'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.' [‎293] (416/496)

the centre 293
-watered, whereon Ivasim lies just midway to Mecca,
and somewhat nearer to Medina. Therefore not only
is there a large farming population in Kasim of a
sturdy sort, well nourished and rooted to the soil,
but an unusually enterprising, well-informed, and
wealthy merchant class. The Bessams, for example,
who helped to protect Doughty in Aneiza, had a
great house at Jidda, and much commerce with
India; and in such divans as theirs, Palmerston, Bis
marck, and Disraeli were discussed, and cash could
be obtained for a cheque. Even the poorer folk of
Kasim travel farther afield and show less prejudice
than others in Arabia. Among the foreign labourers
on the Suez Canal the Kasimlis were in a conspicu
ous majority; and they habitually act as carriers for
the Syrian as well as the Persian pilgrims. All are
of independent spirit at home, and their greater towns
have maintained continual warfare in the effort to
avoid the dominion of the Emirs to south and north.
Rass nearly wrecked the hopes of Ibrahim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. at
the outset of his invasion of Nejd. The more popu
lous Aneiza held out longest against both Riad and
Hail; its Zamil was the head and front of the last
bond against Muhammad ibn Rashid; and it seemed
to Doughty the best example of a free native com
munity in Arabia, self-governed under an elective
chief.
In the latter's day, as in Sadlier's, Aneiza was
niuch the larger town, having at least fifteen thou
sand inhabitants; but Bereida, which has played a