Okay, you look. you only see empty desert, because that’s what the Fremen want you to see, and they have complete control over what the enemy gets to see of them.
Like surveiling them as an outsider is impossible. Leto sent Gurney as a peaceful envoy seeking cooperation, and the best Gurney could come up with is “there’s a lot more than we thought.” Considering Harkonnen rule, there’s no shot any advance scouts would learn as much; in fact, I’d say most wouldn’t return.
They have several opportunities to see the Fremen riding the worms already in the book. As you said Leto discovered they were much more numerous than it was widely believed. And that is with just a short occupation before everything happens.
Harkonnem certainly had plenty of opportunities to discover he was underestimating them.
Okay, you look. you only see empty desert, because that’s what the Fremen want you to see, and they have complete control over what the enemy gets to see of them.
Like surveiling them as an outsider is impossible. Leto sent Gurney as a peaceful envoy seeking cooperation, and the best Gurney could come up with is “there’s a lot more than we thought.” Considering Harkonnen rule, there’s no shot any advance scouts would learn as much; in fact, I’d say most wouldn’t return.
They have several opportunities to see the Fremen riding the worms already in the book. As you said Leto discovered they were much more numerous than it was widely believed. And that is with just a short occupation before everything happens.
Harkonnem certainly had plenty of opportunities to discover he was underestimating them.