Lawrence of Arabia's Secret Dispatches during the Arab Revolt, 1915–1919 by Fabrizio Bagatti

Author:Fabrizio Bagatti [Bagatti, Fabrizio]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Military, World War I, Middle East
ISBN: 9781399010191
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2021-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

69. Lawrence to Wilson94 (11 April 1917)

Colonel Wilson,

I left Wedj on March 10th at 9 p.m. and arrived at Abu Markha in Wadi Ais at 9 a.m. on March 15, just as Said Abdulla was pitching camp after his march from Bir El Amri. He had on first arrival in Wadi Ais in January 1917 camped at Murabba, the last well but one and only about 7 hours march from the railway. In February he moved to Bir El Amri, about 5 hours further up the valley and now he is camped at Abu Markha, two or three hours further up still and consequently two days march for riding camels to the line.

My journey was a slow one as the guide led us through bye roads. I was glad personally to see this hill-country of the Hedjaz, and the sketch attached [missing] has several points of interest particularly as shewing the position of watershed between the Hamdh and the coast. My route notes are attached separately, as they are very long, and the road is an impossible one for guns, or wheels of any sort, or for heavily laden camels. It is called Derbgel Gera.

I had to stay in Abdulla’s camp from March 15th to March 25th. On the way up I developed boils which made camel riding uncomfortable, and on top of them first a short attack of dysentery and then somewhat heavy malaria for about ten days. This combination pulled me down rather, so that I was unable either to walk or ride. I think however that even I had been fit I would have been unable to get Said Abdulla to take action much sooner than was actually the case.

The conditions in his camp were, I thought, unsatisfactory. He had a force of about 3.000 men, mostly Ateiba. They seem to me very inferior as fighting men to the Harb and Juheina. They are of course altogether Bedouin and their Sheikhs are ignorant, lacking in influence and character, and apparently without any interest in the war.

Said Abdulla himself gave me rather the same impression. He declares that he is a Bedouin and an Ateiba (that is in imitation of Shakir his lieutenant, but the leading spirit of the camp). He passes the day in an E.P. tent, luxuriously carpeted and his table is very well supplied. Access to the camp is nearly limited to his intimates and he spends very little time with visiting Sheikhs or deputations. The business arrangements of supplies, equipment, money, accounts and secretarial work generally are in the hands of Sheikh Othman, a Yemeni scholar, much over-worked and without even a clerk to assist him. Said Abdulla exercises little or no supervision and Shakir, though he does a certain amount, hardly replaces him. Abdulla himself spends his time reading Arabic newspapers, in eating, and sleeping, and especially in jostling with one Mohamed Hassan, an old Yemeni from Taif, nominally Muedh Dhin in the camp, but whom Abdulla introduced to me as his Karageuz (punch).

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