'The Penetration of Arabia a record of the development of Western knowledge concerning the Arabian Peninsula with illustrations from drawings, photographs, and maps by J. G. Bartholomew.' [‎106] (171/496)

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ARABIA
all practical purposes wholly in the hands of the local
sheikh of the Beni Khalid, and about to withdraw
himself and his handful of troops. More than this,
the British envoy was informed that Deraiye had been
destroyed, and that the evacuation was to be general.
No one was sure where Ibrahim actually was; but
wherever in Nejd he might be, he would not long
remain.
Sadlier was in sore perplexity. The main object
of his mission was frustrated already by the retire
ment of the Egyptians from Nejd. Had he known
all, had he known even that Ibrahim had already
started for Medina, he would doubtless have re-
embarked for India. As it was, he bethought him
of the minor counts in his mandate, of the congratu
lation and the sword of honour to be offered to the
pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. to be taken " without show
ing any material interest in the subject"; and to his
great credit, his lasting fame, and our profit he de
termined to go up into Arabia. He conceived himself
simply bound to perform an unpleasing duty as ex
peditiously as might be. In his narrative (not pub
lished in extenso till nearly fifty years later, when
Palgrave had drawn attention to Nejd) he betrays
very little interest in the prospect, the course, or the
retrospect of his journey. He seems to have been as
ignorant as his superiors of Arabic, Arabian history,
and what to expect in Arabia, and to have had no
previous knowledge of Bedawins and their ways. To
him, as to most British soldiers, all " natives " were