An ornithologist's map of Arabia, the first to mark Al-Hofuf accurately

CHEESMAN, Robert Ernest.

Arabia. Routes between 'Oqair and Jabrin Oasis in Eastern Nejd from surveys by Major R.E. Cheesman O.B.E. 1923-24.
London: Royal Geographical Society, 1925. Colour lithographic map, printed area 480 x 510mm.

Original folds flattened.

A map of an ornithological expedition in Saudi Arabia, beginning at Uquair (on the coast just south of Bahrain), passing through the Hasa oasis and Al-Hofuf to Yabreen oasis in the Eastern Province, during which Cheesman collected 300 specimens. An inset shows all of Arabia during the campaign for the unification of Saudi Arabia. The map was published to accompany a report in the Geographical Journal, prior to the issue of Cheesman's own book, 'In Unknown Arabia', 1926.
Major R.E. Cheesman (1878-1962) was Private Secretary to Sir Percy Cox, the High Commissioner in Iraq who initiated the Uqair Protocol of 1922, which fixed the borders between Nejd (soon to be Saudi Arabia), Kuwait and Iraq. He mapped his route using a 3-inch theodolite and a half chronometer watch, fixing the location of Al-Holuf for the first time, and presented his findings to Ibn Saud at his court in the city.


Stock ID : 17675