142 Bedouin Tribes of the Ettphrates. [en. xxr. 



this late ghazu, and these only in the capacity of 

 scouts. The ten men with their deluls, crouched 

 in the wady, whom AVilfrid came across the day 

 we arrived at Jedaan's camp, were undoubtedly a 

 party of them, sent on before to get news, and spy 

 out the weak points of the Sebaa line. All the 

 Jelaas are here together now in the plain, a thing 

 that does not happen once in twenty years, — all with 

 the exception of five hundred tents under Tellal, a 

 cousin of Sotamm's, who has quarrelled with the 

 sheykli and stays behind near Jebel Shammar this 

 year. The quarrel is, I believe, a domestic one, in 

 which their wives are principally concerned. It is 

 very difficult to get at the true number of the Koala 

 tents, some saying five thousand and others twenty 

 thousand. The Bedouins seem to have no idea of 

 counting, and generally exaggerate, yet Wilfrid is of 

 opinion that twenty thousand is nearer the mark. 

 A hundred and fifty thousand seems to be a fair 

 guess at the number of their camels. The thousand 

 camels captured this week have been divided among 

 those who took part in the ghazii, and may be dis- 

 tinguished by the fetters which they have on their 

 forelegs to prevent their straying homewards. There 

 are also in camp a great many black camels from 

 the Nejd. These are smaller, scraggier, and give 

 less milk than the common sort. They are held in 

 less estimation. 



Amongst others, Sotamm's little boy came, 

 brought by his nurse, a very pretty child of four 



