Sun. Feb. 8. [8 February 1914] Last night a Howaiti came into our
camp, having traced us by our footsteps, he being out hunting. The
Sherarat thought him an enemy and took his sword and gun from him,
but Musuid knew him and brought him to us. He rode with us next day
through the Garameh to the people of Muhammad ibn 'Id, a Howaiti
who has spent the winter with Sayyah ibn Murted - or Mu'rted? We
found Muhammad moving camp. He wanted to pitch tents and spend
the night with us while he fetched an 'ajleh for me, but I refused and we
altered our course so as to camp with Sayyah tonight. Muhammad
came with us. Our direction had been 147? onto the SW tell of the J.
Tfaih; we now turned to 100 onto a pass called al Mausafeh which we
crossed at 10.30 and dropped down into a long valley-like
depression. Got bearings onto al Helwat which are the tells I took for
Umm Gur yesterday. We reached S's camp at 12.35. At 6.40 we had
crossed the W. al Agail which comes from the Agailat (water, I gather
khabras, it is only rain water) lying E of the road from Mughairah
[Mughayra'] to Taimah [Tayma'], and ends at the Qulaib of
yesterday. Sayyah ibn Zaid is one of the 2 shaikhs of the Ibn Mu'rtad,
the other being Guwairan ibn Fahad. We drank coffee and eat dates
in his tents. He questioned me closely as to my knowledge of the
country and was angry when I admitted to knowledge of the name of
the Helwat. He blamed Musuid for telling me and said he was
inclined to slay him. Whereat Musuid kissed his hand and I said it
was only that I might know where he, Sayyah, was. He then came to
my tent saw my glass and asked for it. Then he went to the men's tent
and looked at everything. Finally he came back with M. al M.
[Muhammad al Marawi], asked first for the glass and then for a pistol,
which latter I fear we shall have to give him. M. al M. says the Wadi
Sulaiman are the W. Shaitan which I well believe, but that he will send
a rafiq with me. Inshallah! We met 4 camel riders of 'Audeh's raid this
morning. 'Audeh and some of Hathmel's people raided the Beni
Rammal with whom 'Audeh is friends, so when he saw the awsam on
their camels he returned his part but the Sukhur, who wd not have
ventured so far south without him, kept theirs. 'Audeh then raided the
Swaib, who are Shammar, but {took} got nothing. So they say.