The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-15
Bed0uins and the Desert.

The BedOllln considers the desert
his personal property. lie says that
the sun gave it to him as Il legacy, or
dcring him to keep it intact and free
from intruding strangers. lie believes
that if he fails to do this the sun will
cease to shine on it, and it will he o V
cred with water. For this reason the
Bedouins are very jealous of foreign
ers passing through hedcscrt without
their permission, and they will rob
and even murder travellers who have
not taken the precautiOn to provide
themselves with permit from some
Bedouin sheik or emeer. This permit
is sometimes in the shape of a body
guard, which accompanies the travel
ers to the next tribe, and confidcs them
to another guard, which in turn does
the same thing; or it is in writing,
bearing the seal of some chief; else it is
Il ring, handkerchief piece Of wood
or leather. In any case, permission
obtained from one chief is sufficient to
insure the traveller a safe passage
through the desert, unless he should
he unfortunate enough to fall into the
hands Of hostile tribes, of which there
are Il few.who are always at war with
the more ~peaccablc of their own kind.
This right of the Bedouin to the
desert is acknowledged, they say, by
the sultan of Turkey and the khedive
of Egypt, who pay them an annual
tribute for allowing the caravan OF
holy camclS to march over the sands
on it's wavto Mecca. The truth, how
ever, is that the holy caravan was so
often robbed by the Bedouins that the
Turkish and Egyptian rulers thought
it policy to pay ii littlchlackmail rather
than send large bodies of troops to
protect it. The great difficulty en-
pcrienced by a stranger is in obtaining
the necessary permission, for this is
not readily granted, the Bcdouin chiefs
rcsorting to all kinds of subterfugc
and very often to deception. No
experienced Oriental Traveller CON
siders himself safe until he has not
only slept in the chiefs tent, but has
also smoked the narghilleh of friend
shin, broken bread and divided salt
with him, formalitirS without whose
observance no B~louin is to be relied
upon. The friendship, however, once
obtained, can be depended upon.
Many cases are known where Brdorins
have riskcd and sacrificed their lives
in protecting or avenging those to
whom they have pledged themselves.
The most recent instance is that OF the
Emerr Abou-Said, who last year
marched ut the head of 4 thousand
lancrs, from Nulia to Tripoli, 1t Jour
nrv of two months, where he fought
and destroyed the whole of the Izancy
tribe, for having robbed Il caravan OF
Greek gel item n, who were collecting
specimens ol natural history, and to
whom the Emecr Abou-Said had
granted pass. The most curious in
cidrnt Of this expedition was that.
the clnccr had to pass through
three tribes with which he
was ut wal ut the time, hut they,
knowing that he waSbrnt on defending
Bcdouin honor, not only allowed him to
cross their territory unmolcstcd, but
also entertained linn Hospitality. The
Bclouins always camp near Il well,
and within Il few minutes after their
arrival at one they are comfortably
settled. All their property is portable
and is slowed away in various shaped
saddle bags, which are easy packed and
unparkcd. Their tents consist Of pieces
of cloth, or rather felt, made of cancls
hair by the women, and thrown over
bamboo poles. Some of the tents are
very pretty, especially THOSE of the
chiefs, which are interviewer with
gold. silver, colorrd woods, silk, etc.
The majority of them, however,
have nothing to recommend them.
The mems tents are open ut both sides,
but those of the women are closed up
with rolls 0 fcanc, not forprotcction from
heat or cold, but because Il BrdOuin's
wifc's face must never he seen ly any
body hut her husband. Whenever
she leaves the tent she covers her face
with thick black muslin. The furni-
turc in the tents consists Of carpets
and little or nothing else. On these
they sit and sleep. The tents are,
however, decorated with the saddles
of the men and littrrs of the women,
the majority of which are richly orna.
mrntcd and Of great value. y Bed
ouin will work and steal for years to
possess u gnld-mountrl saddle. bride
and stirrups, for they are the criterion
Of Il mans wealth and position.