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Diary entry by Gertrude Bell

Reference code
GB/2/13/2/3/12
Creator
Bell, Gertrude Margaret Lowthian
Creation Date
Extent and medium
1 entry, paper
Person(s)
Saud, Abdulaziz ibn
Language
English
Location
Coordinates

28.9335416, 41.9196471

Thurs March 12 [12 March 1914] Grey today and pleasantly chilly. We rode through smallish Nefud [Nafud, An] till we got to Hayaniyyeh [Hayyaniyah, Al] where there is a qasr over the well. It was built by 'Abdullah, Muhammad's father. It is rectangular with 2 towers, the higher over the well. One of the battlements of this tower was wrapped round with rags to make it look like a head keeping guard. There are 2 heavy wooden doors faced with iron. In each tower there is a ground floor room where the well keeper lives with his family. If he sees a gomani of Ibn Rashid he shoots and prevents his drawing water. The well is 25 ba' (50 paces) deep. We had seen locusts in the morning; Sayyif and Mashkhur had caught and roasted them. The well keeper brought out 3 large dishes full of locusts fried in semneh and my men carried off great handfuls. He gave us also leben. Mashkhur Ahubb al jarrad. Ahubb hal tuyur. We had met a camel rider in the morning who told us the Amir had rahal eastwards. We crossed a wide strip of jalad and came again into very shallow Nefud, through which we rode for an hour. Then another strip of jalad and then more shallow Nefud. Plentiful 'aishb and 'arfej. Three swallows flew with us - I saw one 2 days ago. Ali and Mashkhur gave me some more battle cries. The slaves of Ibn Rashid: Khayyal al Khail! wa ana 'abd al Shuyukh! Or those not slaves "Wa ana fada'wi al Shuyukh." Ibn Sa'ud: "Khayyal al khail! wa ana Ibn Mijled." The universal Shammar cry is Khayyal al Rahundu w'al San'asi. Al Sana'is!" The Tuman: Al gala'i ya Tuman. Ibn Sha'lan: Khayyal al 'alya wa ibn Naif (and those upon .....?) Ibn Smair ('Anazeh) Fahad al zeraq wa ana akhu 'Adrah. Muhtefig: "al mansha'[?] (i.e. Mecca [Makkah]) walad al Sherif." Because they are Ashraf. Agail (i.e. Qusman) "Wahad[?] 'Ali!" Hasan al Muhanna, shaikh of Boraida [Buraydah] "Khayyal al khail wa ana akhu Khussa." Ibn Hadhdhal: Ana akhu Batla. Said 'Ali ".... Sayyif what is the cry of the Sherarat." Sayyif. Yakhtaru kul wahid 'ala ukhthu.

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