202 Bcdoitin TiHbes oj the Euphrates, [en. xxv. 



man we met who could do this was the little old 

 Shammar who accompanied us across ]\Iesopotamia ; 

 and he w^as almost blind. When a tribe is on the 

 march it goes hither and thither, to left and right, 

 but never straioht to its destination. There is some 

 mental obliquity in this. 



The Bedouins have no great appearance of mus- 

 cular strength ; but they are singularly active and 

 enduring. They are fast walkers and fast runners, 

 and on horseback are untiring. As horsemen, how- 

 ever, according to the ordinary rules and as com- 

 pared with some other races, they are not pre-emi- 

 nent. Only a few of them have really good seats, 

 while of their hands it is difficult to judge, as they 

 ride only with the halter. They display little skill 

 in showing off a horse to advantage, and none what- 

 ever in husbanding his powers. Their only notion 

 of galloping a horse is to vide, him, with arms and 

 legs, from start to finish ; but they are dexterous in 

 turning him sharply and in taking advantage of the 

 ground in pursuit or flight. Their great merit, as 

 horse-breakers, is unwearied patience. Loss of 

 temper with a beast is not in their nature, and I 

 have never seen them stiike or ill-use their mares 

 in any way. Patience is indeed one of the most 

 characteristic qualities of the Bedouin. 



Courage, though held in high estimation, is not 

 considered essential with the Bedouins, even in a 

 Sheykh. "God has not given me courage," they 

 will sometimes say, " and I do not fight," just as an 



