The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-06-26
THE BEDouIN AT HOME.
Arabs of the Desert and Their Hospita
ity and Domesticity,

Arabs of the Desert and Their Hospital
ity and Domesticity.
An English artist, r. Talbot KEEL
ly, writes for The Century a paper
entitled "In the Desert With the
Bedouin," for which the author fur
nishes a number of striking illustra-
lions. In describing his visit to an
Arab chief, Mr.. Kelly says: On
reaching camp my reception was
most gratifying-a perfect blend
ing of respectful solicitude and hos
pitable welcome. After kissing my
hand, the sheik assisted me to dis
mount, bidding me welcome and
saying that my visit brought a
blessing on his house. Conducting
me to my tent, he added: "This
house is yours and all it contains.
Do what you will with it and with
us your servants''-a truly Biblical
greeting and one which Immediate
ly suggested the days of Abraham,
an illusion heightened when water
was brought, and hands, face and
feet were washed before l was left
to rest on the cushions in the tent
and the sheik retired to prepare the
evening meal.
Under the Mohammedan code
three days of hospitality is a right
wayfarers may demand, though in
the a S of accepted friends the roy
al bounty of the host heaps favor
after favor upon the guest without
stint or limitation.
Probably the first distinct impress
sion l received from the Bedouins
was the close resemblance of their
life to that of Old Testament times.
Their loose, flowing robes added to
their naturally tall and imposing
appearance, and their strong, males
tic faces, slightly Jewish in type,
together with their gracious, old
world courtesies, irresistibly sug-
gested the patriarchs of old. Their
lives, thoughts, sayings and occupa-
tons remain unchanged through all
these centuries, and the incidents
and conversations Of my daily in
tercourse with them were always
Abrahamic in character.
Though nomads, the Arabs are
rovers from necessity rather than
from choice, and where fodder and
water are found in sufficient abun-
dance they form permanent camps,
surrounding their tents with a com.
pound of durra stalks and frequent.
ly building stone or mud lodges fo1
their guests.
When on the march, they are con
tent with very small tents, easily
packed and carried, but in their per.
manent camps their homes are OF
regal proportions. The one 1 occu.
pied covered some 1000 square feet
and was about II feet high in the
center, sloping to 5 feet or SO at the
sides. The tent cloth was, as usual,
made of goat hair and ~particolored
in broad stripes of black, green,
maroon, blue and white, while from
the seams depended tassels from
which other cloths are hung to di
vide the tent into separate apart
ments when occupied by a family.
The furniture is simple. Rugs are
spread over the sand and reclining
cushions scattered about them. Ii
the corner is a zeer, or large water
pot, and by it a cubi yeh, or drink
ing cup, of brass or copper. Round
the side of the tent is a row Of
painted boxes, in which are packed
the household goods and chattels
when moving, while a few quantity
wrought lamps and, half buried il
the sand, a large earthern bowl uset
as a fireplace complete the list.
Very domestic in their habits, ev,
erything about them has persona.
associations. The tent cloths are
spun, dyed and woven by theil
women and children, as also are
their saddle cloths and trappings
and these T SC highly priced by
them that money cannot buy the
simplest product Of their wives in
dustry, though they may give then
freely in token of friendship. Gen
orally married to one wife, the Bed
ouin regards her and her children
with a devotion not general among
%orientals, and I believe that the
Arab word ''watan" is the only rea
equivalent in any language for the
English word 'thOme."