The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-05-15
prepared by the National Geographic
SnniarN- Nashin tim d q

n -
plorations OF recent years out
~ side the Polar regions was
made recently when Bertram
Thomas, British traveller, journeyed
from south TO north across the Roba ell
hhaI desert Of southeastern Arabia,
an area never before penetrated by a
Westerner. The worlds geographers
and map-makers knew nothing what
ever OF the Roba ell Khali even by re-
ports from natives, for it is doubtful
whether Arabs have been able TO pene-
trate the sandy wastes for many cen
turtles.
The central part Of the desert was
found TO be covered by mile upon mile
OF great sand dunes, blown into gigan-
tic waves by the wind. Near the CEN
ter a stable salt lake was discovered.
The Great Southern desert covers
approximately 100000 square miles of
territory. 1t is vast ellipse which is
roughly 500 miles across from east to
west. and 600 miles from north to
south. This area, since the penetra-
ton OF Central Africa, the Sahara. and
central Australia, has constituted the
largest blank spot on the worlds maps
outside the Recovered wastes near
the poles.
All around this Arabian no-man's
land. the forces of civilization have
played: steamers traverse the Red
sea, the Indian ocean, and the Persian
gulf; airplanes plying between Egypt
and India have flown for years a few
hundred miles 10 the north; great pill
grim caravans and desert armies have
crossed the peninsula near its center
but always north Of the dread sandy
waste. Loosely organized political
units hem in the desert area, with
boundary lines hazy. On the north
and west is the territory of the great
est Arabian state. the kingdom of
Heiaz and Nejd On the southeast is
Yemen. The Hadramant. a narrow
costal strip under British protection.
touches the desert on the south. The
crescent-shaped, Independent state of
Oman. also a coastal territory, curves
around the eastern and southeastern
edges Of the desert
Both nature and man have guarded
the ROba Ell Khali against explorers.
Mountains rim it on the east and south
and secondary deserts hem it on the
north. Before the main part of the
Southern desert-the vast waste COW
cred with sand dunes-can be reached.
a six-dav journey must be made-in
the south and east, at least-over an
almost sterile sandstone steppe. Wa
ter supplies are hardly anywhere in
reach for final dash into the sandy
desert
All around the outer rim of the
desert area are tribes that have had
practically no contact with outside
civilization. and that are even indie
pendent of control from the nearest
states. They guard their few wells
and water holes jealousy and in most
cases look upon travellers from the out
side world as meddlesome trespassers
meriting death.
Physical Characteristics.
In physical character. fora, and
fauna. Arabia ss a whole is more like
Africa than Asia. In shape, It Is al
most a triangle. and it runs from
northwest to southeast, between so de-
grees and l. degrees As minutes north
latitude and between 80 degrees so
minutes and 60 degrees east longitude
It is bounded on the east south, and
west by the Persian gulf, the Arabian
sea. and the Red sea respectively: on
the north II joins Syria. As Josephus
of old wrote. Arabia is a country that
Joins on Judea.' And Roman geog-
raphers drew a map of Arabia that in
-cluded Mesopotamia and the Syrian
desert back of Palestine.
The length Of the peninsula from the
head Of the Gulf OF Akabah to the
Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, near Alden.
is about 1900 miles; its greatest
breadth. in latitude % degrees north.
from the Red sea coast on the west to
Ras-al-Hadd on the east, is about 1900
miles.
As one sails along the Red sea
coast OF Arabia, with the low-2,0O0
feet high-dry and barren mountains
lying Just back Of sandy, empty strips
OF country, he is reminded of the Pa
-ciic side OF Lower California above
Cape San Lucas. Many small islands.
hot and dry and uninhabited except
for half-wild bands Of tramp fisher
men, dot the map along this coast.
One of these. called Perrin. near the
mouth Of Bab-eI-Mandeb straits. Is &C.
cupied by British garrison.
The southeastern coast, similarly
smpt- and marked by sharp, jagged
rocks hrust up from glistening sand
beds, is broken by several good har-
bors. like that at Alden This latter
port is British possession. not unlike
Gibraltar. It is heavily fortified and
is the entrepot Of commerce between
India and Europe.
The Persian gulf coast country is
somewhat more cheerful. cultivated