The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1858-03-06

Si'0e '"e loiio"inS regarding the Ara
tribe, who will greatly annoy that by tn
! river Eurhrates:
: "There are two great anomadc tribe
lnhabiting the country to be traversed b,
the proposed lail-way-the Anayzeh AM
the Shammar. The former occupy tn
Syrian Desert from the foot of Taurus t,
the hills of Nedjid in Arabia-encroach
ing en- the one side upon the settled dis
tricts of Syria, aud on the other frequent
" passing the Euphrates. The Stamina,
encamp over the whole Of Mesopotamia
from the mountains to the marshes neal
Hillah-sometimes crossing the two riy
ers. The tribes change their pastures ac
! cordlns to the season; in the winter they
wander to the south, in the summer they
move as far north as they are able. Thus
during the whole Of the year, the greater
part OF the country they claim as their
own is altogether uninhabited. AS an al
most invarable rule, they are at an enmi-
ty, feuds having existed from time imme-
mortal between them; they conse1utly live
In continual state of warfare, attacking
aud plundering each other, though very
rarely engaging in regular campaign,
or fighting pitched battles. The hostili.
ties consist chiefly of marraudiny expe-
ditions. 1t not unfrequently happens
that owing to internal dissensions part of
one tribe breaks off from the rest and goes
over to the enemy, the most inveterate
feuds being not uncommonly those which
arise between members of the same tribe.
Neither the Anayzeh nor the Shamnar
are ever united under one chief but are
both divided into large number of bran
ches, each having its own shiekh. Even
| these branches are often at war. This
want of nnion exists in all clans, as we
have had occasion to remark in describing
the kurds and other nomades of the Tur
kish Empire, and is the principle cause
OF their weakness. Unlike those tribes
hawever, the Bedouins are bevond the
control of the Porte, and, in their mac
cessible deserts, can defy its intrigues
and itspower,"
"The form of government of the wan
dering Arabs-if government it can be
called renders the prospect of ever
bringing them completely under suffice,
tlon extremely remote. 1t is very rare
that race, accustomed from the earliest
period to life of entire independence
subject to no control, except such as
the laws of self preservation and of So
ciety even In It's most primitive form
must impose upon all who live together
can ever be reconciled to the restraints
and sacrifices of civilized life. Amongst
the Bedouins the spirit of freedom aud
of perfect liberty and equality is protec-
ted and encouraged by custom and laws
Of the highest antiquity, and is nourished
by their peculiar mode of life and the
nature of the country they inhsbit They
have hitherto resisted all temptation to
abandon their hard and abstemious exis-
tence, and live to this day as they lived
when they robbed Job Of his focks and
herds, and when they counted the pat
riarchs amongst them. The extreme
foresight and wisdom displayed in many
of their laws and customs, all devised
for the preservation of this freedom and
FOR the maintenance of this equality, as
well as the nobleness Of their character
in many respects and the beauty and re-
fnement of their language, remove the
Bedouins altogether from the category of
the savage tribes of America or Central
Africa. They present the highest type
of the pure pastoral life.
Gone of the most remarkable of their
self imposed laws for the maintenance of
their liberty is that which forbids the
concentration of the military and politi-
cal authority in one Chief Amongst
the real Bedouins, the commander in
war is distinct from the Sheikh who heads
the tribe in peace. The former is called
the "Agyd;' his Office is hereditary, and
his authority is recognized as supreme
the moment the tribe is led against the
enemy, but ceases as soon as war is at an
end. The Agydship may descend even to
child; and Burckhards relates how an
orphan, so young that his sister guided |
the camel on which he sat, headed great
tribe of Nejid in successful campaign
In this instance the boy had shown his |
spirit by refusing to sit behind his sis
ter, the test that the Arabs considered
it necessary to apply before they deter
mined whether he was worthy to assume
the command. BY the institution Of this
divided authority between the Agyd and
the Shcikh, a salutary check is placed
upon the latter, and that great danger to
liberty, the union of military with politi |
cal power, is avoided; at the same time
no encouragement is held out to chief |
to engage his trib. in feais and wars. as
he can derive no persona, advantage from
them, cXe' pt his share OF booty" /
"Whon the Bedouins rob travellers and /
caravans, they never wantonly take life,
unless determined resistance is attepted,
or one of the number has been wounded |
or slain. In attacking they advance rap
idly upon their prey shaking their long
lances ornamcnted with ostrich feathers, |
and shouting their war-cry.
This is done to frighten their victims;
but as they draw near they generally
check their mares and demand the prop
erty that they wish to seize in the well
known Bedouin formula of 20 stranger,
my uncle's daughter &. Q. my wife, is
cold and requires thy cloak, or as the case
may be. After stripping the traveller of
everything, it is the custom anon gst the
best Bcdouins to bestow upon him an old
cloak and shirt, and if he be far from any |
encampment, and likely to perish from
want of food and exposure, to conduct
him either to the vicinity of tents or to
point out to him track which leads to
them An exception is, however, made
in their treatment of Turks, who are
usually slain without mercy such is the