en. XIX.] T/ic Goiimssa and their Horses. 95 



As a first step wc have sounded Ferlian about liis 

 feelings in tlie matter, and lie lias explained that, 

 although it is impossible for him to speak openly 

 with his people of making peace, yet he feels sure 

 that they are tired of the war, and he himself is 

 •quite willing to forget his losses in it. AVe like 

 Ferhan immensely. He is so straightforward and 

 .sensible, and shows high-minded ideas on every 

 subject we have discussed. We have given him a 

 •cloak and boots, both of which articles, poor fellow, 

 he is much in want of, and, unlike the rest who 

 have received these ]^)resents from us, he has put 

 them on himself, understanding that this pleases us. 

 The tribe is quite ruined, and the Sheykh's mother 

 has had to borrow a cooking-pot of Hanna to boil 

 the lamb in for our dinner. Ferhan is not married, 

 but lives with his mother jind another widow of his 

 father's, a pretty quiet woman, who has a child two 

 3^ears old, Ferhan' s half-brother. His father ]Majun 

 died two years ago. 



Several Arabs of the Gomussa have been here 

 talking principally about horses, for they are the 

 great breeders of horses in the desert. Amono-st 

 •others they spoke of a w^onderful mare, a ]\leleyha, 

 which they said a certain European had once offered 

 GOO/, for, when they were in their summer quarters 

 near Aleppo ; but the manner of his dealing seems 

 to have impressed them with the idea that he was 

 .out of his mind, and they would not sell the mare. 

 They mixde very merry over this. AYe asked them 



