Abstract: The recto of folio 75 and the verso of folio 76 contain rough geographical pencil sketches. The first shows a particular area of Nejd [Najd] in relation to key villages and towns; the second appears to show a valley, or other similar geographic feature, with place names and travelling directions also given.The recto of folio 76 contains a brief list of five placenames in Nejd, given in both English and Arabic.The sketches are undated, however the information contained within them would have been compiled by Lewis Pelly during his trip to Riyadh in February to March 1865Physical description: 2 folios
Abstract: Extended version of the draft letter at folios one to twelve regarding Pelly's visit to Riyath [Riyadh] to meet with the Wahabee Ameer [Wahhabi Amir] (Faisal ibn Turki Al Sa'ud), with annotations and corrections.The letter refers to a sketch map of the route taken from Kowait [Kuwait] to Riyath, along with an itinerary, both of which were to be appended to the final official version of the letter to illustrate the topography of the area.The letter goes on to explain in detail his party's limited ability to collect specimens owing to the need to avoid attracting attention to their actions; his having appended extracts of his private journal rather than occupy Government's time with descriptions of the country they traversed; and the inability to take observations during daytime owing to their constant supervision by their travelling companions.Also included in the extended version of the letter are a description of the lodgings in Riyath; the challenges they faced in taking readings there and general observations on chronometer readings.Folios sixteen to eighteen are blank.Physical description: 6 folios
Abstract: Pencil draft of a letter most likely to the Secretary to Government, Political Department, Bombay regarding Pelly's recent visit to the Wahabee Ameer [Wahhabi Amir] in his capital Riyath [Riyadh] and appending a sketch map of the route taken from Kowait [Kuwait].The letter goes on to describe the sketch map and features shown on it including principal towns, characteristics of the countryside and the work he undertook in determining fixed points of longitude and latitude en route.Also referred to in the letter is the work undertaken to collect specimens of the rocks and flora and the use of solar observation and the polar star to determine additional longitude and latitudes.Folios two to twelve are blank.Physical description: 12 folios
Abstract: Draft notes, written in faint pencil, giving sections and headings for Lewis Pelly's report on his journey to Riadh [Riyadh].The notes contain details of comments and observations required for a sketch map of the route taken and make reference to the need to take notes on the country travelled through and the peoples and tribes encountered and told about en-route.The notes themselves conclude on folio 45, and the remaining folios are blank.Physical description: 6 folios
Abstract: The file contains three separate statements regarding William Gifford Palgrave's travels throughout Arabia, all relating to the disguises and aliases that Palgrave used to travel and his willingness to assume the religion of whichever place he was travelling through.The first statement is a translation of an account by Aboo Eesa, the guide who took Palgrave to Riyadh, of how he came to encounter Palgrave, their journey to Riyadh and time spent there and their further travels on to Katif and Bushire. The statement also contains details of their aliases and disguises and includes postscripts to the original statement regarding a paper which Palgrave gave to Eesa regarding a scheme to 'revolutionize the country and institute another religion among the Wahabis (ff 1-5)The second statement was written by Mr Rozario, the Medical Charge at the Muscat Political Agency who encountered Palgrave in Muscat in 1863 and provided him with assistance as he was living as a mussulman but was having difficulty in observing the fasting period owing to suffering from fever and was permitted to use Mr Rozario's home in order to partake of food and wine. Mr Rozario's statement is dated 25 April 1866 (ff 6-7)The final statement is a letter from Eusuf ben Bedr written in Arabic, 18 December 1865, and translated into English regarding his conversation with the individual who took Palgrave to Riyadh (Aboo Eesa). The statement within the letter is a shorter version of Aboo Eesa's first statement (ff 6-7) and was received at the Residency in Bushire 25 January 1866Physical description: Foliation: The file has been foliated in the front top right corner of each folio with a pencil number enclosed in a circle.The file also has original foliation consisting of large pencil numbers in the top right corner of each folio. This foliation sequence runs from 189-195 and only covers the first 7 folios of the file.