File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎95v] (199/834)

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which ends further west in a sudden drop down a steep escarp *
ment into the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sulaiq.
From the top of the ridge we had a magnificent view of the
great range of Jebel Tuwaiq before descending into a maze of
low tumbled hillocks through which we dropped easily into the
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sulaiq. Camping here for the night under the shadow of
the Jubail ridge we were up betimes next morning to cover the
last stage of our journey. A gentle rise of fourteen miles over
absolutely bare steppe brought us to the top of a low broken
ridge, called the Muqharrizat, from which at last we looked down
upon the gardens and towers of Riyadh, a thin black line of
palms stretching north and south down the valley to Manfuha,
which was visible in the distance to the south.
At this point we were met by messengers sent out by Ibn
Saud to welcome us to his capital and, continuing our march
down the bare .slope towards the city, came upon Colonel
Hamilton who had ridden out with a small party to meet us.
The whole cavalcade now moved on, reaching the edge of the
gardens one and a half miles from the Muqharrizat ridge just
after the city gates had been closed for the midday prayer. As
it happened to be a Friday, we had to wait a considerable time
in the shade of a garden wall outside the city before the signal
was given that the prayers were over and the gates open to
receive us.
Remounting our camels we soon entered the north-eastern
gate of the city, and a short distance down the main street we
found ourselves at the palace gates. Here we were met by Ibn
Sand’s myrmidons and conducted immediately through a vast
concourse of people to the audience chamber on the -first floor,
where Ibn Saud and his father, the Imam Abdel Rahman,
awaited us. Etiquette did not permit of Ibn Saud taking a
prominent part in the interchange of greetings which followed, so
long as his father remained in the room ; the latter accordingly
withdrew after a decent interval on the plea that we must°be
tired, and we were left alone with the Wahhabi ruler whose
welcome of us was extremely cordial and friendly.
For the rest we were provided with quarters in the palace
and during the ten days I remained at Riyadh every facility was
placed at our disposal lor seeing the city and its surroundings.
Much time was of course spent in interviews with Ibn Saud him
self, whose eloquence was tireless and most impressive, but with
the exception of Ahmed ibn I hunaiyan of the Saud family and
Abdullah Said Effendi, a native of Mosul trained to medicine in
Constantinople and Paris, we saw little of other local personalities.
In any case considerations of space do not permit at present of
any attempt to describe them or the city itself.
M> 01 iginal plan, based, it must be admitted, on a mis
conception of the state of affairs obtaining in Central Arabia had
been to continue our wandering in the direction of the Qasim and
Jebel Shammar. I he turn of events, however, did not favour