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Original blue and silver illustrated wraps 17x24cm. Printed by Ali bin Ali Printing Press. 147 + (1)pp including the original Arabic edition in facsimile, Fayiz Suyyagh's parallel translation into English, supporting essays, and many colour and b/w illustrations. Very good with some creasing. Rashed was born in al-Hidd, Bahrain in 1874 and died in Darin, Saudi Arabia in 1959. He learnt about sailing and pearl diving from his father. The family moved to Doha when he turned 17, and at 20 he assumed responsibility of the family business as nakhoda (captain) when his father lost his sight. He moved to Darin in 1908 where he maintained a small pearling and trading fleet. He wrote this in colloquial Arabic to satisfy numerous requests from fellow captains and sailors in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar just years before the industry collapsed, and by the proprietor of the Bahrain Press, who printed the first edition of 100 copies in Manama in 1920. Its title page included a warning to unauthorised publishers: "whoever prints it shall be sued in court so beware this is the sea guide to those who seek pearls in oysters" (p35). To Rashed's annoyance however, many plagiarised or unauthorised editions followed. After a 14 year search for an original first edition which involved contacting his sons, Rashed's own annotated copy was found, which he had kept onboard his ship. In 1984 it was delivered to Qatar's Information Minister. He sent it to the AGS Folklore Centre which, at UNESCO's recommendation, used it to publish a new Arabic edition in 1987 and this English edition in 1988 (Foreword by Abdulrahman al-Mannai, Director General, AGS Folklore Centre). This is not simply a reissue however, as it incorporates the annotations, and involved field visits to verify locations, identify landmarks, and assess the impact of massive industrialisation and development on them. Rashed describes it as "an indispensable tool for sail-boat captains, containing comprehensive information on distances, sea depths, description of sea currents, oyster-beds and havens". Most is drawn from his extensive personal experience from the Shatt al-Arab to the Hormuz Straits, with the rest from trusted experts crosschecked against other sources. He opens by stating "Anyone who wishes to enter the rough seas must know where to start and where to end". First and foremost he trusts to Allah, then to equipment, a good skipper, knowledge of tides, currents, distances, dimensions, and identification of stars and their mansions which he assists with a poem (p37, 39). The routes include "well-known towns" from the Khor of Basra to Oman (via Bahrain, Ras Tanura, Darin, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha etc), the Persian coast from Basra to Al Sheikh Island and Linja, Ras Tanura to Al-Qatif, numerous oyster beds, Khorah, Al-Khashainah, Al-Wisheir etc. He concludes with a discussion of distances and sailing speeds. Dr Jassem Mohammed al-Hassan, Professor of Biochemistry, University of Kuwait, provides a biography and assessment of Rashed. Also included is an introduction to Arab navigation by Dr Anwar Abdul Alim, Professor of Marine Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. This draws on early Arab literature and discusses ancient routes and ports to China, Africa, and the Mediterranean, principles, and professional ethics. The photos include a portrait of Rashed and his house in Darin, ships, sailing and pearling activities and equipment, and detailed tables showing the Qatar National Museum's pearl collection. This appears to be scarce with 14 locations on Worldcat and Library Hub. Seller Inventory # 4415
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