1893.] H. S. Jarrett — Customs among the Bedouins of the Haurdn. ' 83 



is meant as an assistance to the bridegroom. After this, a quantity 

 of fire-wood and cow-dung is collected, and the whole of it is placed 

 in a large meadow, and about an hour after sunset all the men, that is, 

 the whole tribe, assemble, armed with old pistols loaded with powder, 

 and they set fire to the wood collected in the meadow at one time so that 

 the flame shoots up to the height of five or six yards. All the men 

 present then form a circle round the fire, and begin to shout the word 

 hawalah, hawalah, hawalah, which they repeat continuously for about four 

 hours without adding to it a single syllable. This ring presents a most 

 inspiriting sight for the fire is generally in full blaze and the men stand 

 around it one beside the other, shoulder to shoulder, the right foot 

 advanced and the left set back, like troops in order of battle, and they 

 clap their hands together in such a manner that a spectator would be 

 unable to determine whether it was a single stroke or the union of 

 many, for they lower them together and raise them together : and 

 notwithstanding the number of men in the circle, it would be impossible 

 to discover one man in advance of another by a finger's breadth, as if 

 they were proficients in geometrical science. "When the circle is formed, 

 some three or four women and girls of the bridegroom's relations, wearing 

 their richest apparel and decked with ornaments and trinkets of silver 

 and each with a sword in her hand, enter the middle of the ring and begin 

 to dance, brandishing their swords and directing their points towards 

 the men forming the circle as though attacking an enemy. Upon this 

 the men get wild with excitement like savage animals and draw their 

 pistols loaded with powder, pointing them at the feet of the women 

 and girls as they dance. This performance continues for about four or 

 five hours, the men and the women and the girls vehement and impas- 

 sioned like camels or excited steeds ; and all the while the perspiration 

 pours down from the persons of the men and the dancing women as if 

 from a spout of water. When their strength is exhausted with fatigue, 

 some notable advanced in years, enters the circle formed by the men 

 and calls out in a loud voice, " They are under your protection, O youths, 

 they are under your protection;" upon which they cease their sport 

 and excitement and take rest, and if one were to look at the hands of 

 some of the youths next morning, they would be fouud swollen from 

 excessive beating and at times their colour blue from the clapping 

 together of the palms and it is often long before they are able to touch 

 anything with their hands. 



When all this severe exercise is concluded, tl\ey sit in companies 



and is synonymous with nukut. The allusion is to the balloon's cry at an Egyptian 

 feast, " Shobash 'alayk, ya Sahib al faraj," i.e., 'a present is duo from thee, 

 giver of the feast.' v. Lane, " Mod. Egypt.," XXVII. 



