The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-22
THE LAND OF THE DEBoUIN.
AN AMERICAN TRAVELLER TELLS
FsHIS EXPERIENCES.

lions of Biblical Times-The Patri-
archs' Camping Ground.
Correspondents of the Baltimore Sun.
TriDoh. Syria, May 5. 1S96-Durlng the
last month I have ridden on horseback
more than 400 miles through Palestine and
Syria on my way 10 Asia Minor
On this long tour with the aid OF an ex-
cellent dragoman, / have not only been
enabled to visit the principal cities and
towns Of these historically interesting
countries, but I have had occasion to
study the habits and customs of the wild
Bedouin tribes that live their unsettled
lives in these valleys and along these
mountain slopes.
On the western side Of the Jordan river
there are many of these rowing bodies of
men, women and children. divided into
different family tribes. but on the eastern
side of the river there are only a few
tribes, but much larger than the others
and very much wilder.
Each tribe has sheik or prince, who
is final authority on all questions, and Of
ten has the power of life and death. This
office is hereditary, as rule. When an
election is necessary 1t is done by vocal
declarations. 1t must in all cases be
unanimous, and must be Endorsed by the
government of COnstantinOple
The head of each tribe Is legally re-
quired to pay to the sultan one Turkish
pound (nearly fve dOllars) for each man
VINO IS able TO go to war, which amount
paild yearly, exemPts these men from
military duty under the government
Certain districts of country are allowed
these tribes where their tents and herds
are usually found, but frequently they
roam in other parts of the land, carry
ing on their Independent raids until they
are driven into their own regionsN by
Turkish guns.
Their tents are generally made of the
hair OF goats, ingeniously woven, ana
their food consists nearly altogether of
bread made into thin waters, looking very
much like sheets of sandpaper butter
made from the goat and buffalo cow
and hsh, which abound in all the streams
Inc Bedouins are natural born robbers,
ana IL is always unsafe for any one to
pass through their country unguarded.
A few months ago a party was visiting
the Jordan and Dead Sea with the usual
guard; but four of the number separated
from the others, and in less than two
their horses, money and clothing. A
most pitiable set they were, 1 am told
when they reached their tents after
Mr.. Rolla Floyd. who is the only Ameri-
can dragoman in Palestine and Syria
entertained me for several days by re-
cital Of some of his experience during a
thirty years stay in the country.
Not long since, while accompanying a
number of ladies' and gentlemen through
the desert, in the neighborhood of ancient
Shechem, noise was heard in the hills
nearby, and on turning he found they
were being. surrounded by forty or nifty
course, there was great terror among the
party, and for a while Mr.. Floyd was
stricken with fear But a fortunate
thought occurred to the dragoman 1t is
a custom among these wild tribes to be-
friend any one who Is in trouble, If he
reaches the sheik, and, selling his belt,
eXclaims: Il am your guest"
While demands were being made upon
Mr.. Floyd and those under his protection
and the robbers were in the act of carry
ing, out their designs. he rushed forward
and, taking a strong grip upon the belt
of the sheik, exclaimed in Arabic: "These
are all your guests" This acted like mag
ic. The robbers were ordered off; the
sheik drew his sword and, in a most
pompous manner, announced to his men
that the party was under his protection
and guidance, and leading the way, he
e eis-'1 '-''''' -'- -''l' 'i'- Jus " '''s ues
When 1 was suddenly approached by a
band of these barbarians at 10 o'clock at
night in the wild country east of the
Jordan, by the moonlight l saw that there
was no belt to seize. AS all of them were
clothed in single and unadorned gar
proved just as effective, though not so
dignihed, and which put me quite a DIS
lance from them In a very short time.
Palestine and Syria furnishes him with a
| fund of information on this subject that
is possessed by few, gave me an account
| of q personal episode with the Bedouins
which illustrates their exceeding kind
heartedness after they have robbed you
| of everything that they can lay their
| Mr. Carey left his home in Nablous on
| a missionary tour among the mountains
once owned by the tribe of Reuben, east
! of the Jordan river. After crossing the
| stream he had not gone many miles when
| he was surrounded by a score of these
men, who, lifting him off his beast strip
| ped him OF his clothing, and, while he sat
on a cool rock near by and watched the
| performance, they examined carefully all
| of the garments, ripping open the lining
| everything, even his pocket knife, they
| tossed him his clothing and politely in
| formed him he could go his way.
As 1t was now late in the evening, he
! told them that he could not continue his
/ journey after dark without losing his way
| and requested that they would take care
I of him until the next morning. They i'm
/ mediately and gladly agreed to do this
! helped him on his donkey, led the way
! through the valley to the place of their
| encampment, cooked him food, listened
/ most attentively while he told them Bible
| stories, tucked him in bed, and started him
| on his journey next day with everything
that he had when he met them except his
| money and other things in his travelling
/ bag that they could possibly use.
1t seems that the best trick is not known
| among the Inhabitants of the Reuben's
| ancient province. I had occasion to visit
| one of their encampments, but 1t is i'm
possible for me to picture adequately their
/ mode of living.
! Each family in the general family tribe
/ occupies a small tent of one room, which
| is the sleeping, cooking and working apart
/ ment. The floor is the bare ground, which
| in a few cases, may be partly covered by
/ bits of dirty goat hair cloth.
| The eating Is done in front of the tents
| where the family sits in a semicircle, us
/ ing their palms as plates, and fingers as
| forks A peculiarly distasteful butter
| churned from the milk of the goat and buff
| falo COW, is their chief means of support
and, as rule, they reside in one locality
! not more than two months. They claim
| a direct descent from Abraham, who was
/ they insist, a wealthy Sheik of a large
| tribe.
The immense basins, a few miles south
/ of Jerusalem. known as Solomon's pools
| are in such an admirable state of preser-
| walton that you can hardly realize that
| they are more than a century old, but il
/ is most probable that they date from Solo
/ mons time, although we know that they
| were restored by Pontius Plate
| At present water is conveyed from these
/ pools only as far as Bethlehem, although
! the course of the aqueduct can be traced
/ to the old court of the temple, a distance
| OF nearly fourteen miles, and it is re-