Plate 34: Newcombe

'Newcombe had constant difficulties from his excess of zeal, and his habitual doing four times what any other Englishman would do, and ten times what the Arabs thought needful or wise. "Newcombe is like fire," they used to complain: "he burns friend and enemy", and they admired his amazing energy with a nervous shrinking lest they be his next friendly victims.'

Lawrence was wrote to Roberts: 'I liked your drawing of Newcombe . . . the force and naturalism of this head took me by surprise . . . you have improved on him by putting into him a great deal of your spare solidity.' The following day he told a friend that Roberts had done a 'wonderful study of Newcombe, fierce almost to the point of terror.'