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One of the main problems that I see with the story is that Rau Rasmunssen is not an Arab name at all. It is Scandinavian. Maybe you can find something in that direction. One of the big problems is that there were bloody few Europeans romping around the Arabian penninsula at that point in time.  Burkhardt and Richard Burton both created sensations when they disguised themselves as Arabs and visited Mecca. I've spent years collecting books about wacky Europeans who travelled in the Middle East in the old days and have never run across the name of this supposed Arab trader.....maybe just a trader with the Arabs?  I've asked my riding buddy who happens to be the Mid-East/Africa bureau chief for Reuters (Arabic) here. Maybe he knows something. He knows about an awful lot of weird stuff.

Maryanne Gabbani
Cairo, Egypt