Page 32 - Arabian Studies (II)

22 Arabian Studies II

he came round again and twirling a cane repeated his words, this time
with venom.
Fortunately my driver, ‘Abdullah, came back and explained that I
was ill and that 1 was an accountant from Damascus employed by the
King — and, he added, brilliantly, ‘a financial wizard’. The Meccan’s
expression quickly changed!
‘Abdullah told me that my nationality and religion were to be
concealed, by the King’s order. Although ‘Abdullah was about his
middle thirties he told me that he had already served in three armies,
the Ottoman Turkish, the Hashimite and Ibn Saud’s and he
compared them from his private point of view. The Turks were the
best. They paid little, but regularly every month, or almost so. The
Hashimites you could leave if they did not pay and come back when
they did. Ibn Saud you could not escape and he paid only when
there was to be action, though most generously.
I noticed that bedouin I talked to called Ibn Saud, either so, or
‘ash-Shuyukh’. Once I used 'Malik' and one said, ‘Malik aish — Man
hu jabhu malikV Ibn Saud had only made himself King in 1926 after
capturing the Hejaz.
This may give some idea of the general atmosphere for a Christian
traveller in 1934.
Ten miles from Riyadh we stopped for me to change into fresh
clothes. When we reached the walls, the head of the escort went in to
report arrival and I was left in a tent pitched outside the gate for
waiting travellers. Rather to my astonishment some were discussing
the price of cigarettes in Riyadh compared with the price elsewhere.
Within a few minutes Shaikh Yusuf Yasln, the head of the King’s
Diwan, or secretariat, came to take me to his house. I noted that I
was asked several times how long the journey by car had taken.
Three and a half days was the record so far and anything under six
nights was considered good. After dinner in Yusufs house we sat on
the ground to listen to his radio, for the news only; any music, being
forbidden, was immediately turned off. Yusuf took me afterwards to
the Palace.
The King received me in his old Palace, on the roof, the way up to
which was lined by his body-guards, squatting. They rose as we
passed. Ibn Saud himself rose and I saw his immense height, six feet,
four inches or so. He drew me by the hand to sit down by him on the
Persian carpets at the comers of which were lanterns on poles.
At this time he was aged about forty-four. I noted afterwards, ‘He
has overwhelming charm, which began at once to work on me. The
expression as he talks gains easily over his features in repose, which
at rest are good and strong, but not beautiful. The nose is long and