Zahra Freeth & H.V.F. Winstone 
Explorers of Arabia [PDF ebook] 
From the Renaissance to the End of the Victorian Era

Exploration usually demands the qualities of bravery, curiosity and organising ability. Arabia demanded more of the voyager: linguistic ability of a high order, scholarship and an imaginative temperament. It was also necessary to be able to pass as a native, if not of Arabia then of part of the Islamic world. The early explorers faced untold dan