cii. XX.] T/ic sic I) — a Strano;c Tribe. 1 1 r 



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and their tents out of the creatures they catch or kill. 

 We are anxious to see more of them, and find out if 

 possible who and what they are. That they are not 

 mere gipsies is as certain as that they are not mere 

 Arabs ; but we suspect them of having the same origin 

 with the gipsies, that is to say, that they came 

 originally from India. The extreme smallness of 

 their hands and feet, their low stature, and the 

 clearness of their dark complexions favour this 

 notion. It is quite possible that one of the tribes, 

 which left India and are now known as Bohemians 

 or Gipsies in Europe, may have stopped on the way 

 and settled, if their wandering life can be called set- 

 tling, in the Desert. We have agreed with Hueran 

 that he shall show us the way to the Eoala camp. 

 His people are camped somewhere on the line of 

 pools towards Damascus, and he will be naturally 

 going that way. The Sleb take no part in the 

 Bedouin quarrels, and are molested by neither party, 

 so that we can travel safely with them. To-morrow, 

 if all goes well, we shall start. 



To-day, like yesterday, has been spent looking at 

 mares and horses. Several very fine ones have 

 been brought for us to look at, for, though there is 

 no idea of our purchasing, we have expressed a wish 

 to see all we can. The finest are a Dakhmeh em 

 Amr and a Risheh Sherabi, both belonging to out- 

 side breeds, but very perfect specimens. The Eishch 

 is a bay with four white legs, three years old, and 

 fully fifteen hands high, a great, powerful mare ; the 



