Thurs Feb 16 [16 February 1911] After I went to bed I heard 'Ali
shouting to the waste (there was no one else to hear) "We are English
soldiers! English soldiers!" {Off} At 5.30, Temp 26?, Bar 27.7. Off at
6.10. The Hamad [Hamad, Al] almost absolutely flat, very stony
scarcely any ghutha or shih. Cloudy, the sun never came out properly
all day, and bitter cold till afternoon when the E wind veered a little to
the S and became less sharp. Nameless ruined birkeh 7.5, a little to
the N - Fattuh rode out to it. Mweil [Arabic characters] 8-8.30. It was
hard frozen and we had much ado to fill our skin. It is natural, a sort of
large shallow basin, sandy mud and nearly dried up now. J. Sha'lan
due N 9.15. 2 Nameless ruined birkehs 10.30. They are near the top
of the Hamad and catch the water that runs down to them. Banks on 3
sides, nearly ruined. All these burak are distinguishable from afar by
their white banks. It was so cold that I walked on a bit and then had to
turn back because the others had lingered so long over their fire and
the filling of the skin {soon after} at Mweil. End of Hamad 11.30. The
desert at once changed, the ground became sandier and earthier -
less stony - and the rise and fall began again. Halt for lunch
12.15-12.30 (we had got in nearly half an hour earlier but I count by the
ba'irin). Pools of Khuweim at due N 12.45. We saw their white stony
banks a long way off. 'Abdullah rode off to look for water (there was
none) and I thought to mount my mare and go with him - the pools
were 3/4 of a mile from the road. I let her go for a moment and she ran
off - and all of us on hajinat after her, poor F. afoot. We caught her at
the pools. At 3 we got to the W el Walij [Walej, Sha'ib al] ([Arabic
characters] but I expect the jimr[?] is a keep[?]) It is near a mile wide,
rises not far from Jof and runs into the W el Miya [Miyah, Wadi al] of
which I saw the hills (J. el Miya) far away to the N. The tow run down to
Salahiyyeh. To the S some low rises, the Khudra Slubiyyeh, with old
birkehs. We got into the W. Swab [Sawab, Wadi as] about 4.10. It
was here running almost E-W, and camped at 4.30. Muhiyy ed Din is
coming back over this road with his lambs. They eat on the way and
travel 4 hours a day. "Zahmeh" said I. "Eh Wallah, but the master of
the lambs rejoices where the rabia is good to see them grow fat." He
takes about 31 days. He buys camels in the summer and knows all
the Shamiyyeh [Shamiyah] and the Jezireh [Jazirah, Al]. In this part of
the desert where we now are and in the Hamad [Hamad, Al] (most of
it) the Arabs do not camp even in spring for though there is grass
there is no water.