374 SOCIAL STATE OP THE ARABS. 



is bound to grant him the protection he demands. 

 This law or point of honour is called the dakheil ; 

 and however absurd or capricious, it seems natur- 

 ally to arise out of those scenes of violence, the fe- 

 rocity of which it is calculated to soften. A robber 

 detected in the act of plundering is always anxious 

 to avail himself of the privileges of this artificial con- 

 vention ; while the inmates of the tent are equally 

 desirous to prevent him. The person who first seizes 

 the prisoner demands on what business he is come ? 

 " I came to rob : God has overthrown me ;" is the 

 common answer. The captor (rabat) then binds 

 him hand and foot, and beats him with a club, until 

 he exclaims Yeneffa! " I renounce !" (namely, the 

 benefit of any protector). But this renunciation be- 

 ing only valid for one day, the prisoner (rabiet) is 

 secured in a hole dug in the ground, with his feet 

 chained to the earth, his hands tied, and his twisted 

 hair fastened to two stakes at both sides of his head. 

 This temporary grave is covered with tent-poles, 

 corn-sacks, and other heavy articles ; a small aper- 

 ture only being left through which he may breathe. 

 Here he is detained, and every endeavour used to 

 extort from him the highest possible ransom. 



Still the buried captive does not despair; and 

 circumstances sometimes favour his escape. If he 

 can contrive through the aperture to spit upon a 

 man or a child, or receive from their hand the small- 

 est morsel of food, he claims the rights of the da- 

 kheil. To obtain his release gives rise to many ad- 

 venturous intrigues and ingenious stratagems. His 

 mother or his sister will often enter the camp in the 

 garb of a beggar, or during night, and having put 

 the end of a worsted thread in his mouth, she re-* 

 tires, still unwinding the clew, to some neighbourin 



