1925 Chessman Map of Eastern Arabia (Rub' al Khali), Qatar

An impressive 1925 map recounting the incredible journey of R. E. Cheesman, the first European to cross the 'Great Desert' or 'Empty Quarter' (Rub' al Khali) in eastern Arabia. Based on Cheesman's surveys, the map appeared in conjunction with an article penned by him that appeared in The Geographical Journal.

A Closer Look

Covering a portion of eastern Arabia with Qatar, the map traces the route of Cheesman and his team (with dates noted) from 'Oqair on the Persian Gulf to Hufuf and across a vast desert to the oasis at Jabrin. Caravan routes and the paths of other recent European explorers who crossed the Arabian Peninsula without daring enter the Great Desert are also traced (St John Philby, mentioned here, did cross the Rub' al Khali in the early 1930s and mapped much of its southern portion). Comments on terrain, water sources (supposed and confirmed), elevation, and other features appear throughout.

Incidentally, Ghawar, southwest of Hufuf, was discovered to hold vast oil reserves in the late 1940s. Since that time, it has been the largest conventional oil field in the world and accounts for about one-third of Saudi Arabia's oil production.

A note on the map's production and an Arabic-English glossary appear at bottom towards right. At bottom-right is an inset of the wider region, indicating Cheesman's route, railways (including the Hejaz Railway and the Baghdad-Basra Railway), major cities, territories and kingdoms, waterways, and more.

Chessman's Explorations

Though less well-known than some of his contemporaries, Cheesman's explorations were nonetheless important to the survey and mapping of the coasts of the Gulf of Salwah and of the 'Great Desert'. He led two important expeditions in the region. First, in 1921, he and a team journeyed down the coast of the Gulf of Bahrain from 'Oqair (Al Uqayr) to Salwah, an area which had never been mapped and only scarcely seen by Europeans before. Despite having a dhow full of supplies shadowing the trekking party down the coast, there were still harrowing moments when food and water nearly ran out, as coordination with the supply ship was difficult. Aside from cartographic work, Cheesman's main purpose was to examine archeological ruins, and search for the Phoenician city of Gerrha described in ancient sources as fabulously wealthy. He was also curious about the routes of migratory birds in the region.

Then, in November 1923, Cheesman set out on a more ambitious and dangerous expedition into the Arabian interior (traced here). Again, he received permission and support from his commanding officer, Sir Percy Cox, as well as the Sultan of the Nejd, Abdulaziz ibn Saud, later the first king of Saudi Arabia. Again, the main purpose of the expedition was ostensibly ornithological, but Cheesman's expertise in several fields naturally led to a range of discoveries. Setting out from 'Oqair, the first part of the journey covered the relatively easy, though still novel to Europeans, path to Hufuf. South of Hufuf, however, was a vast area known to Europeans as 'Unknown Arabia' or the 'Great Desert,' and to Arabs as Rub' al Khali (the 'Empty Quarter'), defined by large sand dunes and occasional mountains (Westerners, including Percy Cox, had only seen the region from a distance).

Cheesman was accompanied by a young Baghdadi who he had known for several years and who had trained as a taxidermist at the British Museum, as well as local guides who had a sense of potential water sources. After reaching Hufuf, the party waited more than two months to assess whether rains would be sufficient to fill wells believed to be along the route southwards to Jabrin. In addition to the elements, Cheesman was also warned that he might be attacked by Al Murrah nomads, who were dissatisfied at having been recently conquered by the House of Saud. But Cheesman was helped in this regard and others by the fact that one of his guides was himself Al Murrah.

Once moving again in mid-February, the party made rapid progress through the desert and was fortunate in finding water. They reached Jabrin on February 17 and were feted by the local sheikh. After resting for several days, they set out for the return journey to Hufuf, arriving on March 1, and then completing the return to 'Oqair on March 5. Through his journey, Cheesman was the first European to witness the Wadi Sahba and many other features in the 'Great Desert.'

Publication History and Census

This map was based on surveys undertaken by R. E. Cheesman and was published to accompany his article 'The Deserts of Jafura and Jabrin' in the February 1925 issue of the The Geographical Journal. It was republished the following year in Cheesman's book In Unknown Arabia (London: Macmillan, 1926). The map is independently cataloged among the holdings of Stanford University, the Library of Congress, the British Library, New York University, NYU Abu Dhabi, and the University of Oxford.