The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-12-20

seven to any Moslem, some of the Bed
ouin chiefs have twenty and even
twenty-five wives. The majority of the
wives are slaves whom their masters
marry when they are between eleven
and fourteen years of age, a woman be-
ing considered old by Bedouin when
she attains the age of twenty, and very
often before that time The Emeers,
however, have only one legitimate wife,
although they have q number of slaves
in their harems. The Emeer can not
marry below his own blood. He there
fore seeks maiden of high blood be-
longing to some other tribe, and, in
order to obtain her from her father, he
very often has to measure lances with
other noble Bedouins. The Emeer Mir
Tzelleley, of SoHakin, slew in combat
three young Emeers before he could
claim the daughter of the Emeer Abdel
Salih, and even then he had to give the
father sixty fine Arab horses and eighty
five dromedsries. The women never do
any work whatever, the only occupation
compatible with the dignity of Bedouin
female being the manufacture of tent
cloth, and of this they make very little.
All the domestic work is done by slaves,
of whom the poorest Bedouin possesses
two at least, while the women idle away
their time in sleeping, smoking, drink
ing coffee, chewing gummastic, and
painting their finger and toe nails, the
latter being quite an art. The Bedouin,
like the Persian, dyes his beard red, an
operation which Is performed by the
wives in turn, and one which they con-
slider great honor to engage in. Bed
ouins, in speaking of a wife who is not
f.on good terms with her husband, say
"She can not dye his beard" 1t must
not be supposed from the above that the
women are too delicate to be of any SER
vice. On the contrary, in war, they al
ways fight by the sides of their hus-
bands, and headlong charges are repeat
edly led bv some courageous maiden or
high blood, who, mounted on pure
Nejd steed, dashed among the enemy,
singing songs, insulting them for their
cowardice and encouraging her own fol-
lowers. The Bedouin Amazons have
always been noted for their courage, and
are often mentioned in history. 1t is
generally admitted that had it not been
for the bravery of the young and beau
| tiful Ayesha, Mohammed would have
lost the battle of the Camel. Her peo-
pie were already retreating before the
enemy, when she halted them by shout
| ing, "Scum of the desert sand, fleeing
like chickens from falcons, rein your
horses, if Ills but 10 see q woman defend
Islami" and, rushing on the enemy, so
encouraged the deserters that they fol-
lowed her and won the day.
The Greek gentlemen referred to
above as having been robbed by the
| Yzamy tribe of Bedouins, in the TIipoli
desert, were Messrs. Mavro, Sarides
and Loutrary. They had travelled
| through the desert for six months, re-
ceiving the greatest hospitality and as
sistance from the Bedouins, who lent
them horses and camels to carry their
/ increasing stock of specimens of natural
history, shared their tents and carpets
with them, replenished their powder
TASKS when they were empty, and gave
them guides in difficult parts, without
accepting any compensation whatever.
On arriving vt the camp of the Yzamys,
they were asked to stay the regulation
three days and accept the tribes hospi-
tality. They we're very well treated, but
they noticed that although the Sheik
appeared more than friendly he never
dined with them nor did he break bread
with them, but all the time pretended
that he was i'll. He took great fancy
| to a revolver belonging to Mr.. Loutrary
uI1u Iuo GOlu NdlCu
(which he said he wanted to buy. These
were offered to him as presents by the
travellers, but he politely refused them,
! saying that he could not accept gifts
from his guests. Ii, however, they
would fix the value of the articles, he
would paw for them on arriving at the
next town, as he was also on his way
thither to receive payment for some
horses he had sold. This proposition
the Greeks agreed TO, for they were de
sirous of serving their host. At the END
of three days he ordered the travellers
saddle-bags TO be replenished with beans
dates, dried meat and maize. He him
self held their stirrups while they
mounted, an act which is accounted
great honor among Bedouins, and wish
ing them a pleasant journey, reminded
them that they would soon meet to settl,
the account between them, and threw
-four after them to bring them gooC
, luck.
II That evening while the three gentle
men were quietly pursuing their journe,
they were overtaken by the Sheik and
, few of his men, who ordered them +
, halt and deliver up all their valuables
They protested against this violation O
hospitality, and told him that they wer
under the protection of the Emeer Abou
/ Said. He replied that he was not vic
lating hospitality, as he had not broke
bread, shared salt, or smoked the narg
, hilleh of peace with them, and, as to tn
> Emeer, he was too far away to gran
t them any protection. The naturalist:
? seeing that they were at the Sheik'
: mercy, gave him their watches, arms
and :, 2,500f. in money, after which the
were allowed to depart. To their astor
? ishment, on their arrival at their dest
, nation on the following day, they wer
/ met by servant of the Sheik, who sal
that he had been sent by his master
pay them for the watch and revolve
? which he had bought of them and fo
, which he required a receipt. The none
was paid and the receipt was given, an
although the Greek travellers assert tbs
, they did not think it worth while to sen
9 and inform the Emeer Abou.Said of TN
i adventure, as their voyage terminate
3 there with only this mishap, it mus
/ have been communicated to him by otl
r er tribes, for the punishment of th
g Yzamy tribe followed close upon th
{ heels of this piece of treachery.-N.
!, Times.
|, The Laundries of the Seine.
II n