مجموعة ٦ / ٨ (١) "سلسلة مطبوعة: ١٩٢٩ إلى ١٩٣٨". [ظ‎‎٢‎٠‎٧] (١٠٦٢/٤١٩)

14
water, with the exception of four of the weakest, who received an occasional tea
pot-full poured into the nostrils or squirted in by men’s mouths, “ to cool their
brains ”, they said. They picked up very little grazing by the way, and for
three days there was not a twig nor a blade. Most of the way lay over undulat
ing, rolling, or corrugated sand desert, but they crossed one 50-mile wide stretch
of fine dead-flat gravel, which lay in the midst of their course, and which Philby
reckons to be 150 miles long and to afford the finest speed track in the world.
At the end of 111 hours’ riding from Naifa, and after fifty-five days since
seeing another human being, the party reached Sulaiyil with their iron-rations
intact. There they rested apd feasted, and thence they made their way by easy
stages through the comparatively civilised surrounding of Risha, Turaba, and
Taif, to Mecca, which they reached on the 5th April, in nice time for the pil
grimage. Philby’s Omaniya celebrated her arrival with ,a foal. She must
have done nearly 1,800miles in the ninety days’ outing.
Philby himself kept very fit and betrays remarkably little sign of the strain.
His determination to ride into Mecca broke down, however, a few miles out at
Sail, where he saw a motor-car, and incontinently deserted his camel.
As for climatic conditions, at Salwa the morning sand had been too cold to
walk upon (Philby is tender-footed). In the Rub’-al-Khali it scorched him. The
sun temperature there wms about 140, with about 100 in the shade. The nights
were cold, and he appreciated two quilted coverings throughout his trip. No
rain was supposed to have fallen in the Rub’-al-Khali for twenty years. On the
same day that Mecca was flooded, however, and people were drowned ( f he
6th March), there was heavy rain near Naifa, and rainstorms seemed to have
flanked much of the passage of the Emptiest Eighth, but they left the party dry.
Philby says that he has enough material to work on for a year. I think it
likely that he will visit England in a month or two and take his specimens with
him.
. {Received on 17th, July 1932, with, Political Secretary’s letter No. 26, dated 30th
June 1932.)
Enclosures in Foreign Office covering letter, dated 22nd June 1932, No. E.-2814I
2814|25.
Memorandum from H. M.’s Charge d’affaires, Jedda, to the Foreign Office,
No. 204, dated the 11th May 1932.
His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires at Jedda presents his compliments to the
Seci etaiy of State for Foreign Affairs, and has the honour to transmit to him
the undermentioned documents :—
Description of Enclosure.
Name and date. Subject.
Translation of extract from Umm-al Qura of April 13th, 1932, giving Ibn
Sa ud s speech at the Royal Banquet at Mecca, regarding Islam, Ibn
Sand’s policy and relations with foreigners, etc.
Enclosure to Serial No. (66).
Translation of extract from “ Umm-al-Qura ”, No. 383, dated the 7th Dhtj’u
Hijja, 1350 (April 13th, 1932).
Speech of His Majesty the King, delivered at the big Banquet given in the Royal
Palace.
We give hereunder a summary of the speech delivered by His Majesty the
King at the big Banquet which His Majesty the King gave on Tuesday evening
6th instant (April 12th) and of which a description is published on the fourth
page of this issue :
t i ^ ie ? rea ^ es ^ graces bestowed by God on mankind is the blessing of
^siam. God Almighty has judged amongst people with justice and selected
from amongst their best and most honourable ones His Prophet (may praise and
the peace of God be upon him). This is indicated by His saving : ‘ An apostle
appeared from amongst you and is powerful over vou, however obstinate you
may be ’ The favours and blessings of God are innumerable. Fens