OF THE ANCIENT ARABS. ] 89 



(named Hamah) was supposed to sit and cry for 

 "drink" on the grav^, until its thirst was allayed by 

 the blood of the manslayer. 



Judgment by fire was an ordeal in common use, 

 and by its decision private quarrels were frequently 

 adjusted. Dice, lots, chess, and other games of 

 chance were converted into superstitious practices. 

 The sortilege, or gambling by arrows, called almai- 

 sar, was much in use. Its object was to gain money, 

 by throwing on a few the risk of a certain enterprise 

 or amusement in which several were embarked. 

 For example, a young camel was purchased in com- 

 mon, killed, and divided into ten or twenty parts. 

 Seven persons were appointed to cast lots for them ; 

 and eleven arrows provided, without heads or 

 feathers, seven of which were numerically marked, 

 and four plain. These were thrown promiscuously 

 into a bag, and drawn by an indifferent person. 

 Those who had the notched arrows won shares ac- 

 cording to the number of their lot ; while the blanks 

 were entitled to no part, and obliged to bear the 

 whole expense. 



Another popular superstition was the azlam, or 

 divination by arrows ; those used for the purpose 

 being kept iii the temple of some idol, in whose pres- 

 ence" they Avere consulted. The art was thus per- 

 formed : "three arrows were enclosed in a vessel ; on 

 the first was inscribed " God command me ;" on the 

 second, "God forbid me;" the third was plain. If 

 the first was drawn out, the suppliant prosecuted his 

 design ; if the second, he deferred it for a year ; if 

 the third, he drew again until he received an an- 

 swer, — not forgetting to repeat his present to the 

 idol or the priest each time. No affair of importance 

 was vmdertaken — be it a journey, a marriage, a bat- 

 tle, or a foray — without the advice of these sacred 

 implements. "Matters of dispute, such as the division 

 of property or plunder, were settled by an appeal to 

 them. The ancient Greeks practised this sort of 



