SOCIAL STATE OF THE ARABS. 325 



vessel belonging to the newly-married widow would 

 be considered the sure road to perdition. Sheiks 

 and rich citizens display more splendour in their 

 dresses and entertainments. The bride is decked 

 out in the finest attire, perfumed with essences, and 

 every part of her body painted with figures of 

 flowers, trees, and houses, as well as antelopes and 

 other animals. 



Instead of receiving a marriage portion, the hus- 

 band pays for his wife, — the sum varies according 

 to rank and circumstances. Among the Arabs of 

 Sinai it is from five to ten dollars ; but sometimes 

 thirty if the girl is handsome and well connected. 

 At Mecca the price paid for respectable maidens is 

 from 40 to 300 dollars (8^. 15.?. to 65/. 12^. 6d.) ; and 

 on the borders of Syria young men obtain their mas- 

 ters' daughters by serving a number of years. Part 

 of the money only is paid down, the rest standing 

 over as a kind of debt, or as a security in case of 

 divorce. The price of a widow is never more than 

 half, generally but a third, of what is paid for a 

 virgin. 



The sacred tie of marriage has but a slender hold 

 on the Arabs, and may be dissolved on slight occa- 

 sions at the pleasure of the husband. This facility 

 of separation relaxes morality, though it reflects no 

 dishonour on the woman or her family. She may 

 be repudiated three or four times, and yet free from 

 any stain or imputation on her character. It is not 

 uncommon for a Bedouin before attaining the age 

 of forty or forty-five to have had fifty wives. If the 

 woman depart of her own accord she receives no- 

 thing, and even forfeits the unpaid portion of her 

 dowry ; but if she is turned away without any valid 

 reason or proof of misconduct, she is entitled to a 

 small sum of money, a camel, a goat, a copper 

 boiler and handmill, with some other articles of 

 kitchen furniture. This operates as a check upon 

 the evil, and makes the customs in some degree cor- 



VoL. IL— E e 



