Danish trip

Book title: Journey to Denmark Author: Barkley Runkier Publisher: Dar Al-Waraq Summary: When Barkley Runkier embarked on his first journey to the Arabian Peninsula, he was twenty-three years and one day old, and it was his last trip. He had previously traveled with his father to another Arabic-speaking country, Tunisia, to study agriculture and irrigation methods, but he did not master Arabic when he left Denmark for the Arabian Peninsula, and this is without doubt. If we take this into account, it is remarkable the amount of information he gathered, and the overall accuracy of his account, despite some errors. Sometimes, this is attributed to the reluctance of desert Arabs to answer questions from a stranger, and to provide a complete and correct report and list of tribes in eastern Arabia, mixed. A careful review of his text reveals flaws he did not expect, and he rarely mentions stars and the brilliance of the sky. He also paid attention to his botanical and topographical observations, and despite the Western ignorance at the time of Kuwait and eastern Arabia, his contribution was important, as he translated and printed his book for official use in 1916. His main goal was to establish a base for a full Danish expedition to the great southern desert of the Arabian Peninsula, which was unknown at that time. Unfortunately, young Barkley Runkier contracted a serious illness in Kuwait. When he reached Riyadh, he could barely walk, although he was still able to ride his camel. His poor health was likely obvious to Imam Abdul Rahman Al Saud, and although Runkier said that the kind treatment he received in Riyadh made him feel spiritually better, and that his thoughts were focused on his strong desire for further exploration, he did not mention this in front of the Imam; there was not enough time for that, and the Imam did not know him well enough at the time to inquire about him. Therefore, he proceeded to the coast without delay.