Blue-grass blade., 1892-09-03
GEN. PELLYS FEAT.
Ills Visit in Uriform to the FanatiCal Ma
tiyea Of Central Arab


tives of Central Arabia.
Gen. Sir Lewis Pclly. who died in En-
gland recently i'm his sixty-sevcnth
year, did many things during his forty
years of Indian service that gave him
reputation, but the most remarkable
and daring of his achievements was his
journey in 1865 to Riyadh, the Waha'i
capital of the great Wahabi people. "a
the center of Arabia. The Wahabis are
the fanatical Puritans of Moham-
mechanism. In 1868 they were tbs ter
ror of Arabia. Their leaders, at the
head of small but reckless and daring
armed forces, controlled the policy of all
the smaller Arab states bordering the
waters of the Persian gulf. At that
time Pclly was the British resident at
Buchire, and was practically the
ruler of the country. Wahabi power
was all the while spreading and came
TO be regarded as great political dan
ger. Pelly watched it very closely.
The country was nominally within the
limits of his administration. lie de
cidcd that it was necessary for him to
pay visit to Riyadh. lie sald that
Great Britain would be compelled to
leave that region entirely if it could not
come to some understanding or other
with native power which was claim
ing the right to interfere directly with
the Arab population along the shores
of the Persian gulf and its islands,
which was encouraging piracy to the
injury of trade.
Everybody said that NJ one but n
Mohammedan could visit Riyadh and
return alive. Pelly said he believed he
could, and at any rate he intened to
risk it. At that time Palgrave was the
only European who had penetrated
central Arabia and returned in safety.
He had incurred great dangers, but he
was disguised as Mussulman and sue
ceeded in his dangerous enterprise.
Pelly did not assume any disguise. He
started for central Ara bia in the uniform
of a British officer, accompanied by two
officers. an interpreter and domestic at
tendants. After his long desert march,
lasting about n month, he arrived at
Riyadh. boldly entered the town and
applied for an audience with the blind
amir. lie had several interviews with
this potcntate, and ostensibly was
treated with much kindness. lie
found, however, that he was
regarded as prisoner, though the
natives tried to put him comfortably
at his ease. They believed they had
him in their power, and they proposed
to play with him. as a eat with mouse.
before they destroyed him. They had
not the slightest intention of permit
ting him to return to the coast.
Pelly's recourscs. however. We're toe
much for them. He found some plausi-
BILE pretext for going outside of the city
with his escort one day, and he never
returned. The natives pursued him.
but the superiority of his arms kept
them at a distance. Before leaving the
capital his party had filled their water
skins. They accidentally discovered
after they left the city that the water
had been poisoned. 1t was impossible
to drink drop of it without riskinG
their lives. On the way to the sea they
suffered agonics of thirst, ard the only
relief they had was the slight refresh
| ment obtained by pouring the contents
| of the water skins over their wrists
The romantic daring of this expedition
has not often been excecded.-N. Y
SIM