Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767

This book records the fateful Danish exploration of Arabia Felix (Happy Arabia, or Yemen as we now know it), of 1761-1767. For reasons that become obvious, more than this it is the story of Carsten Niebuhr's life.

I wrote the following as I read, and I realise now it is far too long, so apologies in advance. Realistically, I have just summarised the expedition, and thrown in a few thoughts about the writing and the friction between the expedition members rather than written a meaningful review.

The first 50-60 pages are somewhat off-putting, as they contain detailed information about the forming of the scientific party, a number of which men didn't end up being a part of the expedition. There was much politicking in this, much of which remained in play for the duration of the expedition, so I can see why it was included, but I found it pretty dry. Once the journey is underway (albeit a few years later than hoped), the story lifts to a higher level.

Politics and the constant bickering of the scientists was not their only issue, as weather and sea conditions prevented any meaningful headway on the first leg of their journey which was undertaken on a Danish warship. At one point, a month of travel where they were forced to backtrack for safety time and again saw them achieve only 30 miles net gain!

On reaching Malta, there was an opportunity at last to collect some botany samples, and prior to this is was largely only survey and astronomical observations undertaken. After a brief stop in Malta they reached Smyrna, then the island of Tenedos (Bozcaada in Turkish) where the Danish man-o'-war left them. In a smaller Turkish boat they reached Constantinople, where due to the illness of Niebuhr (the surveyor/cartographer) they were delayed over a month. Finally reaching Alexandria in Egypt, they set about commencing their scientific works. Here they were once again delayed, spending a year in Egypt.

Relationships amongst the scientists were still strained, and not even along the lines of their nationalities. The Danish von Hagen (philologist (language specialist)) was the principal issue - his arrogance and superiority isolating him from the men, clashing in particular with the Swedish Forsskal (natural sciences - botany and zoology). I have mentioned already Niebuhr the surveyor/cartographer - he was German, as was Baurenfein who was an artist and engraver who was to record details of their findings. Kramer was the other Danish participant, he was a physician, and rounding out the men was Swede Berggren, who acted the role or orderly, or assistant to the scientists. There were broad expectations set of each man by King Frederick V of Denmark who was the patron for the expedition.

As well as arguments about ability, the Danish men in particular feared von Hagen was setting to poison them when they learned he had purchased a quantity of arsenic en route. As the men were expressly notified that they all held equal rank and that no leader would be recognised, this established a number of arguments particularly between von Hagen and Forsskal which would plague the expedition until their deaths in Yemen. (It is no spoiler to day only one man was to return from the expedition, the other five losing their lives.)

Their time in Egypt was a mixed bag. Von Hagen achieved little, blamed others and failed miserably in the primary tasks set for him in Egypt and Sinai. Niebuhr and Forsskal conversely achieved much more consisting of surveying and mapping for the former and botanical collections for the latter. Baurenfein created many engravings and Kramer assisted the locals with medical aid. But overriding all this was the infighting and mistrust particularly of von Hagen. The others regularly wrote to try and have von Hagen removed from the expedition, pleasing that they felt unsafe with this presence. However, this would be seen as a failure in Denmark, and they received a sharp rebuke on their achievements and their disharmony and were told to improve their efforts. Over a year was spent in Egypt.

Moving on from Sinai, the men reach Djidda (now Jeddah), which of course serves as the port for accessing Mecca. To their surprise, the travellers are met by a population who are disposed to be friendly to them. After a wearing time in Egypt and Sinai where they were treated with hostility and mistrust, cheated and taken advantage of, their journey takes on a much more positive vibe. On the journey down also, they are more relaxed, with less bickering and hostility within the group. This all bodes well for Arabia Felix.

Delayed again by weather, they spend time in Djidda with their usual tasks, the most successful members being the same ones as in Egypt. The journey south in the Red Sea is well described, and Niebuhr creates an accurate map of the coastline. Arriving in Arabia Felix at last, the party land in Loheia (Al Luhayyah) to again be greeted civilly and treated well. While the team dynamics seem to have calmed, the men still spend plenty of time apart (the basis of a successful relationship?), and the men make good progress on the surveying, mapping, botanical collection, observation of trade, and Arabian life in general. Again this down to Niebuhr and Forsskal, with engravings by Baurenfein. Von Hagen and Doctor Kramer are present, but lack achievement as usual. After time in Loheia, they journey to Beit el-Fakih (Bayt el-Fakih), where they base themselves for investigations further afield.

It is at Beit el-Fakih that von Hagen and Niebuhr become ill with malaria, which goes undiagnosed (Kramer is not really very useful!) They are then faced with the seemingly easy decision at the threshold of summer of travelling to Sana (Sana'a) (among the coffee hills at higher altitude, cooler, cleaner air) or travelling through the desert to the low-lying Mocha which lay in the Tehama Desert. P241 Mocha would be a hell of heat and humid air, of infected drinking water and without a breath of wind. In the high-lying Sana, on the other hand, they would find clear pure mountain air, cool shady gardens with vegetables and fruit, and uncontaminated wells. Everything seemed to point to Sana'a, although there seemed to be no recorded discussions amongst the men, and on 20 April 1763 the party departed, bound for Mocha.

