8S 



which he belonged*. Each father of a family governs it witlii 

 authority almost absolute. — ^These fathers are called sheicks^ 

 All shiecks who belong to the same tribe, acknowledge a com- 

 mon chief or grand sheick, whose authority is limited by cus- 

 tom-^. 



The dignity of grand sheick is hereditary in his family, but 

 on his death the inferior sheicks chuse his successor out of his 

 family, without any regard to primogeniture. The sheicks 

 and their subjects are born to the life of shepherds and sol- 

 diers. As to corporeal pleasures, only the rich can be said 

 to possess any. The poor live in a stale of habitual wretched- 

 ness and famine. The food consumed by the greater part of 

 them, does not exceed 6 ounces a day. Meat is reserved for 

 the greatest festivals ; a few wealthy sheicks alone can kill 

 young camels. Hence they are plunderers of cultivated lands 

 and robbers on the high roads|. Polygamy, as far as 4 

 wives, is permitted b}' the Mahometan code. But the 

 rich only can avail themselves of this permission ; though 

 some marry so many in order to profit by their Iabour§. But 

 the disagreement of these women renders, as usual, domestic 

 life intolerable.^ — Hence their husbands separate them under 



pretence 



. • SNiebur, 17. Dublin, edit. f Ibid. 18. 



J Yoloey's Travels in Syria, 242. \ 2 Niebuhr. 213. 



