Chapter I: Front Matter

This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.

[Picture: Portrait of Mr. Blunt (by Molony)]

A PILGRIMAGE TO NEJD,

_THE CRADLE OF THE ARAB RACE_.

A VISIT TO THE COURT OF THE ARAB EMIR, AND
“OUR PERSIAN CAMPAIGN.”

* * * * *

BY LADY ANNE BLUNT.
AUTHOR OF “THE BEDOUIN TRIBES OF THE EUPHRATES.”

* * * * *

IN TWO VOLUMES.—VOL. II.

* * * * *

WITH MAP, PORTRAITS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
THE AUTHOR’S DRAWINGS.

* * * * *

_SECOND EDITION_.

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET,
1881.

[_All rights reserved_.]

CONTENTS TO VOL. II.

CHAPTER XII. PAGE Nejd horses—Their rarity—Ibn Saoud’s stud—The stables at 1 Haïl—Some notes of individual mares—The points of a Nejd head—The tribes in the Nefûds and their horses—Meaning of the term “Nejdi”—Recipe for training CHAPTER XIII. Mohammed loses his head—A ride with the Emir—The mountain 18 fortress of Agde—Farewell to Haïl—We join the Persian Haj—Ways and manners of the pilgrims—A clergyman of Medina CHAPTER XIV. We go in search of adventures—Taybetism—An hyena hunt—How 49 to cook locusts—Hawking—The reservoirs of Zobeydeh—Tales and legends—A _coup de théâtre_—Mohammed composes a kasid CHAPTER XV. Muttlak Ibn Arûk and the Ketherin—Their horses—We are 73 adopted by the tribe—The Haj again—Ambar sends round the hat—A forced march of one hundred and seventy miles—Terrible loss of camels—Nejef CHAPTER XVI. The Shrines of the Shias—Bedouin honesty—Legend of the 101 Tower of Babel—Bagdad—Our party breaks up OUR PERSIAN CAMPAIGN. CHAPTER I. New plans and new preparations—We leave Bagdad for 113 Persia—Wild boar hunting in the Wudian—A terrible accident—We travel with a holy man—Camps of the Beni Laam—An alarm CHAPTER II. We are betrayed into the hands of robbers—Ghafil and 141 Saadun—We diplomatise—A march across “No-man’s-land”—Night terrors—We claim protection of a Persian prince CHAPTER III. A prince in exile—Tea money—Rafts on the Kherka—Last words 162 with the Beni Laam—Kerim Khan—Beautiful Persia—We arrive at Dizful CHAPTER IV. Pleasures of town life—The Khani’s court—Bactiari 176 shepherds—Shustar—Its palace, its river, and its garden—A telegraph clerk CHAPTER V. Illness and misery—A Persian escort—The Shah’s Arab 194 subjects—Ram Hormuz and its nightingales—Night marching—Deserted villages—How they collect taxes in Persia—Bebahan