158 CIVIL HISTORY AND 



spring they approach the Syrian frontier, and form 

 a line of encampment, extending from near Aleppo 

 to eight days' journey southward of Damascus. 

 The whole summer they spend in seeking pasture 

 and water ; in autumn they purchase their winter 

 provision of wheat and barley, and return after the 

 first rains into the interior of the Desert. They are 

 divided into four principal clans, — the Wold Ali, the 

 El Hessenne, the El Rawalla, or more properly El 

 Jelas, and the El Besher ; and these again are sepa- 

 rated into numerous inferior bodies. The Sheik of 

 the Wold Ali occupies the first rank among their 

 chiefs, and is therefore styled Abu el Aeneze, or the 

 Father of the Aenezes. The Rawall-^ '"^nerally oc- 

 cupy the desert from Gebel Shammar towards Jof ; 

 but they frequently encamp beyond the Tigris and 

 the Euphrates. In point of mihtary strength they 

 are formidable, possessing more horses than any of 

 the Aenezes. The El Besher are the most numer- 

 ous of these grand divisions, and liave their resi- 

 dence chiefly in Nejed. 



To ascertain the population of each of the differ- 

 ent tribes is rendered very difficult, from a prejudice 

 which forbids them to count the horsemen ; as they 

 believe, like the Eastern merchants, that whoever 

 knows the exact amount of his wealth may soon ex- 

 pect to lose part of it. Exclusive of those in Nejed, 

 Burckhardt reckons their forces at about 10,000 cav- 

 alry, and perhaps 90,000 or 100,000 camel-riders; 

 and thinks that the whole northern Aeneze nation 

 may be estimated at from 300,000 to 350,000 souls, 

 spread over a country of at least 40,000 square miles. 

 Most, though not all, of the great Aeneze tribes are 

 entitled to passage-money from the vSyrian caravans. 

 The Hessenne take a yearly surra, or tribute, of fifty 

 purses (about lOOOZ.) ; the Wold Ali levy to the same 

 amount ; while the Fedaan, one of the strongest of 

 these clans, receive nothing in the way of annual 

 impost from the pilgrims. 



