JABRIN 87

Proceeding eastward we come to the section called Jaub al
Budu' whose easterly limit is roughly in the neighbourhood
of Birkan, where we had now arrived. The depression con-
tinues hence south-eastward under the name of Jaub (par
excellence), wherein lies a whole series of wells including the
important watering of Bir 'Aziz, to the Longitude of
Bunaiyan or thereabouts, whence the estuary splays out into
a bay of irregular outline whose individual indentations
northward and eastward are grouped together as the Jiban,
while each bears a distinctive name. The more northerly
of these minor estuaries we had already visited, while Mr.
Bertram Thomas, when marching from Bunaiyan towards
the Qatar peninsula, traversed the valleys or passed the
mouths of those further south. Subject therefore to further
exploration and more detailed survey of the outline of these
Jiban depressions we would seem to have sufficiently good
grounds for linking the Jabrin basin with the general estuary-
system and thus to some extent providing an explanation
both of its existence where it is and of its very peculiar
character.

Of the Jaub proper it is unnecessary here to say much as I
did not see any part of it during my journey. So far as I
could gather, its course at first runs south-east and later
turns north-east past Bunaiyan into the lesser Jiban. In its
bed are numerous wells at fairly wide intervals beginning
with the important watering of Al Qasab about 50 feet deep
and a day's journey south-east from Qaliba which we were to
visit in due course. Between Al Qasab and the not less
important well of Bir 'Aziz, perhaps two days' journey or
rather less south-west of Bunaiyan, are no fewer than eight
waterings.1 This section of the great estuary is therefore of
considerable importance to the Murra herdsmen pasturing
their camels in the sands on either side and becomes a
favourite line of tribal concentration in seasons of favourable
rain-fall. The depth of the wells appears to decrease pro-
gressively eastward, the deepest of them being Qasab itself.

1 From west to east: Dhoimaidan (7 fathoms), Mulaihat al Qibliya,
Mulaihat al Hadriya, Latit, Asal, Huqsha, Hidba and 'Atsa (one day SW.
of Bir 'Aziz).