تقارير ومراسلات متنوعة بخصوص الكويت [ظ‎‎٢‎٢] (٨٧/٤٤)

4
18th Halted for the day. Lost niglit 'Abdul 'Aziz came and said
that he thought we should revert to our
At dawn. Temp. 68% Bar. 2250. original plan of travelling with the Shagrah
caravan. We had one or two very unreliable Sham mar rajiqs (friends) with us i
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 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 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
Rashid is ^arranging the purchase for them. Have heard of no Turkish or
German officers about.
f
19th October. —Started at dawn ; reached camp, a circular plain shut in by
, 0 , „ low hills, after 8 hours' march. Marched
Dutsrace—52 hours, miles. • , . , .
over very rough, stony ground, crossing
some water-courses, deeply scoured, apparently by floods. Water appears to flow
north. Still 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 by
the Shaikh of Muhammareh, had a swelling on his thumb. Had to operate
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 rajiqs, to stick to them till we reach
the real dirah of the Mutair.
20th October, —Marched badly for about 9 hours, trying in vain to be slow
enough for the Shagrah caravan to keen un
Distance—61 hours, miles. ^ J° on -r. ± l '
dawn— temp. B.r. 2 ,5oo'. EvcntoUly, at 1-30 p.m ., sent Muhammad
ibn Dahabas with my compliments to the
Amir of the caravan to enquire when he intended to halt. His reply, which
was polite and florid, amounted to this—that his camels were a rotten lot and
in bad condition and that he intended halting at the first place where camel
grazing was to be had. So I sent Mirshid on to look for a camp. He found
a charming little hollow, with plenty of grass (nussi) for the horse. To-day,
as yesterday, we are crossing the Summan, a stony, undulating tract of country!
We seem to be moving through a succession of amphitheatres which have no
apparent exits; mostly circular, with a diameter of 1 to 2 miles. Crossino"
from one to another is rough going for camels. , I wonder that their feet stand
it and I don't believe that any but the locally-bred beasts could.
Managed to shake off the Shammar crowd, which is bound for Artawiyah
and joined up with us yesterday. But I shall have to leave the caravan again •
they are too painfully slow^
\