Tues. Jan. 20 [20 January 1914] The men were not quite so happy as
I was at Tubah. They feared a possible ghazzu from half way across
to the Euphrates, harrying the herds of camels which we had passed
on our way. "It is the gate of the 'Anazeh" they said and explained
that the desert to the E. of us was "empty" ie there were no Sukhur
camps to stop a foe. But none came and we went upon our way
cheerfully, filling our water skins at the big clear pool which lay in the
sandy floor of the valley. For yesterday there was no water in the
broad valley wherein we camped, and at this time of year there is no
fear of raiders there, though in the summer and autumn it is the road of
the ghazzu. But the desert to the S. is inhabited; Hathmel and his
people are all before us. We kept watch, however, for stray robbers,
who finding us watchful would turn in as guests, but finding us asleep
would life our camels. They did not come either. This morning as I
walked at dawn up the wide desolation of the valley with my rafiq
Sayyah, he explained to me that a consul like me "they were glad to
make welcome but an ajnabi, a foreigner, they would not allow to
pass. I told him that the land had never been inhabited and never
would be and when we had ended this talk he threw down his fur cloak
on the sand and observed that it was the hour of prayer. "Pray" said I
"pray, and may God protect you." "Every man" he returned half
apologetically "serves his own faith." He prays all the prayers with
the utmost assiduity. Our landmark half yesterday and most of today
has been a strange group of 3 abrupt sandstone tells, rising sharply
out of the flint covered plain; the Thlaithuwat - I wonder what caprice of
Nature called them into being. We met some of the Sukhur, rahilin,
moving camp. They gave us a bad account of water and pasturage
ahead and added that they were thirsting, they and their sheep. We
told them where water lay before them, but they will not drink tonight.
In the afternoon we spied two camel riders coming up from behind us
and stopped to see who they were. It was Jed'an, Shaikh of the Agaili
and one of his men. They had marked us as we passed by the
Thlaithuwat, and taking us for raiders, had ridden after us. "We feared
you were foes" he called out to me. "No, no" said I "friends, praise
be to God." Everyone goes in fear, except only I, who have nothing to
lose that matters. And so we came down into the great Wadi Ba'ir, full
of tamarisk bushes, and crossing it reached presently the famous
well, Bir Ba'ir, which in summer is the only water in all this country; the
Sukhur shaikhs camp here with 500 tents. And here stands the last of
the castles, Qasr Ba'ir, very very much ruined and never visited
before by anyone but Mr Carruthers, who did not even photograph it.
There is no architectural feature by which to date it except the plan
which I have managed to make out, and that is very old. It is the same
plan as Tubah and the place may be 8th century. It is great fun
making the first - and probably the last - record of it. I shall have a
morning at it tomorrow. And now I shall go and sit by the campfire for
an hour and hear tales.