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CHAPTER XII

COURT OF RIAD-JOURNEY TO HOFHOOF

Let me have

A dram of poison, such soon-spreading gear

As will disperse itself through all the veins,

And that the trunk may be discharged of breath

As suddenly as hasty powder fired

Doth hurry from the fatal cannon's womb-Shakespeare

FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH 'ABD-ALLAH-HIS FAVOUR-CHARACTER OF THIS PRINCE-A VISIT TO THE ROYAL STABLES-THE NEJDEE HORSE-DETAILS ON THE BREED-THE PRIME MINISTER MAHBOOB-HIS HISTORY, CHARACTER, AND CONDUCT-EGYPT AND NEJED-RECEPTION OF THE PERSIAN NÃ'IB AT COURT-HIS ANNOYANCE-A MORNING VISIT FROM THE ZELATORS —RESULT-MANŒUVRES OF THE NA'IB WITH THE RIAD GOVERNMENT— CONCLUSION OF THE NEGOTIATION-PREPARATIONS AGAINST 'ONEYZAH— OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE-ARRIVAL OF SA'OOD WITH THE SOUTHERN CONTINGENT-THEIR RECEPTION AT RIAD QUARRELS OF SA'OOD AND 'ABD-ALLAH-INTERVIEW WITH SA'OOD-HIS CHARACTER-RELATIVE POSITION OF THE TWO BROTHERS-'ABD-ALLAH BECOMES COLD AND SUSPICIOUS-PROPOSAL OF A RIAD ESTABLISHMENT-HOW EVADED-THE STRYCHNINE CURE-DEMAND MADE BY 'ABD-ALLAH-OUR REFUSALA NIGHT-SCENE AT THE PALACE-CRITICAL POSITION-A LULL-ESCAPE FROM RIAD FAREWELL TO THE CAPITAL-THREE DAYS IN WADI SOLEY' -JOURNEY WITH ABOO-'EYSA AND EL-GHANNAM-UPLANDS OF EASTERN TOWEYK-LAKEY’YĀT—LAST RANGE OF TOWEYK-LANDSCAPE-WELLS OF OWEYSIT THE DAHNA, OR GREAT DESERT-A DANGEROUS MOMENTREJMAT ABOO-'EYSA-THE AAL-MORRAH-SEPARATION OF ABOO-'EYSA FROM EL-GHANNĀM-DESERT ROUTE-WADI FAROOK-THE HEIGHTS OF GHAR AND GHOWEYR-DESCENT TO THE COAST-LEVEL-LOCUSTS-NIGHT ARRIVAL AT HOFHOOF.

THE first storm had blown over, and all seemed to promise us a quiet and secure residence in the capital, so long as we should choose to abide there. Djowhar had won us a fair outset reputation, and every day brought new consultations and acquaintances, most of a favourable character. Feyşul, whose apprehensions were now somewhat calmed, had returned to his palace, and after some delay mustered up courage enough to accord

the Na'ib a private audience in the inner divan. Mohammed'Alee was not however over-pleased with his reception, and could not understand the coolness with which the "Bedouin' (the only title avouched by the Shirazee to the Nejdean monarch) received his long list of grievances; nor did Mahboob display much zeal in the furtherance of his cause. We, for our part, had agreed with Aboo-'Eysa not to request any special interview with Feyşul; the old man was a mere tool in the hands of his ministers and of the "Zelator" faction; and while no useful result could be expected from our presence in his divan, it might on the other hand give rise to jealous suspicions and to idle conjecture.

But 'Abd-Allah, exempt from the senile fears which agitated his father's breast, was not disposed to let us remain long without the favour of his personal acquaintance. We had, as my readers are aware, already opened and perused 'Obeyd's letter to this prince, nor had it much increased our desire of intimacy with either correspondent. Besides, whatever fame and hearsay had thus far given us to know regarding the personal character and dispositions of the heir-apparent, was no loadstone to draw us to his embrace. 'Abd-Allah, in quality of administrator, gave public audiences twice a day; nor was he said to be of difficult access even in the interior of his palace. But we studiously avoided that part of the adjoining street where an assembled crowd announced the prince's visibility, and contented ourselves with a distant perspective of his attendants and person.

However, many days had not gone by, when we received a message requesting our appearance before him. The bearer of his highness's invitation was also by name 'Abd-Allah, a Nejdean of the Nejdeans, belonging to the sourest and the most bigoted class; lean limbed, sallow featured, and wrinkled; intelligent indeed and active, but by no means an agreeable companion. This worthy informed us that the health of his uncle (polite style for 'Abd-Allah) was something deranged, and that he in consequence desired a doctor's visit. He concluded by recommending us not to delay compliance with the royal wish.

We put on clean over-dresses and went to 'Abd-Allah's palace. There we had to pass two outer courts before we

reached a vestibule, just at the other end of which was the prince's private K'hāwah. He had also another one, but public; this was situated in the second court; it was of large dimensions, and full twice the size of Feyşul's guest-chamber. The private apartment was, on the contrary, small, and capable of containing from twenty to twenty-five individuals only; well furnished, but not equally well lighted. The morning was far advanced, and the heat within doors oppressive. 'AbdAllah had taken his seat on a carpet spread in the vestibule, with three or four attendants at his side. Many others, some white, some black, plainly dressed, but all armed, stood or sat by the portal, and in the outer courts; an ungenial-looking set they were, especially the true-born Nejdeans.

