Wed. Feb 18. [18 February 1914] Rain storms walking across the
Nefud [Nafud, An] and we came in for the tail of one, but by 11 all the
rain had cleared away. The great horseshoes still lay across our
path, as they have done since Haizan [Bir Hayzan]. The depressions
run mostly N and S, the horseshoes face both ways, but most have
their back to the W. The depression between two high horseshoe
backs in a ridge is called felk (fuluk) The pl. of ga'r is gu'urah. We
saw another kind of grass today, sahn; also a small plant about the
size of Umm al Swait called Zerhah. A small twittering of birds, the
black and white sabri and the hammarah. I took my bearing in the
morning onto the 'Anjeh pass - it was 82?. We wandered about a
good deal round the gu'urah, but the going was goodish since the
sand was harder after the rain. At 10.45 we sighted Zuwal and tents.
'Awwad went off to see who they were and reported them to be some
of the W. Sulaiman whom M. al M. [Muhammad al Ma'rawi] said were
Anjas min ha illy taht al 'ard. One or two of their people rode out to
see us and gave us very contradictory news of the Shammar ahead.
Later we passed a few tents and the news was all different, but finally
Dafi, Ghadi's brother said he had seen the wife of Mhailam, who is
one of the Sanad[?], of the Swaid, and that he was camped there with
the W. Sulaiman. Dafi went back to fetch him and we came into camp
on high ground. The shaikh himself turned up presently with 2
Shammar boys of the Swaid one of them ('Awwad ibn Hamid al
Khlaiwi) who had been with 'Abdullah's caravan going to Taimah
[Tayma'], and 4 camels strayed, 2 were found at Gulban and 2 at the
Dafafiyyat. These 2 boys went to look for them and are now returning
to their people in the Nefud. Al Mhailam goes with us to Hayyil [Hail]
for £T2 and the hire of a camel (4 or 5 mej). I have also given him 5
mej. the price of a goat he brought me, and some coffee in return for
some semneh. I have also to give him some clothes at Hayyil. We
have given the Shammar with us meat and flour - they are starving.
Much talk and exchange of news as to the places of tribes, the ghazzu
of the Ruwalla and Mejwed, Ghadi's brother, asked in return for news
of the ghazzu of the Shammar. Ana illi a'allamah, they say. The
Shammar youths brought news that the Maahib had raided the
'Anazeh near Haizan since we were there. The Shaikh Mhailam
brought his 2 sons with more semneh for which I gave them cotton
kerchiefs.