The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-13 00:00:00

4]BitUARY 13, 1865.

Central Arabia,

At the meeting of the members of the Royal In-
stitution, on Friday evening Mr. W. G. Palgrave
described, in a very graphic manner,his adventurous
journey through Arabia, of which he had previously
given some account to -the Geographical Society, as
noticed in The Sun at the time. The journey was un-
dertaken partly at the instigation and with the aid
of the Emperor of the French, who expressed
himself anxious to learn further particulars re-
specting the kingdom of the Wahabiste, which is
situated in the central portion of Arabia, and has
been seldom visited by Europeans. Mr. Palgrave
availed himself of his long residence in the East, and
of his thorough acquaintance with the Arabic lan-
guage and customs, to assume the character of
an Arabic physician ; and, accompanied by a
Turkish friend of Damascus, who undertook to offi-
ciate as his assistant, he ventured across the
northern desert in the month of June. That month
was selected to favour the disguise, for it was pre-
sumed that no European would be suspected of
crossing the desert in the midst of summer. The
central portions of Arabia are encompassed by
deserts which render them very difficult of access even
to the Bedouins, some of whom were induced to act
as guides across the northern desert, which occupied
five days to traverse, though travelling 16 hours a
day. The desert consisted of broken rocky level
ground, occasionally diversified with project-
ing blocks of granite, to which stony character
it owes its name of Arabia Petra. During those five
days not a drop of water was met with, but their dro-
medaries kept quite fresh, and did not seem to re-
quire any. Mr. Palgrave mentioned, incidentally,
that the only distinction between a dromedary and
camel is that the former is a swifter and finer ani-
mal, the difference between.them being similar to
that between a cart-horse and a race-horse ; and
that they are alike in having only one hump. After
crossing the desert he came to a hilly country, where
the valleys abound in luxuriant vegetation, resem-
bling that of Syria'or Spain in all respects excepting
in the absence of the olive. The people of the north-
ern kingdom of Arabia he described as highly civi-
lised and well informed on all matters connected
with Eastern knowledge and literature. At Haijel,
the capital, the King was residing in a palace about
one-fifth the size of the Tuileries, and he received
Mr. Palgrave with great courtesy. The affairs of
Government were regulated with the greatest order,
and a passport was granted which procured for him
respect and attention in his journey through the
kingdom. All religions are tolerated with the greatest
freedom, and in one part of the country the worship
of the sun is practised just in the same manner as it
is described to have been by the ancient Chaldeans.
After residing in the northern capital about six
weeks, practising the art of medicine, Mr. Palgrave
and his companion proceeded southwards into the
kingdom of Wahabites, in the centre of Arabia.
There, as in the north, the inhabited portion of the
country is very hilly, rising in a succession of pla-
teaus, the highest of which is at an elevation of about
3,000 ft. The government of the Wahabites is well
conducted, but, unlike the north, it is rigidly intole-
rant in religion, which is Mahometanism of the
strictest kind ; far more so indeed, than in any other
Eastern country. The people are compelled to at-
tend prayers in the mosques every day ; smoking
is strictly prohibited ; and so is the wearing of silk
dresses—either of which offences is severely punished
with the bastinado, even to death. The signification
of the name of the valley in which the capital of
the kingdom is situated is " The Valley of the
Orthodox," and Mahometan Orthodoxy is enforced
there with more exactness than has prevailed any-
where since the days of the " prophet." The King is
blind and infirm, and his son exercises royal power
in the most absolute and murderous manner, and is
generally detested. He conducts the affairs of the
Government, however, with much regularity. Ile
has a -Minister for foreign and home affairs, and a
Chancellor of the Exchequer. The latter is a negro,
who proved a valuable friend to Mr. Palgrave, for
he was his first patient, and introduced him to the
practice of the Court. The oriental phrase of "no
cure no pay" is adopted in the medical profession
there, a bargain being made when the physician is
called in, and a written agreement signed. The fee
received for curing the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
after 20 days' attendance, was equal to £1 15s. in
English money. Mr. Palgrave stated that free ne-
groes abound in every part of Arabia. They were
originally slaves, but it is _the practice on the death
of a slave-owner to free his slaves ; and the event of
a marriage, or any other occasion of rejoicing, is
celebrated by the manumission of one or more slaves.
The King having taken offence at Mr. Palgrave, he
wasthreatened with execution ; but, having obtained
a short respite, he took the opportunity, when all
the people were at prayerg, to make his escape from
the town, and after much difficulty and danger he
succeeded in crossing the desert that separates the
kingdom of the Wahlbites from that of Oman, near
the coast of the Persian Gulf. There the people are
as indifferent to religion as the Wahabites are strict.
The population are engaged in commerce and manu-
factures, and some of the fine filagree work in silver
which they make was pronounced in Paris to be more
delicate and beautiful than any European artisan
can produce. Mr. Palgrave's adventures in Arabia
ended with his shipwreck in the Persian Gulf, when
he was one of the few who escaped from drowning.
He is about shortly to publish a book containing
the details of his Arabian adventures.

