IN HAPPY ARABIA

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 82, 5 April 1924, Page 17

IN HAPPY ARABIA

"Kings :of: Arabia." By Harold F. ■:: Jacob, C.5.1.,, London): Mills and rI. .Boon .(From Robertson and Mul- .".', lens, Melbourne).^ '

"As to the work as a'whole, I crave the reader's indulgence," writes Colonel Jacob in his preface, arid' he continues :. "If'l have arred en the side of prolixity, my excuse is the 'int:icacy: of my subject, and the' absorbing ' interest o! my" ruling passion." Prolix "Kings of Arabia.", certainly is, but it is a most • interesting work for all .that; indeed, it is a work of great value, considering the iposition occupied, by Aden •in . the British Empire aiid the part that" the Yemen may. yet be called upon to play in -international politics.' . . "Kings of Arabia" is l ah ; excellent book, Written by one who for many years was in the closest touch with Arabia, as first' assistant to "the British President at Aden, and as political agent of.the- Aden Hinterland.' During, the war.. he was chief political adviser on South-west Arabia to. Sir' Reginald. Winjjatet^hd Viscount Allenby, when ' they were-High Commissioners in/ Egypt. " Colonel Jacob ' gives j a most , informative ' history, ol" British interest in . the ifemen;'. or Southern. Arabia, from thb Red; Sea to the Persian Gulf.' Aden is the key'to'theiposition, and-'passengers who stop, at that port on their way out or home, through the- Red Sea and Indian Ucean.'can have but little idea of the greai "work done by. Captain S. '• 8., Haihes; of the;lndian Navy, in securing Aden for the British in 1839, and his self-sacrificing 'labours (poorly ■ appreciated ■'"at: the time) to keep it Biitish in fact as well as in name. ' Of" this really great • event m the ■ history "of the-. British- Empire, Colonel Jacob writes with authority, and with Lhe directness and force of a soldier. But "Kings; of .Arabia" is not all' history/ and, politics. The writer• affords .many.-views of the Arabs at close quarters. :■;■■ He speaks;well of the women. .Of some of them he writes s— '~i : The';beauty of those in Sara and'Al Jabla . is.' proverbial. Those, near Zebid are so cap-' tiva£ing:ttiat the proverb advises one " on-en-tering the town of Husaib to put his beasts to the trot!'.' whilf ,the ladies in the highlands of East Sokbtra ;have'such charms that' a. SokotranUhus described them to-me: "Thtir beauty, makes you cast down your'eyes!" . . . A. political : officer- may, .be- supposed to be . engaged; solely in: politics, but,.hi our, hinterland, women ■ were amongst ray .best friends. Government would have btfen shocked to know that'dancing girls would dance in my .camp— . oftentimes .in . the.' iforenoon—while Tommy Atkins did gather round the, walls and applaud the/programme. It was 'not, only sweet but politic- both to'humour'the ladies,' who kept nio" informed; of tribal doings, and' to enliven the cntiui of the' soldier,- who was one of my main ■ political assets. ' There are various avenues of .knowledge/ and the'value of what I learnt at these .festive .gatherings must: condone ' the ,seeming/frivolity olthe means-to that. end.. „..v ..; ' „; ..:.,' Interesting, glimpses'are afforded; too, ofyhum&n life on the great.island- of Sokbtra, .of . which Colonel Jacob has much to" say.' The Arab he has always' found to be "charming company." His ready, wit and humour, his manly-out-look on life;; his .trust in 'Allah; -which renders him careless of the morrow—these overshadow liis childish and 'transparent vanity, his Semitic avarice, Ms lapses' into superstition, ■^hich make for. procrastination .in business , and "defeat, the; more practical' Western mind;; liis discounting of-the preseiit—:and his rell-* anco onl, the future," where' he shall meet with Allah; ,'He.Us very imitative andean apt coiner of ne-vrVwords. <) ». %;.'.Z ,'';-r^ % ; ; The Arab is cursed with an inherent; inability to combine,, and-out of this has. come, most of his \ defeats: .;.~Gblonelr Jacob says^hat this trait, in the,, Arab character paves the way for the Turkish, occupation of the Yemen in- 1872. "I; have," he writes,, "known a iribe A to be at \ warfare with' tribe. B. . Both' sides sent off emissaries .to enlist tribe C; who split up and joined both A and B. Only a few shots were firfid. and C decamped to return to-its .proper pastures." '.■ ' ': .■■"'-■■'.•.••' .. -■■ ' t. An instructive list of Arab proverbs' ; is given, ifrom which the following.'have: been selected :-j- "•..- ■■•: ." ;, .■ ; „."■';. ' „.-.•' ■> Kings, 'women, and creepers cling 'closely to things-in their vicinity. ' '■*' ':•.-' '. .: . Eat with >a Jew, but- do not wait in his company, 1 .■ , , : „••. .. ■- :.' ;,.--. , tie who lies .will suffer as the "Jew -will Buffer. '■ -■■-?. " ■:..' -..--. ■-...-....-: ..--. ,; r „,. , -.-Women are;a Satanic conception: ',:f '■ ; Call me Kakib (governor) and you may cut off my : subsistence. ..'".'..'.- '■ ', \ " ■ Not one kneels to. another/ nor to his kind that.lived thousands of years ago. . ■ -''■' Like" the planets, each.-: one "swims"•'. his own'1 course. r■■ -, ■', .»a-.■■•.'■; .',; - -.',- y" ; ■. ■ ■. - Every,pne is.his'■'own:.Caliph./:?- .',' v ' .-'. The skin which'ls not'thy skin"dras it.alone the market place, ,',' v..; '-.■.•'.'' /:--° ■-: _ :Fill. my stomachj'^niy'i.lqrd will. fill' -the' others. ..■-.';•'.,'. :•.'■,',-:".■ ,-'-^' '■ ;J. - Students of the Bible will .find much to interest them in-."Kings-of Arabia." and a most' helpfu]/instructor in Colonel Jacob, who-himself;-it-is to' be" inferred from his remarks; is^deeply interested in Old-Testament history;-' '■•••' : ;■ ■■•'