Were it not for a haughty, almost an insolent, expression on his features, and a marked tendency to corpulency-a hereditary defect, it would seem, in some branches of the family-'AbdAllah would not be an ill-looking man. As he is, he resembles in a degree certain portraits of Henry VIII, nor are the two characters wholly dissimilar. On our approach, he mustered up a sort of rough politeness, and gave us a tolerably encouraging reception, though I soon found that the story of his bodily indisposition was a mere pretext for gratifying his curiosity. Of course no mention of 'Obeyd or his letter crossed our lips. 'Abd-Allah made some general enquiries about Djebel Shomer, for he had been already informed of our visit there, manifested much ill-will against Telal, railed at the defenders of 'Oneyzah, and cursed Zamil. Then began a series of unscientific medical queries about temperaments-bilious, lymphatic, sanguine, and the like. He was particularly anxious to know what his own temperament might be, and I rose considerably in his estimation by assuring him it was a happy combination of all four. He next made us repeated assurances of protection and good will, nor do I believe that they were for the moment hypocritical, since he had not yet any particular suspicions on our score. Lastly, he ordered rather than requested our attendance at an early hour next morning, and wished us to bring our medical books along with us, professing himself very desirous to learn the healing art: "a promising pupil," thought I, and so doubtless will my readers.

He was, however, in earnest, and when next day we were introduced into the little or private K'hawah, and honourably treated with coffee and perfumes, he kept us for a full hour reading and being read to, partly from my own Boulac-printed volume, and partly from a dateless manuscript belonging to his highness's library, wherein therapeutic traditions of the Prophet (proving him, alas! to have been a very poor medical authority), old definitions and receipts stolen from second-hand translations of Galen, and spoilt by the way, were jumbled together, with Persian names of plants and botany of Upper Egyptian idiom, till "a Daniel, yea, a Daniel," would have been puzzled to find out the interpretation thereof. Of course we treated the work with great deference, and tried to engraft on it somehow or other more authentic explanations; with what success I hardly know. But at any rate we succeeded in securing a large share of the royal confidence, and now, when we passed by the palace attendants, if white they smiled on us, if black grinned, till we felt quite at home.

For about three weeks matters continued on this amiable. footing. Almost every day came a general or a special invitation to visit the prince, and pass two or three hours of the forenoon or night amid the atmosphere of royalty. Nor was his highness at all reserved. He talked politics, and with all the insolence of ignorance would scoff at those very powers which had only a few years before annihilated the empire of his ancestors, beheaded one of his predecessors, driven another to years of exile, and shut up his own father in long captivity. However, Constantinople and Cairo were nothing in 'Abd-Allah's sight, and when on one occasion I asked him casually if he had been to Mecca, "I will go there," answered he, "but on horseback;" with an implied meaning that we may perhaps see realized in our own day. Then followed the wildest plans for storming 'Oneyzah, how the walls were to be breached by cannon, or might better still, seeing that they are of unbaked brick, be melted down by a gigantic water-engine; how he would cut off Zamil's head, &c. A series of successes over marauding Bedouins and unwarlike neighbours, had led the prince to believe the Nejdeans the first army, and himself the first general, on earth. Yet take it all in all, it was not mere

brag, for within the limits of the Peninsula 'Abd-Allah stands a fair chance of overriding be it who it may; and Egypt has not every century an Ibraheem Basha to command her armies.

During this time I got a sight of the royal stables, an event much desired and eagerly welcomed. For the Nejdean horse is considered no less superior to all others of his kind in Arabia, than is the Arabian breed collectively to the Persian, Cape of Good Hope, or Indian. In Nejed is the true birthplace of the Arab steed, the primal type, the authentic model. Thus at any rate I heard, and thus, so far at least as my experience goes, it appears to me; although I am aware that distinguished authorities maintain another view. But at any rate, among all the studs of Nejed, Feyşul's was indisputably the first; and who sees that has seen the most consummate specimens of equine perfection in Arabia, perhaps in the world.

It happened that a mare in the imperial stud had received a bite close behind the shoulder from some sportive comrade; and the wound, ill-dressed and ill-managed, had festered into a sore puzzling the most practised Nejdean farriers. One morning while Barakat and myself were sitting in 'Abd-Allah's K'hāwah, a groom entered to give the prince the daily bulletin of his stables. 'Abd-Allah turned towards me, and enquired whether I would undertake the cure. Gladly I accepted the proposal of visiting the patient, though limiting my proffer of services to a simple inspection, and declining systematic interference with what properly belonged to the veterinary province. The prince gave his orders accordingly; and in the afternoon a groom, good-natured as grooms generally are, knocked at our door, and conducted me straight to the stables.

These are situated some way out of the town, to the north-east, a little to the left of the road which we had followed at our first arrival, and not far from the gardens of 'Abd-er-Raḥmān the Wahhabee. They cover a large square space, about 150 yards each way, and are open in the centre, with a long shed running round the inner walls; under this covering the horses, about three hundred in number when I saw them, are picketed during night; in the daytime they may stretch their legs at pleasure within the central courtyard. The greater number were accordingly loose; a few, however, were tied up at their stalls; some,