Page 502 - Neglected Arabia 1902-1905

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The traveller who is seen to be unarmed or insuHn irnilv .11 mf< 1 fm 小 v
himself suddenly pcltcci by a hail of Martini hullots, ;m<l, I”,
can collect his thoughts, stripped ot all his lu'lonj»inj;s, tli.mlsful if lif”
is mercifully loft him. Dead men tell no tales. A
Such Arabs inhabit this triangle of country一cut-tliro:»l,.f y
one. They are called Ma'dan or. by some, l>cni ;md an:
in such contempt that to call a Muntofik Arab from Nasariych a
厶fa’cidi is to invite a brawl. Xo white man lias ever penetrated their
country, and for a Turk to attempt it would be suicidal.

REASONS FOR THF- JOURNEY.
Why, then, did I try it?
i. Because I believe the cross can and should always precede the
flagf. For two years past rumors have been rife of an attempt to
make the cut from Amara to Shattra by foreign exploring parties.
Eight months ago one party tried and failed. Three months ago
the French made the same trial and were stopped by the Turks. With
pardonable pride we can know that the Stars and Stripes tried and
went through, and with :t and over it the banner of the cross.
2. With life so short and such a large section entirely on mv shoul-
ders and conscience ;with high water, cool weather, good health, now,
if ever, was the chance. To prove that an unarmed gospel can go
farther than an armed governmer.t, I took the chance.
3. Six months ago I had the privilege of travelling to l^omhay with
Sir W. Wiilcocks, one of the foremost British irrigation aij:iiuvrs,
who had been prospecting ks far up ；is for ;m in i)r,ati«»u nn u
1 dicate. Partly at his request, and partly to satisfy my own rm iositv,
I determined to collect as many data ：i% 山whidi mi|；hl lun o .\
scientific value.

On the first of May fxh：u y>:rur\yni, '，"r ntil •.I.Uinu mu
the Euphrates, v/here I : t H I Im* |MI I V i«s\\
sisted of a captain, t*.vo 革'〆々，a|s*'
The first day up the Shkti^:blhti v;« % H I • Mill' \\ * II
⑽veiled and safe. io n 'I;""，，，"
about
• a mile down che itre-am, V/Uh the %Utl ,j)m / I Mill mmI
rc^sh the idea of the uifcht iti wil#1 f n I""山• mi
\ a*oot
to persuade the 小n\it n Iomij »hmh|»I» In

i