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27.—Extracts from a paper read by Colonel Leiois Felly before the Bombay
Geographical Society, 1%63, Volume XV11,
March 3rd.—Mounted at 6-55 a.m. and rode south over beautiful undulat­
ing plains covorcd with grass and flowers. At 10 a.m. wo had a false alarm.
A holy of men was seen approaching from the south, hut it turned out to be a
party belonging to Zobair returning from Koweit. There is at present a blood
feud between the keepers of our baggage animals, who are Zobairs, and tho
Bedouins at present wandering here. Only about three weeks ago a number of
sheep were stolon from Zobair, and five Bedouins killed. At 11 a.m. passed through
a gap on a low range of sandstone. "VVe saw this gap yesterday and it forms a
capital landmark, where there is not even a path. We then rode for an hour over
a low plaiu, with the sea on our left to Jarah This place belongs to Usuf bin
Eider, a merchant of Koweit. It consists of large three enclosures or forts,
and about a dozen small gardens, and outside those a couple of hundred acres of
barley cultivation. It.is said that there arc 100 inhabitants in the place with
flocks of sheep and plenty of water. There are a dozen small wells of good
drinking water on a patch of white ground to the south.
March 4th.—Yesterday evening we were visited by Mubarak, the second
son of Sheikh Subah, Chief of Koweit. He had been sent out here by his
father to accompany us into town. Suliman, a son of Yusuf bin Bidcr, came
with him.
To-day we mounted at 6-30 a.m. and rode cast and a little south, with the
sea on our .left; through a low, flat, salt plain; hero and there slightly raised with
sand and a little grass, something like the links of Scotland.
After two hours our direction was east and a little north. "We now met
Sheikh Abdullah, the oldest son of Sheikh Subah. Ho came out mounted on a
fine camel with a number of horsemen, and after the usual salutations, wo
moved on and arrived at the gate of Koweit at 11-52 a.m. A very good house,
with the courtyard opening on the harbour, and consisting principally of one
long room, had been prepared for us.
Scarcely had we entered it, when Sheikh Subah himself came. He is a
fine, stout, hale, old man, upwards of SO years of age, rough in appearance and
manner, but kind at heart. He has a son only about five years old. He sat a
long time and seemed pleased and contented with his lot. Ours was an open
house constantly filled with Arabs, but being the month of the [Ramazan they
would neither smoke nor drink. However; in the evening after sunset, Mubarak,
Dowad, and Suliman would drop in and have a cup of tea with a cheroot.
March 5th.—This morning wo visited Sheikh Subah. He sat in a ruin
which had been his father’s house on a coarse reed mat manufactured at Bus-
sorah. Ho was very kind and told us all of the origin of his family and the
rise of Koweit. He told us how his father, grandfather, wandering iEneaso
like, first settled at the top of the Bubiyan Khore, and there plundered caravans
from Bussorah, and vessels coming down the Shat-el-Arab. [Driven from there
he sailed for the ancient Granensis, and founded the city of Koweit a free port.
March 7th.—It was our intention to have left Koweit in the early morning,
and our vessel was to have been launched with the midnight tide. But by some
mistake she was still high and dry on the beach. And the good old Sheikh was
so vexed that he sat the whole forenoon on the shore watching the rising of the
water, and sent word ns soon as the boat was floating. We left at 12 o’clock.
The size of the vessel was about *10 tons. Wind east-north ease We sailed for tho
mouth of the Khore between the island of Bubiyan and the mainland, 3-30 steered
east Peleecheo town bearing east-south-east. A bank called Subea to the north­
ward of us a Ioav island called Meschnn right ahead. The Khore which wo wish
to enter north by west of us; anchored 7 p.m. ; set sail 12-30 midnight; passed
the Kasr Subea on tho mainland at tho entrance of Khore. This Kasr Subea is
a mero square enclosure belonging to tho Sheikh of Kowoit, and uninhabited.
Direction of the Khoro here north and about ono milo and a half broad.