1893.] H. S. Jarrett — Customs among the Bedouins of the Hauran. 89 



and places his captive in it and fills it up partially with earth and sets 

 a covering over the pit. The feet of the captive are, meanwhile, 

 fettered with iron, and every day he is given a little food and he is 

 also daily taken out of the pit for about an hour for the usual necessi- 

 ties of nature. As often as he goes beyond the tents, bis arms are 

 pinioned and he is guarded by an armed man. When his needs are 

 satisfied beyond the encampment, he returns with his guard behind 

 him, who sets him in the pit as before. Sometimes the prisoner dies 

 under this treatment and at others they take pity on him and set him 

 free. But if another war breaks out between the two tribes, and the 

 man captured again falls into their hands, they strike off his head at once 

 without mercy. Another custom is the following ; when one horseman 

 meets another on the field of battle and cuts him down, the other 

 cries out, " Spare me, as may God spare you : this shall be to me as a day 

 of the days of the Arabs." l Upon this the victor stays his stroke 

 from his suppliant enemy and exclaims, £ God has given thee life ; go 

 in peace and this shall be to thee as a day of the days of the Arabs." 

 But if in subsequent hostilities between the tribes, the vanquished 

 horseman is victorious and the one who had previously given him 

 quarter or any of his relations falls into his power, he spares them and 

 does not in any way molest them. This conduct is called by them an 

 interchange of courtesy, but the honour rests with the first. 



The narrative must now revert to the " rakb, " that is to the men 

 before-mentioned, who were leading the camels and were in hiding with 

 the water, provisions and fodder for the horses, awaiting the arrival of 

 the foragers. These, whether successful or otherwise, must necessarily 

 pass the camel-troop expecting them, and as soon as the horse- 

 men arrive, the former mount their beasts. If the horsemen are 

 driving their booty before them and the owners of the cattle are in 

 pursuit to recover the cattle and the fight is going on, (they join) 2 

 against the enemy. Sometimes the defeat of the enemy is due to the 

 camel-riders. But if the horsemen reach the camel-troop in defeat 

 and not victorious, the latter accompany the horsemen returning to their 

 people. Another of their customs is as follows : should the horsemen 

 be returning from the foray with their booty and meet a man or a 

 woman, the traveller, whether man or woman, will look towards the leader 

 of the horsemen and say, " Brand the foot," and he will reply, " Welcome, 

 welcome." 3 Thereupon the man will say to the Arab Shaykh, the leader 



1 The word " day " in this sense signifies a day of battle, and the " days of 

 the Arabs," the recital of their engagements. 



2 These words are omitted and the ellipse mars the sense. 

 8 In the text t-^» j Hh> for '■fc^r* j <*&\. 



