84 Bedoinn Tribes of the Euphrates, [en. xix. 



auxious about the Roala war, ayIiicIi, as Akid of the 

 Sebaa, he is obliged to cany on, against his private 

 wishes and his better judgment, and which it seems 

 is not going on so satisfactorily as might be wished. 

 He married his daughter Turkya last year to Ibn 

 Shaalan, the Roala Slieykh, and although she has 

 quarreled with her husband he seems to consider 

 Sotamm as a relation. He has no blood feud or 

 private quarrel with any of the Roala. The cause 

 of his leaving us to-day was the marriage feast, 

 which it is customary for the bride's father to give 

 to the bridegroom on the third day after the wedding. 

 A young camel is then killed, and all the relations 

 are invited. Jedaan's new father-in-law belon<xs to- 

 the Sirhan, a small Anazeh tribe, and is staying 

 with Ibn Keshish's ffimily, Sheykli of the Khryssa. 

 The bride is said to be pretty, though thirty years. 

 of age^and quite an old maid for an Arab girl. The 

 reason of her being so long unmarried is sin- 

 gular. It appears that according to desert law a 

 girl may be claimed in marriage l)y her first cousin, 

 and even kept waiting year after year until he 

 chooses to marry her ov set her free ; and so it has 

 haj)pened in this case. But, Jedaan 1 )eing a powerfid 

 2)ersonage, the girl's father has been persuaded to 

 set aside the cousin's rioiit. Jedaan's mother is also 

 a Sirhau, and it was she Avho really made the 

 match ; she is very anxious her son should have a 

 worthy heir, and she left him no peace until she got 

 ]iis consent to her plan. Still, there seems to be 



