SOCIAL STATE OF THE ARABS. 331 



that they must either conquer or perish by her side. 

 She formed the rallying-point when the combat was 

 at the hottest, and to kill or take her captive was 

 reckoned the proudest achievement of the enemy. 

 When an Arab is hotly pursued, he may save his 

 life by throwing himself from his steed and begg-ing 

 for mercy ; but he does it at the expense of his hon- 

 our, and forfeits his mare and his clothes. If he 

 refuses to yield after repeatedly hearing the cry of 

 " Howel ! howel .'" (Get down !) the pursuer instantly 

 stabs him with his lance. Some tribes use battle- 

 banners ornamented with ostrich-feathers ; but these 

 are never displayed except in important actions ; 

 and their loss is regarded as a signal of defeat. All 

 Bedouin tribes without exception have their agyd, 

 who acts as commander-in-chief; for it is a remark- 

 able circumstance in the policy of the Desert, that, 

 during a campaign in actual warfare, the authority 

 of the sheik is completely set aside, and the soldiers 

 are wholly under the control of the agyd. This 

 person is esteemed as a kind of augur or saint ; he 

 often decides the operations of the war by his 

 dreams, visions, or prognostications, and announces 

 the lucky or unlucky day for attack. His office is 

 hereditary; but he possesses no more coercive 

 power than the sheik, arid his authority ceases 

 whenever the combatants return to their homes. 

 This curious institution doubtless was intended to 

 check any increase of power in the person of the 

 chief of the tribe, by rendering it difficult for him to 

 engage in feuds merely from private motives. 



In the Desert the character of the soldier passes 

 by an easy transition into that of the brigand. The 

 Arabs may be styled a nation of robbers (harami) ; 

 but they are far from attaching to this practice any 

 ideas of criminality or disgrace. They consider the 

 profession as honourable, and one of the most flat- 

 tering titles that could be conferred on a youthful 

 hero. They rob, indiscriminately, enemies, friends, 



