370 



SOCIAL STATE OF THE ARABS. 



residence every third or fourth day, be comfortably 

 entertained until he reach his destination. 



It is a received custom in every part of the desert, 

 that a woman may entertain strangers in the ab- 

 sence of her husband ; when this is not permitted, 

 some male relation does the honours of the table. I 

 certain parts of Nejed, a guest is welcomed by pour- 

 ing on his head a cup of melted butter. Among the 

 Azir tribes a practice exists not very consistent with 

 our ideas of female honour : when a stranger arrives, 

 he is required to be the companion of his hostess for 

 the night, whatever be her age or condition ; and 

 it depends upon his rendering himself agreeable, 

 whether he is to be honourably treated or dismissed 

 with disgrace. This custom the Wahabees abolish- 

 ed ; but on a representation being made by the tribe 

 to Abdelazeez, of the misfortunes that had befallen 

 them for having abandoned the good old practice of 

 their forefathers, permission was granted to honour 

 their guests as before. The established laws of the 

 desert sanction manners that to European nations 

 must appear extravagant and unnatural. But the 

 influx of foreigners, and especially the gold of Mo- 

 hammed Ali, have had a pernicious effect on the 

 virtues of the Bedouins. 



Another singular institution is that of the wasy or 

 guardianship. An Arab may, in the prime of life, 

 request a friend to act as guardian to his children. 

 If the trust is accepted the friend is solemnly in- 

 stalled in his office ; and one family is thus con, 

 stituted the hereditary protectors of another. To 

 the weak, such as minors, women, and old men, 

 this practice affords some security, however imper- 

 fect, against the oppressions of the strong. It is 

 observed by all the Arabs of Nejed, but not gene- 



