i8o Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, [ch. xxiv, 



as far as one can guess their history, have had their 

 ups and downs. The Shamniar have been strong 

 enough within the memory of people yet living to 

 threaten Bagdad with sack ; and if any credence 

 can be placed in '' Fatalla's " recital, Ibn Shaalan of 

 the Eoala Anazeh invaded Persia not seventy years 

 ago. It is of course impossible to give anything 

 like an account of their fortunes and downfalls. 

 The Anazeh have long ceased to be a united tribe, 

 if they ever were one, and this has saved the Sham- 

 mar, who are far less numerous, from destruction. 

 Still, on the whole, fortune seems to have been 

 against the latter, as may be guessed from the in- 

 feriority of the horses they now possess, nothing in 

 desert life so clearly proving good fortune in Avar as 

 the presence of a large number of fine mares in the 

 camp of a tribe. 



With regard to the Anazeh conquest, it is certain 

 that only a portion of the tribes now found in the 

 Upper Desert accompanied the first invasion. As 

 far as I can learn, the earliest invaders Avere the 

 Fedaan and the Hesenneh, then, and till quite re- 

 cently the most important, if not the most numerous, 

 of the tribes. The Ibn Haddal, Sebda and Welled 

 Ali came next. Then at a long interval the Rod] a, 

 AAdio appeared for the first time in the latitude of 

 Damascus about the end of last century, Avhile the 

 Towf and Erfuddi only left Nejd so lately as tAventy 

 years ago. 



Such, according to tradition, has been the history 



