78 Bedouin Tribes of the Etiphratcs. [ch. xix. 



not favourably impressed by tliis great man, and 

 suspect that the position he has achieved in the 

 desert has turned his head. 



Jedaan is a parvenu, and owes all his position to his 

 own merit as a man of action and a politician. He 

 began life as a poor man of no very distinguished 

 family in the Mehed tribe, itself not one of the most 

 powerful tribes among the Anazeh. Abd-ul-Kerim, 

 his friend as a boy and afterwards his enemy, helped 

 him on at the outset, and then his great courage and 

 brilliant horsemanship brought him into the notice of 

 his own people, who being great warriors, elected him 

 their Sheykh. Still for many years he was only 

 Sheykh of the Fedaan, and it w\as not till Suliman- 

 ibn-Mershid's death left the Sebaa like sheep without 

 ii shepherd, that he was recognised as military 

 leader of the united tribes. The Sebaa elected him 

 as their Akid, and he has since had it all his own 

 way with this section of the Anazeh. In appear- 

 ance, I have said, he is not prepossessing, his features 

 are coarse, and his manner wants that w^ell bred 

 finish, which distinguishes the members of families 

 really " asil." There is still a trace of the old sub- 

 missive manner of the poor man, under the dignity 

 of the Sheykh, His smile seems forced, and his 

 manner hesitating and abrupt, as if heVas not quite 

 sure of his position. If it w^as not for his eyes he 

 •would be unrecognisable as a great man, but these 

 are like a hawk's, piercing, fierce, and cold. 



We have sent him his mashlakh and boots, and 



