Explorers of Arabia by Zahra Freeth H.V.F. Winstone

Author:Zahra Freeth, H.V.F. Winstone [Zahra Freeth, H.V.F. Winstone]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9781000639537
Google: 8-yoDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-08-13T03:48:47+00:00

To Palgrave the Italian scholar, the Nafud brought to mind a passage from Dante’s Inferno, where one of the circles of hell is conceived as a plain of burning sand. His whole picture is vividly melodramatic, but it would be hard to exaggerate the heat, the glare, the sense of desolation to be found in the Nafud in midsummer. It was a courageous journey into the unknown for Palgrave and Barakat, who had to trust their badawin guides, knowing that often the badu can be feckless and treacherous; Palgrave learned later that some of his guides had suggested pillaging the foreigners and leaving them to die in the desert, but had been dissuaded by others who knew the ferocity of Tallal’s justice.

The Nafud crossing ‘proved worse than aught heard or imagined’, and Palgrave conveys all the weariness and exhaustion that they suffered. But he was wise in allowing his badawin to make the decisions and set the pace. He did not argue with them when they pushed on far into the night when he was longing for rest. And having finally tumbled off his camel and fallen into blessed sleep, he did not protest at the call which aroused them only one hour later to resume the march.

With the water-skins flapping empty on the camels’ flanks they came at last within sight of Jubba, and beasts and men summoned their last reserves of energy to reach the oasis. Too tired for elation, they found shelter and water once again: the Nafud was behind them.

After a day’s rest they continued on the final stage towards the ‘purple sierra’ of Jabal Shammar, now visible before them, and reached the range’s outer rocky fringes by evening. In the heart of the mountains lay the capital of the Rashid princes, and the way there wound through steep-sided gorges and fertile areas of cultivation. It was, as Palgrave noted, a location which provided excellent natural defences against an enemy.

The party of travellers finally emerged into an expansive plain, several miles broad and long, surrounded by mountains. In the middle of this plain stood Hail the capital, enclosed by high crenellated mud walls in which towers and gates were set at intervals. Pal-grave’s estimate of about 20,000 for the population of Hail has been modified by later observers to the more realistic figure of around 4,000. Even so, the city was imposing from outside. The lofty tower of Ibn Rashid’s palace could be seen rising above the walls, and Palgrave later found that the royal residence and its gardens occupied about a tenth of the city’s area.

Upon entering Hail they followed custom and couched their camels in the Meshab, the open square in front of the qasr or palace, then seated themselves on a stone bench along the wall facing the palace’s main gate. The square was full of‘the better sort of citizens’ come to chat and take the evening air, and around the palace gate was a group of richly-dressed officials, some carrying long silver-tipped wands, and others, more numerous, wearing silver-hilted swords.

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