162 CIVIL histokv and 



Hamede is at present considered as chief of all the 

 Beni Harb ; to the Sobh belong the town and district 

 of Bedr, where a market is held, at which some of 

 them are wont to sit during the whole day in their 

 small shops, and in the evening they mount their 

 camels and return to their famihes in the Desert. 



The principal station of the Zebeyde tribe is to 

 the north of Jidda ; but, as their country is in gene- 

 ral poor, they are obliged to seek for other means 

 of subsistence than what can be derived from pas- 

 ture alone. Many of them are active fishermen, 

 and serve as sailors and pilots to ships navigating 

 the Red Sea. A certain number have established 

 themselves in this capacity on the Shut El Arab 

 below Bagdad. In consequence of their commer- 

 cial pursuits the other Harbs look upon them with 

 disdain. 



The excellent pasture- ground about Taif, and 

 the chain of mountains eastward, are inhabited by 

 the Ateybe, who formerly were the inveterate ene- 

 mies of the Harb tribe, and could muster a force of 

 from 6000 to 10,000 matchlocks. The Lahyan and 

 other Bedouin tribes about Mecca are all poor, owing 

 to the sterility of the soil and the high price of com- 

 modities. The Beni Fahem regularly supply the 

 city with charcoal and sheep. Of the once cele- 

 brated Koreish, only 300 matchlock-men now re- 

 main, who encamp about Mount Arafat. They are 

 but little esteemed by the other Bedouins, and derive 

 their chief subsistence from the charity of the pil- 

 grims, or the price of the milk and butter which they 

 carry to Mecca. The Adouan, an ancient and power- 

 ful tribe, have been nearly exterminated by a series 

 of continual wars with their neighbours. ' Many of 

 the other tribes in these mountainous regions were 

 known in Arabian history prior to the era of Mo- 

 hammed ; such as the Hodhail, who muster 1000 

 matchlocks, and are reputed the best marksmen in 

 the whole country ; the Thakif, who compose half 



