1 70 Bedouin Tribes of tJie Euphrates, [(.u. xxm. 



valley in irrigation. Its way of life is not tliat of 

 tlie desert. It carries with it its own vegetation, 

 its own birds, and its own beasts. If the gazelle 

 creeps down to drink at its waters in summer it 

 is by night, and she soon leaves the valley. The 

 sandgroiise fly over it but hardly stop, and only 

 the little desert partridge seems common to both 

 sides of the cliff. On the other hand its lions 

 and Avolves and jackals rarely leave the valley, and 

 its wild boars keep close within the tamarisk beds. 

 Its birds are those of Europe or of Asia Minor, the 

 partridge, the francolin, the magpie, ducks; geese, 

 snipes, woodcocks. All these abound l^y the river, 

 but are never found even a mile beyond its 

 precincts. 



Lastly, there is more than the usual differences 

 which varied occupation gives, between the men of 

 the valley and the men of the desert. These last 

 rarely descend to the river except in the seasons 

 of orreat drouoht, or when bent on crossino- it to 

 make a foray on the opposite shore. The pasturage 

 of the upper plain is better suited to their camels 

 than is that of the richer valley, and during great 

 part of the year, though they arc encamped within 

 easy reach of it, the river is to them as if it was not 

 there. There are hundreds of the Anazeli who have 

 never seen the Euphrates. On the other hand the 

 fellah tribes, vith their horned cattle and their 

 attempts at cultivation, stick closely to the valley, 

 while the citizens even of such purely desert towns 



