488 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1880- 



stantial marks of allegiance. Even the pilgrimage roads, 

 which are specially guarded by patrols and military 

 stations, are kept open only by payment of pensions to 

 the adjacent tribes, and the interruption of these payments 

 invariably leads to disorders and insecurity. Nor do the 

 Bedouins acknowledge Turkish law and the Cadis sent 

 from Stamboul. To travel in the Hejaz with a Turkish 

 escort would almost mean to travel as an enemy. But 

 the Prince of Mecca enjoys as much respect as it is in 

 the nature of the Bedouins to pay to any authority, and 

 an escort of his personal followers secures the traveller 

 a good reception everywhere, except, perhaps, among 

 some of the wildest tribes, whose ideas of obedience to 

 any one are very little developed. 



I have been forced into this somewhat long digression 

 to explain the way in which I arranged for my journey. 

 Instead of going to the Waly, I addressed the Shereef 

 through the acting British Consul (Mr. Kruyt, the Dutch 

 Consul in Jeddah), and asked of him leave to visit Taif, 

 and a small escort of his household to accompany me on 

 my journey. For several days I received no reply, and 

 I was then advised to call on the Shereef s agent in Jeddah, 

 who likes to have a personal share in everything that 

 goes on, and frankly tell him my plans, which had special 

 reference to some ancient inscriptions of which I had 

 heard. As Omar Naseef Pasha, the gentleman in question, 

 is the most influential man in Jeddah, and also a some 

 what typical personage, I think I had better give you 

 some account of him. He is the son of a common water- 

 carrier in town, and began life in the same business. 

 Although very deficient in education, he is an extremely 

 shrewd man, and his ability, combined with a total want 

 of conscience, soon brought him forward. He pushed 

 his way in the world, till he became agent for the late 

 High Shereef, a post which requires address and readiness 

 to do what is wanted, without scrupling at the means 

 employed. In theory, the agent of the Shereef is not a 



