- Collection type
- Photograph
- Description
- Portrait of a tribesman of the Rashid Bedouin at an encampment near Bir al Tawil in the Ramlat ar Rabbad. This man is the son of Muhammad, a sheikh of the Rashid Bedouin, with whom Wilfred Thesiger and his Bedouin companions stayed during Wilfred Thesiger's first crossing of the Empty Quarter (Rub‘ al Khali) in December 1946. Muhammad's son sits in the sand slicing a piece of meat with a knife. Strips of meat is spread out on a cloth in front of him.
- Geographical reference
- Empty Quarter [Rub‘ al Khali]; Abu Dhabi Emirate; Al Gharbia Region; Ramlat ar Rabbad [Ar Rabbāḑ]; Bir al Tawil
- Cultural groups
- Rashid
- Person
- Photographer Wilfred Patrick Thesiger
- Expedition or compiler Wilfred Thesiger First Empty Quarter Crossing 1946-47
- PRM source Wilfred Patrick Thesiger
- Date / Period
- Date of photograph: 24/12/1946 - 31/12/1946
- Acquisition information
- Acceptance in Lieu: 03/2004
- Dimensions
- Image dimension 35 mm
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 2004.130.6634.1 Previous PRM number: WT.T.49.2 Previous other number: T/49.2
- Research and responses
Research Notes - "In Rabadh we toiled across an endless sea of crescent dunes where Manasir and ‘Awamir were grazing their camels on the hadh pasturage. While we four made detours to avoid them, Al ‘Auf and Hamad rode over to them to ask news of the Rawashid herds. These we found next day near Bir al Tawil, and guided by one of the herdsboys [sic] we approached the Rawashid encampment where five Arabs stood up to receive us, holding their rifles. We saluted them as we drew near, and after greeting each of them in turn with the triple nose kiss, sat down opposite them on the sand and waited until they asked: "What is your news?" to which we gave the formal answer: "The news is good." Thus do the Badu always greet each other even if they have only parted for a few hours. They now made us coffee, the black bitter coffee of the sands flavoured with cardamum [sic], and at sunset when the herds were driven in brought us great bowls of frothing milk, and feasted us that night on a young camel with the princely hospitality of the true Badu." Wilfred Thesiger, pp. 9-10 in "Across the Empty Quarter", The Geographical Journal, Vol. 111, January-March 1948, pp. 1-19. [AK 01/12/2010]
Research Notes - "The next morning we saw some tents, and Hamad said, 'I don't know who they are', so we bore off to the right in order to pass wide of them; but a man came out from among them and ran across the sand towards us, shouting, 'Stop! Stop!' As he came near, Hamad said, 'It is all right. He is Salim, old Muhammad's son.' We greeted him and he said, 'Why do you pass by my tent? Come, I will give you fat and meat.' I protested instinctively, but he silenced me by saying, 'If you do not come to my tent I shall divorce my wife.' This was the divorce oath, which he was bound to obey if we refused. He took my camel's rein and lead her towards the tents. An old man came forward and greeted us. He had a long white beard, kindly eyes, and a gentle voice. He walked very upright, as do all the Bedu. Hamad said, 'This is old Muhammad.' The two tents were very small, less than three yards long and four feet high, and were half-filled with saddles and other gear. An old woman, a younger woman, and three children, one of them a small naked child with a running nose and his thumb in his mouth, watched us as we unloaded. The women were dressed in dark-blue robes, and were unveiled. The younger one was very pretty. Salim called to al Auf and together they went off across the dunes. They came back later with a young camel, which they slaughtered behind the tents.
Meanwhile the old man had made coffee and set out dates for us to eat. Hamad said, 'He is the Christian.' The old man asked, 'Is he the Christian who travelled last year with bin al Kamam and the Rashid to the Hadhramaut?' and after Hamad had assented he turned to me and said, 'A thousand welcomes.'...
It was late in the afternoon when Salim spread a rug in front of us, and placed on it a large tray covered with rice. He lifted joints of meat from the cauldron and put them on this, ladled soup over the rice, and finally tipped a dishful [sic] of butter over it. He then poured water over our outstretched hands. Old Muhammad invited us to eat, but refused our invitation to join us. He stood and watched us, saying, 'Eat! Eat! You are hungry. You are tired. You have come a long way. Eat!' He shouted to Salim to bring more butter, although we protested that there was enough already, and taking the dish from Salim's hand poured it over the rice. Gorged at last, we licked our fingers and rose together muttering 'God requite you.' We washed, using water. There was no need here to clean our fingers with sand, for the well was near by. Salim then handed us coffee and the bitter drops were welcome and clean-tasting after the greasy rice and cold lumps of fat which we had eaten. He and his father urged us to remain with them at least for one more day to rest ourselves and our camels, and we willingly agreed. They brought us milk at sunset and we drank till we could drink no more. As each of us handed back the bowl from which he had drunk, he said, 'God bless her!', a blessing on the camel who had given the milk." Wilfred Thesiger, pp. 153-155, in Arabian Sands (London, 1959). [AK 17/02/2011]
Search terms: Food and Drink, Tool, Portrait