The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-30
SOnlini and BedOuin Honor.

There is still the old Bedouin honor
in observing the wild rules of the desert.
Should a wayfarer's camel sink and die
| beneath its burden, the owner need only
draw circle round the dead beast and
| go on his way, secure of finding his
| goods untouched when able to return
and move them. And not only is the
inviolable reverence for the hospitality
of the tent, when once granted, fully
maintained, but we are even told by
travellers that they have occasionally left
tent in the desert for upward of a
twelvemonth. and returned to find that
not one cord Or one peg had been
| touched.
There have even been cases in which
travellers who, according to the rules of
the desert, have been quite legitimatcly
robbed, have, by a sudden. appeal to the
honor of their captors, obtained not only
their freedom but restitution of their
stolen property. Such was the expert
ence OF SOnnini, a scientific French tray
eler, who, when crossing the desert near
the NatrOn lakes, was surprised by a
troop of about a hundred well-mounted
BedouinS. In presence OF such a force.
his own small party OF six, two of whom
were Egyptians, were altogether help
less. They were at once dsarmed and
stripped of their money, arms, provis-
ions and most of their clothes. The rob-
bers then spread out their booty on the
sand and proceeded to divide it amonp
themselves.
Meanwhile their Arab guide, Hussein,
himself a Bedouin, though of another
tribe, addressed pathetic appeal to the
robber chief. "Arabs,n said he, .you
have stripped a man intrusted to my pro-
lection, and for whose safety will stake
my life; q man with whom [ have eaten,
who has slept in my tent, and has be-
come my brother! Never again can |
enter that tent; never again dare | re-
turn to my camp; never more look upon
the face of my wife or my children.
Arabs! take my life or restore to my
brother every article of his propertv.I'
As he spoke he snatched back his Gun
from the Arab who had first seized it
and leveled it at the chief, determined to
shoot him in case of refusal, though well
aware that his own life would instantly
be forfeit
His brave bearing, combined with the
pathos OF his words, tOuche these sons
of the desert. The Sheilh consented that
everything should be restored, and
though some of his followers sorelv
grudged giving up their spoils, every
article was delivered up, with the ex-
ception of considerable sum of money,
which had been distracted from NJ. Son
minis purse and divided by the Arabs
among themselves. The Sheikh was
very particular in nquiring whether the
full sum had been restored, butthe tray
eler, deemi g himself fortunate to have
got off so well, assured him that he had
received everything right.
Not content with this act of restitu-
ton, the Arabs now became exceedingly
cordial. The Sheikh insisted that Nj.
Sonnini should ride his (the Sheikh's)
horse while he walked beside him. The
same compliment was paid by other
Arabs to his companions, all of whom
thanked Heaven that no blood had been
shed, at the same time blaming the for.
eigners for their temerity in exploring
the desert and thus, as it were. offering
themselves as fair objects for pillage.-
GeHtLenl011'S MdgUzjRe.