BED 



BED 



Bjdnore, Ranny, a tov\-n of HindoHan, fcated on tlie 

 Toombuddra river, in the territory belonging, by the treaty 

 of 1792, to the Mahrattas. N. lat. 14" 35'. E. long. 



75° 42'- 



BEDOWEENS or Bedouins, in Arabic Bedoua'i, form- 

 ed of bid, defert, or country without habitations, a denomi- 

 nation given to a wandering tribe of Arabs, who retain the 

 cuftomsand manners of tlieir anceftors, the" Arabes Scenitae," 

 and who are faid to be dei'^ended from Ithmael. Tliey 

 originate from tlie deferts of Arabia, where they Uve in tents, 

 and are feparated into diltinct tribes, fubjeft to their fcheiks, 

 who direft and fuperintend in every tranfaftion ; and they 

 have migrated with their flocks and herds into Egypt and 

 .Syria, and other countries both cf Afia and Africa, inhabit- 

 ing the vaft deferts which extend from tlie confines of Perfia 

 to Morocco. They felerl thofe fpots which afford them 

 fprings and pallures, and they are in the llricleft fenie a race 

 of rovers or wanderers, without any permanent abode. 



Altliough they are divided into independent communities, 

 or tribes, not unfrequently hollilc to each other, they may 

 Itill be confidered as forming one nation. The refemblance 

 of their language is a manifeil token of this relationfl-.ip. 

 The only difference that exills between them is, that the 

 African tribes are of a lefs ancient origin, being poftcrior to 

 the conqueft of tliele countries by the caliphs or fucctHors 

 of Mahomet ; while the tribes of the deferts of Arabia, pro- 

 peily fo called, have dtfcended by an uninterrupted fuecef- 

 fion from the remotell: ages. 



The Arabs, fays M. Volnev. feem to be efpecially con- 

 demned to a wandering hfe, by the veiy nature of their de- 

 ferts. To paint to himfelf thefe deferts, the reader mud 

 imagine a fky alraoft pei-pctually inflamed, and without clouds, 

 immenfe and boundlcfs plains, without houff;s, trees, rivulets, 

 or hills, where the eye frequently meets nothing but an ex- 

 tenlive and uniform horizon like the fea, though in fome 

 places the ground is uneven and ftony. Almoft invariably 

 naked on every fide, the earth prefents nothing but a few 

 wild plants thinly fcattered, and thickets, whofe folitude is 

 rarely dillurbed but by antelopes, hares, locnfts, and rats. 

 8uch is the nature of nearly the whole country, which ex- 

 tends 600 leagues in length, and 300 in breadth, and 

 ftretches from Aleppo to the Arabian fea, and from Egypt 

 to the Perfian gulf. The foil, however, varies coni'iderably 

 in different places ; and this variety in the qualities of the 

 foil is produftive of fome minute differences in the condi- 

 tion of the Bedoweens. In the more (lerlle countries, or 

 thofe which produce few plants, the tribes arc feeble and very 

 diftant ; which is the cafe in the d.feil of Suez, that of the 

 Red Sea, and the interior of the Great Dticrt, called the 

 Najd. Where the foil is more fruitful, as between Damafcus 

 and the Euplirates, the tribes are more numerous and lefs 

 diftant from each other ; and in the cultivable diftrifts, fuch 

 as the pachalics of Aleppo, the Hauran, and the neighbour- 

 hood of Gaza, the camps are frequent and contiguous. 

 In the former cafe the Bedoweens are merely paftori, and 

 fubfilt only on the produce of their herds, and on a few dates 

 and fleih-nieal, which they eat, either frefh, or diied in the 

 Inn and reduced to a powder. In the latter they fow fome 

 land, and add cheefe, barlev, and even rice to their flefli and 

 milk. Such is the fitnation in which nature has placed the 

 Bedoweens, to render them a race of men equally fingular 

 in their phyfical and mm al character. This fingularity is fo 

 llriking, that even thtir neighbours, the Syrians, regard 

 them as extraoidinary beings ; cfpecially tliofc tribes which 

 dwell in the depths of the deferts, fuch as thofe of Anaza, 

 Kaibar, Tai, and others, whicli never approach the town's. 

