The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-04-24
THE BEDoUIN AT HOME.
Arabs of the Desert and Their Hospital
ity and Domestlcity.

Arabs of the Desert and Their Hospital
ity and Domesticity.
An English artist, r. Talbot Kel-
", writes for The Century a paper
entitled I'm the Desert With the
| Bedouin, for which the author fur
nishes a number of striking illustra-
tons. 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 1 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 case 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 / 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, majes-
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-
tions remain unchanged through all
these centuries, and the incidents
and conversations of my daily in
tercourse with them were always
/, Abrahamic in character.
A Though nomads, the Arabs are
t rovers from necessity rather than
from choice, and where fodder and
.ro41,, o,n fD,,r1 -, c11f Fl nInnf nhr1,o
! 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 L con
tent with very small tents, easily
packed and carried, but in their per
manent camps their homes r OF
regal proportions. The n l occu
pied covered some 1900 square fee
and was about II feet high in the
center, sloping to 5 feet OF SO at the
sides. The tent cloth was, as usual
IS made of goat hair and p~articoloret
h in broad stripes of black, green
maroon, blue and white, while from
the seams depended tassels from
which other cloths are hung to di
II vide the tent into separate apart
rs ments when occupied by a family.
The furniture is simple. Rugs ar
20 spread over the sand and reclinin!
cushions scattered about them. Il
4Ia oa,a,, M, -, 4, unn1. n1s JnIsnn Hyntn
pot, and by it a cubi yeh, or drink
ing cup, of brass or copper. Roun'
the side of the tent is a row o
painted boxes, in which are packe'
the household goods and chattel
!. when moving, while a few quaint,
- wrought lamps and, half buried i
NJ the sand, a large earthern bowl use
IN as a fireplace complete the list.
Very domestic in their habits, CIV
is erything about them has persona
is associations. The tent cloths ar
RS spun, dyed and woven by thei
F. women and children, as also ar
III their saddle cloths and trappings
:, and these 7 so highly priced b
II them that money cannot buy tn
is simplest product of their wives il
dustry, though they may give ther
freely in token Of friendship. Ger
is orally married to n wife, the Bee
81 ouin regards her and her childre
rs with a devotion not general anon
orientals, and l believe that tn
US Arab word "watan" is the only res
equivalent in any language for tn
!, English word "home."
er
- Water Impurities.
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