The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-16

~ tdilD luNHllE rum ltuN " Nthl uhh NV
always we'll received.
A word about the Bedoun women. rs por-
trayed by one Of their own sex. Lady Anne
Blunt tells US that they are proportionally
taller than the men, and in youth pretty in II
wild. picturesque way To Europeans they
seem hard worked, but their cheerful, good
naturcd faces show no consciousness Of hard
ship. and they always appear to be in the high
est possible spirits. They live apart from the
men. but are in no way shut up. or placed under
restraint. and they enjoy II good deal OF society
among themselves going about to each others
tents and taking their children with them.
Here we may remark that no people are 81 kind
to children MS these nomad parents are said to
be. The son OF Il sheykh is pcttcd and played
with by the men in his fathers tent all
day long and children are never scolded or i'll
used. Among all the better bred Dedouins the
boys are carefully brought up, and have very
engaging manners. 1t is true that when quite
young. and up to the age OF years. they are
kept dirty and addressed but this is done pur.
poscly to preserve them from the evil eye.
We come now to the religious notions OF the
Bedouins. and find that with the single cxcep-
ton OF belief in God, inherited from the re-
hottest times. they profess no creed Whatever,
and may almost DO said to have no supcrst-
lions. Their conception Of Deity Is Of tho
hlulplthl, ScNIttl1 fAltlulHE bt1Onh llf HlHllll
axiom that God exists. 1t has been affirmed
that they connect tho idea of Him with the sun
or with the heavens. but no trace Of such an
opinion came under tho writer's notice. OF
divine revelation they seem TO have no trad-
tons or OF any law divncy Instituted. God is
tho fate to which all must bow. tho efficient
cause OF all phenomena in the physical aud
moral world. hut they do not seek to proptintr
Him. or sway His action by prayer. nor do they
complain Of His severity when they suffer.
They neither bless nor curse him. nor do they
regard lin with love or ienr. II He have any
personal relation with themselves. It Is as the
silent witness Of their oaths a name to which
they appeal in their disputes But even
then they expect nothing at his hands. neither
protection from wrong. nor punishment for
false swearing. In word the religion pro-
fessed 10y these tenants Of the waste. who have
seemingly changed in no iota since the Book Of
job was composed. Is pure deism incompar-
ably free from anthropomorphical corruption.
We neod not point out the singular correspond
ence Of the Bcdouin belief with the faith Of tn
ancient patriarchs. as deduced from the most
primitive Of the Biblical records. We may note
however. a particular instance OF survival In
the rite known as the oath OF brotherhood
which continues TO have the most binding sane
tity among the nomad tribes and is essentially
tlle covenant WHICH Abraham Win ADltle-
lech nj BeersheDa
The belief. which Is accounted by n large pnrt
OF the human race Indispensable to their nappi-
ness-that in future lifc-has no place in the
minds OF these most lineal and unwarped rep
resentatives Of the Semitic type. Like job. the
Bedouin looks upon the grave ms land OF
darkness which is darkness itself." and Il enters
not into the scope Of his wishes 10 hope for any
thing beyond II is difficult for u European.
though 1t light be easy for a Mandarin bred
up in the doctrines OF Coniucius to put himself
In the bostion Of one who believes he shall
perish utterly. yet does not shudier at the
thought The vagrant philosopher Of the waste
thinks no more OF ompnning that such should
he his fate than we do because we have no,
wings. In his scheme OF the universe there
has never been room for a heaven or n hell ana
II the conception OF Immortality were suggested
to him he would probably echo the words pro-
nounced by the ereat poet Of his progeniors:
There is hope Of p tree. n it he cut down. that
IT will sprout again. and that the tender branch
thereof VIII not cease. But man deth ana
wasteth away; yea. man giyeth up tie ghost.
and where is h. ?"
or superstious as we have said our travel
| lers noticed very few and none seemingly that
were respected at the sacrifice Of real advln-
| tage. The Dedouins have indeed. some preju-
/ dlres rs To color and markings in their mares.
accounting this lucky and that unlucky. but
! none. We are told. would reject good animal
/ for merely fanciiul reasons. They have no
lucky days or lucky months; attach no omen
/ TO the path Of brds In the Uir. or Of beasis on
/ the plain, dream no dreams and see no appuri-
| tions. As we have mentioned. their young chill
dren are kept unwash . for fear. 1t Is said. o.
the evil eye. but our author would US soon nc.
| count for il by custom.
! In view OF all these facts We nre prepared To-
| learn that Bedouin morality ia utterly wanting
| in that religious sanction which is sonnet nee
affirmed to be essential. Their ethical rulcs
are not deducod from divineiy revealed laws or
intui,iOual prime piles but collected from ohsnr-
walton and experience OF soc.nl requirements.
/ They make no appeal % conscience or the will
OF God in their distinctions between right ana
wrong but appeal 10 custom only we keep
our onths. they say. be 'au.c We are B"Iouin-.
1t would be shame TO us Il We did otherwise.
! The Turks break their oaths because they are
! Turks" Yet the striking conclusion was forced
upon our travellers that this Bedouin morality
founded in unitarian motives. ami wholly
unpropped by supernatural sanction. lravcned
far moro thoroughly public opinion md con-
trolled more vigorously the actions OF daily lif,
than is the case in European countries. NJ
man IN the desert admiros or approves the evil
! dQer, even II ne Do successful, IrrNoh on trust
and dishonesty. so universal and so little con-
demned in the Western world but which. OF all
crimes. profound Observers estDcm the most
fatal solvents OF society, are considered 10y the
Bedouins prominently shameful. The author
distinctly affirms that. incredible as it may
sound to English ears. tho B-douin DOES not
exist who. II trusted with money hy n friend
would mlscmuloy il. The Bsdouin system OF
Joint ownership in a marc would be- impossial
in country whore rigorous honesty between
man anu man was not universal rule. So.
too, it constantly happens that widows nnd
orphans succeed 10 considerable properties in
camels and sheep, but nobody conceives
them to loo in any danger ~ suffering wrong
Mt the hands Of thoir relations. There are
rosucs in tie desert. il is true hut the thieves
hang together in small isoigtrd gangs. and
no person Of known dishonesty would
be tolerated in the large tribrs. We have only
To- add TINT Injustice on the part Of those In
power is almost impossible in the face OF u per
cmptory public opinion; that open hccniious-
mess is totally unknown IN The DESERT ana that
secret immortality IN the technical sense is far