Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-05-03
The Arabs OF the Desert.
From the New York Times

the Anglo Egyptian war, and yet no
class of people is less known to the
outer world, for the reason, perhaps,
that no other class so persistently
keeps aloof from civilization. When
Asia and Africa were joined by the
Iathmus Of Suez the Bedouins roamed
freely from Morocco through Algiers,
Tunis, Tripoi, Egypt, Arabia and SYRIA,
often trading on their way, besides
keeping up their ffocks. BY the cut
ting OF the land, however, those who
were in Syria and Arabia became sep
arated from their African friends. The
tribes, which had hitherto been united,
have been divided into two separate
bodies, one Of which is now called
| Anadollou, or Asiatic, and the other
Myasirlou, or African. This, separation
OF the Bedouins has been of advantage
to the AnadollOu, as the desert in Asia
| is interpreted with fertile spots, which
are at no great distance from the mar
kets, where their horses, sheep and
camels can be sold. 1t has been de-
trimental to the Myssirlou, who have
been confined to one enormous desert,
with small GASES here and there, and
have always been obliged to defend
themselves against the attacks of wild
tribes inhabiting the interior of Africa.
Many of these MYssirlou tribes have
confined themselves within certain
limits, where they breed high.class
horses EXCLUSIVELY. The tribes are
called 'Ahal Hader," or inhabitants of
fixed place, while their roaming breth-
rem are denominated "Ahal Redw," or
jewellers of unlimited space. Very lit.
tie can be said in favor of the latter
class of Bedouins, as they are known
to be bloodthirsty, cruel and cowardly,
their chief occupations being robbery,
cattle lifting, and kidnapping, or slave
hunting, in which they excel. The only
virtue they seem to possess is their
great love for their horses. The Ahal
Hader Bedouin, however: although re-
tanning much of his savage nature, Is
noble. generous, kind, and hospitable,
AND, will, in many respects, serve as a
good example to civilized nations.
The Bedouin considers the desert his
personal property. He says that the
sun gave 1t to HIM as legacy, ordering
him to keep 1t intact and free from in
truding strangers. He belivss if he fails
TO do tins That the sun viii, cease to shine
on it, and it will be covered with water.
For this reason the Bedouins are very
j ealous of foreigners passing through
the desert, without their permission,
and they will rob, and even murder
travlers, who have not taken the pre-
caution to provide themselves with
permit from some Bedouin Sheik or
Emeer. This permit is sometimes in
the shape of body guard, which ac
companies the travlers to the next tribe.
and coLfses them to another guard,
which IN turn does the same thing; or
II Is IN writing, bearing the seal of some
chief, else 1t is ring, q handkerchief,
a piece of wood, or leather. In anv
case, permission obtained from one
chief is sufficient to insure the traveller
cafe passage through the desert unless
ne should be unfortunate enough TO fall
into the hands of hostile tribes, of
which there are few who are always
at war with the more peaceable of their
own kind. The 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 camels to march over the sand
on its way to Mecca. The truth, how
ever, is that the holy caravan was so
often robbed by the Bedouins that the
Turkish and Egyptian rules though it
policy to pay little black-m rather
than send large bodies of troops to pro.
tect 1t. The great difficulty experienced
by stranger is in obtaining the neces-
sary permission, for this is not readily
granted, the Bedouin chief. resorting
to all kinds of subterfuge, and very
often to deception. No experienced
Oriental traveller considers himself safe
until he has not only slept in the chiefs
tent, but has also smoked the narghilleh
OF friendship, broken bread and divided
salt with him, formalities without
whose observance no Bedouin is to be
relied upon. The friendship, however,
once obtained can be depended upon.
Many cases are known where Bedouins
have rlsked and sacrificed their lives
in protecting or avenging those to whom
they have pledged themselves. The
most recent instance is that of the
Emeer Abou. Said, who last year march
GU dt tue neau OI 1OOO lanCcs, from
Nubia to Tripoh, journey of two
months, where he fought and destroyed
the whole of the Yzsney tribe. for hay
ing robbed a caravan of Greek gentle
men, who were collecting specim ems of
natural history, and to whom the Emeer
Abou.Said had granted p pass. The
most curious incident of this expedition
was that the Emeer had to pass through
tree tribes with which he was at war
a the time, but they, knowing that he
WIS bent ON defending Bedouln honor,
net only allowed him to cross their ter
| riory uumolested, but also entertained
Inn Hospitality.