A Journey Through the Yemen

The author of 'A Journey Through Yemen' ends his narrative thus: 'My recollections of the country are ones that I shall always treasure, in spite of the dangers and sickness, in spite of long marches and days in prison, the Yemen will always be for me, Arabia Felix.' First published in 1893, the work appeared at a critical time in the turbulent history of the Yemen. Already the Turkish Empire had seized much of the country in an attempt to re-establish control over the seaway routes leading to the Suez Canal. Rebellion by the native population against the Turks reached its peak in the late nineteenth century and an important chapter in this work provides a contemporary account of the effects of this conflict. In contrast, the second part of the work contains a thrilling narrative of the author's travels in the Yemen, and, his adventures there, described together with vivid portraits of the places he visits and the people he meets. The book first appeared, in part, in the widely-read Victorian journal, the 'Illustrated London News', from which many of the evocative illustrations are also taken.