450 EXECUTION OF AN ARAB MURDERESS. 



covetous natures the grievous oppressions and misdeeds 

 of their native rulers: the continual wars and inter- 

 tribal dissensions over their respective " dira " or bound- 

 aries of their desert territories, and consequent com- 

 motions and blood-feuds yet though the Arab 

 disposition is generally regarded as revengeful and 

 merciless, the following anecdote shows that a certain 

 noble generosity and forgetfulness of injuries is by no 

 means unknown. Under the Mohammedan law of the 

 Arabs, it is usual when persons are convicted of 

 murder to deliver up the criminal to the vengeance 

 of the next of kin. Mr. Doughty relates an instance 

 at Anegza in Arabia, where a woman enticed a little 

 girl, the only daughter of a wealthy family, into her 

 yard, and there foully murdered her for the golden 

 ornaments which she wore, after which she buried 

 the body near her house. The remains were, however, 

 discovered, under circumstances which left no room for 

 doubt as to who had committed the crime, and the 

 criminal was brought forth to suffer death in the. 

 presence of the assembled people by order of the 

 executive Emir. For fifteen years we are told, there 

 had been but one previous capital punishment in this 

 town. The woman was now delivered bound to the 

 kindred of the slain, to be put to death and Mr. 

 Doughty gives the following account of what followed. 

 The Emir " bade the father ' Rise up and slay that 

 wicked woman, the murderess of his child. ' But he, 

 who was a religious elder, and a mild and godly 

 person, responded 'My little daughter is gone to the 

 mercy of Allah ; although I slay the woman, yet may 

 not this bring again the life of my child. Suffer, Sir, 

 that I spare her; she that is gone, is gone.' 'But/ 



