Page 127 - The Pirate Coast (By Sir Charles Belgrave)

that his party was followed over the desert by Bedouin girls, ‘thus
forsaking a life of innocence for the most horrid state to which
human nature could be debased, that of a common prostitute!’
He ascribes their lack of morals to the Turks. The country had
been devastated, towns and villages were left in ruins, and all that
could be taken had been carried away. There were hardly any
horses left, but when Sadlicr reached the I Icjaz, he found that the
Pasha had acquired a stable of 300 of the finest horses in Arabia.
As Sadlicr struggled on, he began to realise that his mission was
unlikely to be successful, the Egyptians were concentrating on
the Hejaz, and he realised that it was improbable that the Pasha
would ‘enter into projects for the acquisition of territories which
he could not possibly retain’.
On August 26th, Sadlicr reached Rus, to find that the Pasha
had left for Medina on the previous day. On September 6th, he
reached Bir Ali, where the Pasha’s harem and family were en­
camped. He was given a meal by the Italian doctor. His horse
having fallen dead, after a thirty hours ride, he had to continue
his journey on a camel. Finally, he caught up and had a meeting
with Ibrahaim Pasha, who received him with civility, and apolo­
gised for the ‘inconvenient’ march which he had undertaken.
‘Inconvenient’ was a mild word to describe Sadlicr’s experiences!
Sadlicr presented the Pasha with a sword, a gift from the Governor-
General, and delivered the despatches which he had brought from
India. But Ibrahaim Pasha would give no reply to the proposi­
tions contained in the letters, saying that such matters would have
to be referred to his father, Mohammed Ali, the Viceroy of Egypt.
Evidently it was too late to interest him in the British suggestion
that lie should support the English and the Sultan in their expedi­
tion against the Joasmi pirates. He did, however, tell Sadlicr that
he had written twice to the Sultan ‘but as no measures had been
adopted for furthering plans’ he had abandoned the intention.
Sadlicr waited for many weeks for replies to the despatches,
which lie had brought from India. Meanwhile, lie reported back
in a letter to the Government in India that ‘the object of the
mission relative to a joint co-operation against Ras al Kliaima (the
pirate capital) has proved impracticable from circumstances which
could not have been foreseen*.
Towards the end of his time in the Hejaz, Sadlicr was involved
in a quarrel with the Pasha. Before Sadlicr left, he was told that
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