Title: From Oqair to the Ruins of Salwa. Author: Captain R. E. Cheesman Publisher: London: Edward Stanford, Royal Geographical Society, 1923. Item is in Original Condition, with Blue Wrappers - As Issued, Complete with All the Ads! Notes & Condition: On a uniquely motivated expedition, for ornithological and archaeological research, in 1921 Cheesman ventured to the coastline near Bahrain, south of Oqair, which forms the Gulf of Salwa. In addition to the investigation of birds' migratory habits, Cheesman visited the area's extensive ruins and there made some important discoveries. An engaging account of the journey commence with those of the camel party itself, and vivid descriptions the city of Bahrain with its fresh water springs, ancient mounds and volcanic hills, an audience with the local important Sheik Isa and local date groves. Further commentary describes local fauna discovered on the difficult road to Salwa: Agama, sedge warblers, grasshopper warblers, a grey wagtail and mole rats (Nesokia). Aboard the "Baghala", the seascape was invaded, Cheesman reports, by thousands of small black Socotra Cormorant and once ashore, a pale example of the Desert lark was seen feeding, together with the Common Bee Eater, Pallid Harrier, Crested Lark, Blue-headed Wagtail as well as the Red-throated Pitpit, Yellow Wagtail, Crag Martins, Chiff Chaff and Sand Martins. Cheesman was a corresponding member of the Zoological Society of London, and this expedition into an unexplored tract of Arabia was first and foremost a pursuit of zoological knowledge in the area. Cheesman was the first European to travel across some of the desert areas (Murra, Jabrin) and his travels preceded those of Philby. He was also the first to map the Arabian coast from Uqair to the head of the Gulf of Salwa. Here he recounts the journey, lands untrodden by his European counterparts, and fascinating Arabian customs. [Subsequently, in 1923-24 he spent three months at Hufuf. Having fixed its position, he then mapped 150 miles of desert, he identified the site of the ancient Gerra, and corrected some serious mistakes relating to the wadi system. For this he was awarded the Gill Memorial Award by The Royal Geographical Society]. Having finally arrived at Salwa, however, Cheesman was directed to the ruins where some pieces of pottery, alabaster and similar relics were uncovered. On his two visits to the Salwa Bight, he made archaeological discoveries which showed that the site of the Gerra emporium was to be found in the immediate vicinity of the port of Oqair, and not at the head of Salwa Bay as was formerly supposed. Estimates suggested that the settlement may have originated from the Kindi epoch, around the 6th century AD. 8vo. 15 pages, plus a full page sketch map and photographic plates for illustration. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. Major Robert Ernest Cheesman CBE (1878-1962) was a military officer, explorer and ornithologist. He was Private Secretary to Sir Percy Cox during his tenure as High Commissioner in Iraq. In 1923, during a journey into the Arabian Peninsula, Cheesman collected over 300 specimens from the Hasa oasis, several of them previously unknown to science. These specimens are currently in the British Museum. He is credited with discovering Cheesman's Gerbil (Gerbillus cheesmani). Cheesman was the first man to map the Arabian coast from the Gulf of Salwah to Uqair. In 1924 he fixed the position of Hofuf and identified the site of ancient Gerrha. He presented his findings to Ibn Sa'ud at his court in Hofuf. He was later given the Gill Memorial Award for this work by the Royal Geographical Society. In 1936 he was awarded the Patron's Gold Medal of the society for his explorations and surveys of the Blue Nile and Lake Tana.
