rn. XIX.] A Domestic Qjiarrcl. 89 



married liis daughter to Ibn Sliaaldn, tlie leader of 

 tlie Eoala. Whether he did this with a poHtieal 

 motive I cannot make out, nor do I quite under- 

 stand his present feelings about the marriage. It 

 turned out badly, and Jedaan's daughter came back 

 two or three months ago from her husband, saying 

 that she could not o-et on with him : and vet Jechian 

 talks of Ibn Shaalan as having claims on him as 

 his son-in-law. Of tJie origin of the w\ar he irave 

 us some account. It appears that from time im- 

 memorial the Sebaa have occupied the plains of 

 Horns and Hama as their summer pasturage, paying 

 a sort of rent to the Turkish Government for this 

 and the right of trading, amounting to six hundred 

 camels yearly. Last May, however, the Koala, who 

 have increased and multiplied greatly of late years, 

 came forward with an oficr of fifteen hundred 

 camels, and backed it with a present of fifty mares, 

 to be distributed among the Government officials of 

 Damascus, Homs, and Hama ; and thus secure of 

 support, marched in before the Sebaa's arrival, and 

 took possession. The Sebda, however, came, and a 

 battle ensued, in which the Eoala were worsted, 

 whereupon Sotamm - ibn - Sliaalan applied to the 

 Turks for help ; and, by subsidising the pasha, ob- 

 tained from him a body of Turkish infantry to 

 support his people. These came suddenly upon iXxa, 

 Gomussa and Moayaja, whom they found isolated, 

 and surrounded them. The Sebda do not seem to 

 have behaved very heroically, for they made no 