PRIZE-FIGHT AT ASCOT.—On Saturday Ebenezer
Hicken, alias " Abe Hicken," 22 years of age, de-
scribed on the charge-sheet as a painter, living at 18, Bell-
street, Wolverhampton, and John Tyler, alias " Bos
Tyler," a licensed victualler, of the Founders' Arms, Brick-
lane, Spitalfields, were brought b3fore Mr. P. H. Crutch-
ley, and T. J. Hercy, the magistrates for the. county
of Berks, at the Town-hall, Windsor, charged with un-
lawfully committing a breach of the peace at Ascot on
Tuesday, the 24th of January last. It seems that on the
day in question a fight between " Abe Hicken" and " Bob
Furze" had been arranged to take place in the London dis-
trict for £25 a side, both men being known in the sporting
world as " light weights." The usual preliminaries having
been settled on the previous evening the two combatants,
with their backers and friends, took advantage of an early
train on the London and South-Western Railway, and
after a run of little more than an hour reached the Ascot
station. A suitable place for the encounter was found near
the commencement of the Swinley Course on Ascot-heath.
The fight then commenced, and no less than 33 rounds were
disposed of when the arrival of Mr. Inspector Reece, of the
Berks constabulary, upon the scene put an end to the fight.
Hicken was first placed at the bar. Mr. Herbert Reece,
inspector of the Berks constabulary for the Windsor dis-
trict, deposed that on Jan. 24, in consequence of informa-
tion which he had received, he went to Ascot race-course,
where about 200 or 300 persons had collected. They were
just breaking up the ring and moving the stakes and ropes
when he arrived, in consequence of having seen his ap-
proach. The men left the ring as he got to the course. He
saw the defendant there, but perceived no marks upon him,
as he was covered with a rug and had his clothes on. They
went to a publichouse adjoining the course, when defendant
was pointed out to him as ono of the men who had been
fighting. Witness served a summons on Tyler, and another
had been served upon Smith, the second of Furze. Thomas
Morton, a platelayer, gave evidence to the same effect. In
answer to the charge Hicken said he was very sorry, and
would not come there to fight again. Itwas a drawn fight.
Tyler was then called and placed at the bar. Thomas
Morton was again examined, and said that he saw the de-
fendant Tyler on the day referred to at Ascot. He was act-
ing as second to Hicken. Hicken and Tyler were both
there. The fight was not finished because the police came
in sight. Defendant on being asked if he had anything to
say, replied that he did not deny being there. He was on
the ground, as were others. Mr. Inspector Reece deposed
to having seen Tyler and Hicken, as the people were strik-
ing the prize-ring, walk up the course to the publichouse
already mentioned. He afterwards saw them both at the
same house, and he spoke to Tyler. This being the whole
of the evidence against the defendants, the magistrates
committed them for trial at the next Reading Assizes.
Hicken and Tyler were then liberated upon bail—them-
selves in £2O each, and one surety of £lO for each de-
fendant, Tyler being taken as a surety for Hicken.
THE DEFICIENCY OF RAINFALL.—Few persons
have an adequate idea of what is really implied when the
Registrar-General reports that the deficiency of rainfall at
Greenwich in the last two years has amounted to nearly
14 inches. If that is an average instance, representing the
deficiency in the country generally, then the quantity of
rain in England and Wales in 1863 and 1864 has been
below the usual quantity by at least 52,000,000,000 tons
weight of water, or 500,000,000 tons per week.
THE DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES OF THE LATE
MR ..LEten—in all, some thousands, and comprising the
original
designs for a great number of his famous Punch
pictures and book illustrations—will be sold by Messrs.
Christie and Manson, in April.