New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-30
.BED0U|N CHIEF AS HOST
In the Sheik'S blouse of Hair
All Are Welcome.
THE LAWS OF HOSPITALITY
Food of Weird Kinds and Coffee
of Sort Are Freely
Served to Guests.


Served to Guests.
A Redouin chief is esteemed at least as
| highly for his prowess as social enter
| IA liner as for his yalor in time OF war. The
sheik must be a fine warrior and a sue
cessful host Hospitality toward strangers
who come 10 his door is part and parcel OF
the Bedouins code OF honor, and 1t would
be next 10 impossible to find. from the Val
ley OF Zered 10 Damascus, man who
would refuse the shelter Of his tent OF hair
TO a tired traveller.
Desert encampments. he they OF the
Shammar. Ibn Shailan. Rawallah al Anazeh
or other tribe are arranged according 10 an
almost identical plan. The tents form an
inclosed rectangle, and the guest tent OF
the sheik is erected In central position
At It's door a spear is placed. point upward.
in the ground. In some districts the tents
are made OF camel hair, and their manu-
! facture is carried on by distinct tribe or
community OF gypsy tentmakers. who also
deal in camel hair and goat hair for repair
ing purposes Six or eight poles uphold the
81 ructure. the ends and one side being
pegged 10 the ground and the whole OF the
other side being left quite open. This Is
the house Of hair" 81 the Arab snek.
wherein all are welcome and no guest Is
more favored than another.
| The tent is divided into two apartments.
one Of which is occupied by IN" sheih
| wives. but travellers who sit In tho other
|apartmcnt may quite easily converse with
the unseen beauties Of the chIefs establish
, ment. and such social Intercourse Is not
! prohibited as "A rule. l. would be an act OF
gross discourtcsy for traveller To Ignore
/ the presence 81 a guest tent and TO erect
tent Of his own in the ncighborhood.
/ Furthermore. IL would be asking Tor
trouble" While the shcik would protect
at whatever cost. the guest who had sought
! his door he would not think twice about
plundering the foolish stranger who had
passed IT by.
Quite large villages are formed by the
encampments OF some OF the important
desert tribes, and these are regularly VS.
tied by commercial travellers from Damas-
Gus, for they boast regular bazaar or
market street OF tent shops. In one par
ticular, at least, the lot OF such Ua'-
| eller Is happier than that OF his European
| confrerc; he IL boarded and lodged free OF
cost in the guest chamber.
! In such n village there would he a sena-
rnte guest chamber. distinct from TIVE rest
dence Of the shcik. and this would he a
resort for gossipers throughout the day.
Games are played in these guest chambers,
in which OF course, the visitor may join.
and one OF them has recently found Its wav
to Europe. apparently via America, and Is
now fairly popular In London. though IN
modified form 1t Is known by the title OF
go ban" although this is not It's Bedouin
name and in Europe is played upon a
daft board. In the desert II is played with
stones upon the floor, which IL chalked
into squares. A detailed description TX un-
necessary but the game consists in ma
npuyring to get nine stones In three
straight rows Din the Western game. to get
Ave men in one straight row.
Coffee is placed before every visitor 10
the Bedoun tent. Essentially. the taste
for this preparation is an acquired one
Mark Twan's long cherished vision Of the
delights OF coffee drinking in the luxurious
East was shattered at the moment that he
raised the cup 10 his lips; but it would BE-
an Insult to the hospitality OF the sheih
7 To display such distaste az his when par
taking OF the beverage in a Bedoun tent
On the advent OF visitor green coffee Der.
ries are roasted In a kind Of ladle over the
fire. and when done. crushed In a mortar
and served In tiny cups. which, fortunate
: " for the Western guest hold little moro
than a hqueur glass. The preparation has
the consistency and appearance Of mud
, and the coffee grounds irritate the throat
Of one unused to the luxury in a highly
unpleasant manner. But II is an estab-
ished form OF welcome and must be ac-
knowledged by smacking the lips as Il
with enjoyment.
PITCH INTO TRAY OF FOOD.
Food, Of whatever character. is served in
a large tray upon the ground, and cushions
are placed about TO recllne upon. The
guests are invited I'm one word. 'Tfadal."
to help themselves, and, having poured
water upon their hands, proceed 10 dip into
the steaming mass upon the tray. Rice