1917] RESOURCES 117
may not decide to join him. The two pressing
questions from the point of view of the tribes are
the restoration of the Sari' bund near Feluja and the
completion of the Jadwal, or escape, above the
Hindieh Barrage. Neither of these is said to pre-
sent any other difficulty than the provision of funds
and the superintendence of a trained engineer.
Umran was very proud of his arrangements for
keeping routes open, and also of having locked up
and taken charge of the Turkish barracks at Hin-
dieh. He appears to be aiming at authority from
Government to administer his territory.
April i jiti, Hillah.—On the I3th I inspected the
creek on which Najaf at present depends for its
water supply. It is only from three to six feet wide.
The banks are steep and sandy and continually fall
in. To make a really good channel out of it would
demand a considerable amount of labour and super-
vision, but to improve it sufficiently for this hot
weather would be easy. The alternative sources of
supply are firstly, the old subterranean aqueducts
which would be costly to repair, and secondly the
pipe line, which would be useless without pumps.
The cleaning of the creek would, I think, have an
excellent effect.
The second urgent demand in Najaf is for oil and
candles, especially for the tomb of Ali. The shrine
was largely dependent before the War on gifts from
Persia and India. The late Kalid-dar, who died
about two months ago, is said to have been pro-
viding candles to a certain extent from his own
pocket, and his son Sayed Ahmed, the present
Kalid-dar, professes to be doing the same, I have
told him to send you certified copies of previous
monthly lighting accounts, attested by the Ulema,
to enable you to form an estimate of amounts
really needed. Sayed Ahmed, who is recognised
by all as the rightful successor to his father, would