Reaching Mocha three days of hard journeying later, there is a unwelcome change in store for the party. They are considered with skepticism, treated with hostility and made unwelcome. The customhouse seizes their belongings and is unwilling to release even their bedding, despite von Hagen being obviously very unwell. They are caught up here in an intrigue featuring a man they met travelling south from Egypt, who had acted their friend and taken their chests direct to Mocha to save the men carrying them. It seems he turned customs and the authorities against the men, although his motive can only be to extract money from the men. They are forced to pay gratuities, to get on the good side of the dola (governor). Eventually they are accepted and the townspeople cease their harassment.

But at his point von Hagen dies from his malaria, and is buried in the European Churchyard. The author then writes a defence of how little von Hagen achieved, noting that his best work would be done in city libraries - which were available to them only in Constantinople and Cairo (having been refused access at the Monastery of St Catherine in Sinai); the expeditions route was made to suit the majority of its members and didn't suit von Hagen's needs; and that von Hagen alone was a scholar, and stood apart from the other natural scientists of the group.

Here the expedition made an important decision. Fearing the complexities of staying longer in Yemen, they had the opportunity to sail to India with a fleet of English ships in port. They were to leave in two months time. Fearing also not fulfilling the requirements of the Danish King, they knew they must also undertake a journey to the Arabian capital, Sana'a.

Finally negotiating the political hurdles necessary to leave for Sana'a, the group move off. Niebuhr remains unwell, but stoically continues on. As they are continually waylaid in towns on the route to Sana'a, being tormented by local governors looking to extract gifts of money from the men, Forsskal falls suddenly unwell, and he too dies. A greater loss to the expedition than von Hagen, Forsskal was the best Arabic speaker, was more skilled at negotiation and unpicking the political intrigues which acted against them, and was the natural leader of the group.

Again at the death of an expedition member the author skips for ward to his legacy. As one of the most active members of the expedition, Forsskal sent to Copenhagen numerous chests of samples as well as seven volumes of manuscripts. Forsskal also took precautions against his discoveries, using a cypher to keep others from taking credit for his findings. Many of the chests sent from each major stop in the journey were unfortunately damaged through an array of circumstances, but most criminally, those that did arrive were placed in the care of a man at the university who set them aside and simply ignored them. Whether through malice or laziness, the vast majority of samples went to ruin, as preserving alcohol dried out, stuffed birds and animals were taken over by insects and rot. For over 150 years there was little done with what remained, until another scientist took up the role of analysing his work, at which time it was found he had discovered not only twenty four new genera, but about 300 new species of plants. He is renowned for his accuracy of observation and description, and his profound knowledge of plant metamorphosis. However only a small proportion of his collections was able to be utilised - imagine the outcome has it turned out differently.

Upon reaching Sana'a, they are again treated kindly and lavished gifts by the Imam. Niebuhr, as the only Arabic speaker takes the role of leader and establishes a good relationship with the Imam, so well in fact that they are offered hospitality for a year. They must turn this down to take up the onward journey to Bombay with the English ships, and are forced to make a quick journey back to Mocha, taking a longer route to avoid the troublesome towns they visited on the way there.

The men were all struck down with fever on the return journey and while in Mocha awaiting the departure for a week became so unwell that other than Baurenfeind and Berggren were carried onboard, and several days into the journey Baurenfeind, the artist died in his sleep, exhausted and with fever. Berggren, the orderly/servant died the following day in similar circumstances.

And so in Bombay the two remaining men were put up in a house awaiting the winds to turn, and made plans for their return to Denmark. Kramer, the expedition doctor, however became so unwell that they were unable to travel once the winds changed, and it was here that Kramers life was ended, again of fevers assumed to be malarial. It was with sarcasm that Niebuhr wrote to the authorities in Copenhagen saying “...it could do no harm to ask to see the Herr Doctor's notes; it is possible that he has discovered something important.” as Kramer had made not a single written record for the years of this trip, not even a letter. It is noted that his only written commitment was a signature on a group letter written by others.

Niebuhr was now alone and relieved of the burden, having sent on Forsskal's chests via Trankebar (formerly Tranquebar, now Tharangambadi) which was a Danish trading centre at the time. After flip flopping over which route to take home, he finally departs, calling briefly at Muscat, then on to Persia, where he set up in Shiraz. From here Niebuhr spent several months at Persepolis, carrying out a very comprehensive survey, despite his ailing health, having now damaged his eyes in the bright light while transcribing inscriptions. After this he, step by step and by various means, makes his to Aleppo in Syria, via Basra, the ruins of Babylon, Meshed Ali, Baghdad and Mosul. For the six months this journey took him Niebuhr travelled as ‘Abdullah' incognito in full Arab persona.

Having been rediscovered by his Danish masters, Niebuhr was asked to visit Cyprus to investigate some inscriptions recently found. From there, his return trip was anything but quick, but as usual Niebuhr made the most of this time. Jerusalem, Damascus, Aleppo, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Germany and finally to Denmark for his return to Copenhagen.

For Niebuhr, the expedition lasted from January 4, 1761 until 20 November, 1767.

The remainder of the book describes how Niebuhr spent the balance of his life, including the publication of his works plus some he worked on covering Forsskal and Baurenfeind's works.

I enjoyed this book, and despite its slow start it is an expedition which visited interesting places. It suffered a little from repetition, and I would like to have seen more detail of Forsskal's findings in particular. I also love the cover, so that was a positive!

3.5 stars rounded up.