 In general, the Bedoween$ are fmall, meagre, and tawny ; 



V.JL.IV. 



more fo, however, in the heart of the defert, than on the 

 frontiers of the cultivated country ; but they are always of a 

 darker complexion than the neighbouring peafants. They 

 alfo differ among themfelves in the fame camp : the fcheiks, 

 that is, the rich, and their attendants, were always taller, 

 and more corpulent than the common clafs. Some of them 

 are more than five feet five or fix inches high ; though in 

 general they do not exceed five feet two inches. This dif. 

 ference can only be attributed to their food, with which the 

 former are more abundantly fupphed than the latter. The 

 Bedoweens of the lower clafs live in a flate of habitual 

 wretchednefs and famine : and it is an undoubted faft, that 

 the quantity of food confumed by each of them docs not 

 exceed fix ounces 1 day. This abitinence is moft remarkable 

 among the tribes of the Najd and the Hedjaz. Six or feven 

 dates ioaked in melted butter, a litle frefh milk, or curds, 

 fervc a man a whole day, and he thinks himf;lf happy when 

 he can add a fmall quantity of coarfe flour, or a little bail 

 of rice. Meat is referved for the greatell feftivals, and they 

 never kill a kid but for a marriage or a funeral. A few 

 wealthy and generous fcheiks only can kill young camels, 

 and eat baked nee with their victuals. In times of dearth 

 the vulgar, half famifhed, eat locufts, rats, lizards, and fer- 

 pents, which they broil on briars. 



It has been already obferved, that the Bedoween Arabs 

 are divided into tribes, which canftitute fo many diflinft na- 

 tions. Each of thefe tribes appropriates to itfelf a certain 

 traft of land, and is collefted in one or more camps, which 

 are difpcrfed through the country, ar.d which make a fuc- 

 cefiive progrefs over the whole, in proportion as it is ex- 

 haufted by the cattle. Such is the law among them, that 

 if a tribe, or any of its fubjefts, enter upon a foreign 

 territory, they are treated as enemies and robbers, and a war 

 cnfues. Moreover, as all the tnbes have affinities to each 

 other by alliances of blood or treaties, leagues are formed 

 which render thefe wars more or lefs general. As foon as 

 the offence is made known, they mount their horfes, and feek 

 the enemy ; when they meet, they enter into a parley, and 

 the difpute is frequently compromifed ; if not, they attack 

 either in fmall bodies, or man to man. They encounter 

 each other at fuU fpeed with fixed lances, which they fome- 

 times dart, nptwithflanding their length, at the flying ene- 

 my ; the vidory is rarely contefted ; it is decided by the 

 firfl (hock, and the vanquifhcd fly off at full gallop over the 

 naked plain of the defert. The tribe which has been de- 

 feated flrikes its tents, removes by forced marches to a dif- 

 tance, and feeks an afylum among its allies. The enemy, 

 fatisfied with their fuccels, drive their herds further on, and 

 the fugitives fjon after return to their former fituation. Dif- 

 fenfions, however, arc often perpetuated by the llaughter 

 that is made on thefe occafions ; and they have eftablifh- 

 ed laws among themfelves, that the blood of every man 

 who is flain muft be avenged by that of his murderer. This 

 vengeance is called " Tar," or retaliation ; and the right of 

 exadling it devolves on the nearcil of kin to the deceafed. 

 If any one neglefts to feek his retaliation, he is for ever dif- 

 graced. He therefore watches every opportunity of re- 

 venge. If his enemy perilhes in any other wav, he feeks 

 fatisfaction by inflicting vengeance on the neareft relation. 

 Thefe animofities are tranfmitted. as it were, by inheritance, 

 from father to children, and never ceaie but by the extinc- 

 tion of one of tlie families, uiilefs they agree to facrificc the 

 criminal, or purchafe the blood for a ftated price, in money 

 orin flocks. Such beingthc condition of focicty, mofl of the 

 tribes hve in an habitual (late of war ; and thiscircumHance, 

 together v.ith their mode of life, renders the Bedoweens a 

 military people, though they ha\-e n-.ade no gteat progrefs 



O JQ 



