2 34 BcdoiiiiL Tribes of the Euphrates, [en. xxvn. 



For certcain families the tribes sliow an almost 

 fanatical respect ; and, wlien a member of one of 

 them happens to be also a great man, his influence 

 is nearly nnbouncled. In these cases he has real 

 power. Abd id Kerim, Sidiman ibn Mershid, and 

 Feysul ibn Shaalan were of this class ; but there is 

 no one at the present moment who can be named 

 with them. 



In principle, all the members of a tribe are equal, 

 and the poorest shepherd will speak to his sheykh 

 as to a relation, and by his Christian name, but 

 this equality is tempered by the prejudices of birth. 

 Wealth of itself has little power to win respect, but 

 high Inrth, descent from certain well-known heroes 

 or families of traditional good breeding, is immensely 

 thought of. As the Anazeh or Shammar is superior 

 to the Jiburi or the Haddadm, so is the Ibn Jendal 

 or the Ibn Hemazdi superior to the ordinary Anazeh. 

 Ibn Meziad of the Hesenneh, though a poor man, 

 has the choice of all the slieykhs of the Desert for 

 his sons-in-law, and can command a dowry of fifty 

 camels. I will give a list of the families most 

 esteemed, in the order of rank generally assigned 

 to them. 



The Ibn ^Meziad of the Hesenneh. 

 The Ibn Jendal of the Koala. 

 The Ibn Tayar of the Roala. 

 The Ibn Henuizdi of the Ibn Haddal. 

 The Ibn SmejT of the Welled All. 



