526 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [iSSo- 



white flag, pistols, and a handsome silver-mounted belt, 

 with appointments similar to those of our escort. A 

 lantern was suspended from the roof, and in a recess 

 behind the door stood the water cooler and a wooden 

 bowl handsomely studded with silver, from which every 

 one drank. The room was lighted from the open door 

 way. House door there was none, but a closet which 

 opened off the main apartment had both door and lock. 

 This is the usual type of dwelling in the upper part of 

 Wady Marr, where stone houses take the place of the 

 mere booths found near the coast. Though the house 

 stands absolutely open, the privacy of the inmates is 

 secured by a rigid etiquette, which forbids any one, even 

 a son of the house, to enter or approach the door without 

 the permission of the householder. I asked whether 

 there was no risk from robbers ; but the people scouted 

 such an idea. Even a robber would not venture to violate 

 domestic privacy. Of course our Shereef had another 

 cottage for his harem, the house we were in being the 

 public sitting-room. 



The preparation of a whole sheep is a somewhat tedious 

 business, and while it was getting ready the hospitable 

 old gentleman brought me in a plate with a couple of 

 roast fowls, expressing his fears that I was already hungry. 

 He left me to eat alone, and bustled away again directly. 

 When I had made my meal, the dish was finished by 

 Ismail and Al Mas. By and by the servants brought 

 in the sheep in a great metal tray, covered with a conical 

 lid of plaited straw. The sheep is always presented entire, 

 but several portions were set aside for us to take away. 

 The rest was laid upon a large dish of stewed rice. Our 

 whole company sat round, along with our host, and what 

 was left was passed on to his servants. This is the usual 

 form of a country entertainment in the Hejaz ; but the 

 Bedouins, if they have no rice, will dine on flesh alone, 

 not even using bread. It is not customary to eat salt 

 with one s food, but for my sake it was called for. Boiled 



