reports of a treaty of alliance between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
  • Objections from the Hejaz Government to Royal Air Force aircraft flying over Nejd territory.
  • The purchase of arms by the Hejaz Government from Poland.
  • Ibn Saud's annexation of Asir.
  • The death of King Hussein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī].
  • Harry St John Bridger Philby's conversion to Islam, his mapping of Rub-al-Khali, and his reported spreading of Saudi propaganda in the Aden Protectorate.
  • The currency exchange crisis in the Hejaz-Nejd and the financial situation in the kingdom generally.
  • Reports on a survey of the water and mineral content of the Hejaz coastal area.
  • Relations between Soviet Russia and Saudi Arabia.
  • The emigration of Jews from Yemen to Palestine, via Aden.
  • British fears that Italy might harbour ambitions to annex Yemen.
  • Saudi oil concessions.
  • Italian-Saudi relations.

Prominent correspondents include the following: the British Agent (later His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires) at Jeddah; His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah; the High Commissioner for Egypt; the High Commissioner for Iraq; the High Commissioner for Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan ; the 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. , Kuwait; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. (later Chief Commissioner, and later still, Governor), Aden; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; His Majesty's Ambassador to Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador to Italy; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Minister (and Acting Minister) for Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia); Ibn Saud; King Feisal of Iraq; the Prime Minister of Iraq; various officials of the Colonial Office, the Foreign Office, the Air Ministry, and the Admiralty.

The French material in the volume consists of several items of correspondence and a copy of a treaty between France and Yemen, which was signed in April 1936.

The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (527 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The items of correspondence are divided (roughly) into various sections. Each extract or item of correspondence within these sections has its own number, which is enclosed in brackets. These numbers proceed in ascending (and approximate chronological) order from left to right; however, the sections themselves proceed in reverse, from the rear to the front of the volume, in distinct groups (e.g. for 1929 numbers 1-23, which are located at folios 517-526, are followed by numbers 24-49 at folios 509-516, which are then followed by numbers 50-89 at folios 494-508, and so on).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 529; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Pagination: each section of correspondence within the volume (as described in the arrangement field) has its own pagination sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎255v] (515/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765165.0x000074> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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