Page 521 - PERSIAN 1 1873_1879 Admin Report1_Neat

residency and muskat political AGENCY FOR 18/8-79. 5

Ship Vulture, and his officers and men, some stolen Bahrain vessels have
been recovered and restored to the owners.
23. In February Captain E. L. Durand, 1st Assistant Resident, took
up liis residence temporarily, at Bahrain, with an escort of Native In­
fantry. It is thought that this measure had a satisfactory effect, and
the Turkish Authorities having also taken action on the mainland in
the cause of order, by the month of April confidence was so far restored
at Bahrain as to permit the withdrawal of the Political Officer and escort
before the setting-in of the intense heat of summer. It may here be
noted that, during his residence at Bahrain, Captain Durand brought to
notice the existence on Awfil island of vast numbers of sepulchral mounds,
evidently of great antiquity, some of which he opened experimentally.
24. In December it was reported that Mohammed aud Abder-
Italiman, sons of the late Wababce Prince Sa’ood-ibn-Feysal, after un­
successfully operating against «tbe Turks about Kateef had landed at
Bahrain. The inexpediency of countenancing persons so lately concerned
in disturbing the territories of a neighbouring and friendly power was
suggested to Shaikh ’Eesd, who was only too glad to part from his un­
welcome visitors as soon as they could be induced to take their departure.
25. When Kateef was beleaguered, some inhabitants of that district
fled for safety to Bahrain. As they had formerly been subjects of
Bahrain, the Chief detained their boats and exacted a money-payment,
hut was induced to release the boats and remit the fine.
2G. Pearl-diving was conducted under favourable circumstances dur­
ing the summer of 1878.. A table showing approximately the number
of vessels and boats sailing from Bahrain will be found in the Appendix.
(Appendix B, No. 2, to Part II.)
27. An interesting general description of these islands, written by
Captain E. L. Durand, is attached to this Report as Appendix B to Part I.

4.—Nejd, El Hasa, El Katr.
28. A few remarks in explanation of the past and present acceptation
of the names selected for this heading may be conducive to accuracy in
treating of the current history of these tracts, and are, under this im­
pression, here inserted.
29. Nejd in Arabic signifies a “high” or “ table-land,” and form­
erly, according to Arabian geographers (El Edrisi, Abu-l-Feda and others)
m its geographical sense it comprised the whole Central Arabian region
lying between Yemen on the south to the Persian Gulf, and to the nSrth
and west, from the neighbourhood of El Medmah to the northern shores of
the Persian Gulf, that is to say the tract between the Hej£z and 'Irak*
The term “ Nejd ” is said to.be in contradistinction to “ Tehamah ” the
more low-lying lands of Arabia. It is easy to understand how the
ashore •-—-Va°’Ue 3 eeographical k™ sbould vai7 according to different
30. In its geographical sense Nejd comprises the following districts —
JKm/.—Jebel-Shammar (Hdyel) and 'El-kasim (capital 'Oneyzab) ’
Central.—SaAeyr, Ll-Washam, El-'Aredh (towns RIddhand* El
Dereyyah), El-Khorj and El-Harfc (or Yeradmah).
Kant.—El-Has a or El-Ahsa.

• Tills U Aba1-reda*a defiuitioa.