We found no water there, so the turbidity that resulted from the lack of water and our urgent need for it that day led us to travel towards a place called Umm Daba Kar. We reached it at 7:30. Upon searching, we found two pools of brackish water, absolutely unfit for drinking. We camped there and made the necessary arrangements, hoping it would suffice. [Al-Malqura] It did, and we took what water God willed. We were very cautious about whether it would be enough, given the necessity of watering the animals. Praise be to God, we managed this day and night. Tomorrow, we will proceed to Al-Beliab, carrying this stagnant water for a distance of eight hours, as the guides told us.

On the blessed Saturday, October 20th, 1883, at 12 Arabic AM, we departed from Umm Daba Kar, heading for Al-Beliab. After two hours of travel, we encountered a forest through which humans could not pass. While the soldiers were following the guides, Colonel Farkharus stopped and insisted on passing through the forest, saying it was closer than known. He relied on a compass. We followed, greatly surprised that his ideas were not correct, as traveling in difficult terrain like this should not be done with a compass, given the dense forests. We do not need to delve into his thoughts on this matter, as the guide's knowledge is stronger, being an expert in these routes. We brought them only to guide us on the easiest path for this large army to pass. We do not consider the compass bearer. In short, he only wanted to assert his opinion after he [knew and we supported the army]. He did not rely on these guides whom His Excellency Al-Hakkad brought, even though he saw nothing from the guides that would justify not relying on them. It was even said that they only wanted to harm us, so we made the compass our security against their dangers, even though this is contrary. And who knows if he can advance the army or [harm] it with this compass that has tired all the soldiers, tearing their calm and getting thorns in their bodies, not to mention the difficulty of passage and cutting the wood of the trees with their loads and their bodies. Does he not know that even with simple intertwined trees, some of them can completely prevent the army from passing and undoubtedly cause...