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in war as an art. Their camps arc formed in a kind of irre- 

 gular circle, compofed of a fingle row of tents, with greater 

 or lefs intervals. Thefe tents, made of goat's or camel's 

 hair, are black or brown, or llriped black and wliite, and 

 thus differ from diofc of the Turkmans, which are white. 

 They arc llrclchud on tliree or four pickets, only five or fix 

 ftct high, which gives them a very flat appearance ; fa that 

 at a diihmcc one of thefe camps appears like a number of 

 black fpots. To the colour of tlitfc tents, fays Dr. Shaw, 

 there is a beautiful allufion, (Cant. i. y.) "I am black, but 

 comely like the tents of Kcdar." For notliiiig, adds this 

 writer, can afford a more delightful profpett than a large ex- 

 tcnfive plain, in its verdure, or even fcorchcd up by the fun- 

 beams, with thefe moveable habitations, fituated in circles 

 upon them. Tiiefe tents are the fame with what the ancients 

 called "Mapaliii," (Sil. Ital. 1. xvii. 90. Lucan. 1. iv. 684.) 

 and are reprefented by Sallull, (Bell. Jug. §. 21.) as refem- 

 bling the bottom of a (hip turned upfido down. The length of 

 thefe tents is mucli greater than their breadth ; andtlieyare 

 entirely open on one of their long fides, that is Iheltcred from 

 the wind, and on that wliich is expofed they are clofcd. 

 The tent of the fcheik is in fome of their encampments dif- 

 tingui(hcd from the others merely by a large plume of black 

 oflrich feathers placed upon its top. Eacii tent, inhabited 

 by a family, is divided by a curtain into two apartments, one 

 of which is appropriated to the women. In thefe tents the 

 Bedowcens, when they take their reft, lie ftretched out upon 

 the ground, without bed, mattrefs, or pillow; wrapping them- 

 felves in their hykes or blankets, and lying upon a mat or 

 carpet, in any part of them, where they can find room. 

 A number of thefe tents, from 3 to 300, are arranged 

 in a circle, and called Douwar. The empty fpace wittiin 

 the large circle ferves to told their cattle evei-y evening. As 

 the fhade of trees is very agreeable in torrid regions, the Be- 

 dowcens in the defert take pains in felefling fhaded fituations 

 for their encampments: but thofe ot Egvpt encamp on fpots 

 deftitute of trees ; and when any happen to be there, it is no 

 confideration with them in the pitchingof their tents. They 

 never have any entrenchments, their only advanced guards 

 and patroles are dogs : their horfes remain faddltd and ready 

 for being mounted on the firll alarm ; but being utter 

 ftrangers to all order and difcipline, thefe camps, always open 

 to furprife, afford no defence in cafe of an attack. Acci- 

 dents, therefore, frequently happen, and cuttle are carried 

 off every day. The tribes which live in the vicinity of the 

 Turks, are Kill more accuftomed to alarms and attacks; for 

 thefe ftrangers arrogating to themfelvcs, in right of conquefl, 

 the property of the whole country, treat the Arabs as rebel 

 vaffals, or as turbulent and dangerous enemies ; and on this 

 principle they never ceafc towage fecrct or open war againll 

 them. The Arabs, on their fide, regarding the Turks as 

 ufurpers and treacherous enemies, watch every opportunity 

 to do them injury. On the llightcll alarm, the Arabs, con- 

 founding the innocent -with the guilty, cut their harvells, 

 carry off their flocks, and interrupt their communication 

 and commerce. Thefe depredations produce a mifunder- 

 ftanding between the Bsdoweens and the inhabitants of the 

 cultivated country, which renders them mutual enemies. 

 Such is the external fituation of the Arabs. 



As to their internal conllitution, each tribe is compofed 

 of one or more principal families, the members of which 

 have the title of fcheiks, that is, chiefs or lords. One of thefe 

 fcheiks has the fupreme command over the others. He is 

 the general of their little army, and fomctimes affumes the 

 title of " Emir," v.-hich fignifits commander and prince. 

 The more relations, children, or allies he has, the greater is 

 bis influence, To thefe he adds other adherents, whom he 



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attaches to himfelf by fupplying their wants. Befi jes, a rum- 

 berof fmall families, who, not being ftrong enough to maintain 

 their own independence, and needing alliances and protec- 

 tion, range themfelves under the banner ot this chief. Such 

 an union is called " Kabila," or tribe. Thefe tiibes are 

 dillinguiihed by tlie names of their refpeftive chiefs, or by 

 that of the ruling family ; and when they fpcak of any of 

 the individuals tiiat compofe them, tliey call them the " chil- 

 dren" of fuch a chief; as, e. g. " Beni Temin," " Oulad 

 Tai," the ciuldreu of Temin and of Tai. 



The fcheiks and their fubjccts are born to the life of (hep- 

 herds and foUheis. The more confiderable tribes rear many- 

 camels, which thc-y cither fell to their neighbours, or employ 

 i[i the carriage of goods, or in their military expeditions. 

 The fmaller tribes keep flocks of flieep. Among thofe tribes 

 which apply to agriculture, the fcheiks live always in tents, 

 and they leave the culture of their ground to their ful)jetts, 

 whofc habitations are wretched tents. Tlic peculiar dillinc- 

 tions which charafterife their different tribes refult from their 

 different modes of living. The genuine Arabs diidain huf- 

 bandry, as an empioyment by which they would be degraded. 

 They maintain no domellic animals but (heep and camels, ex- 

 cept, perhaps, horfes. Thofe tribes which are of a pure 

 Arab race, live on the tiefll of their buffaloes, cows and 

 horfes, and on the produce of fome little ploughing. The 

 former tribes, difting\iifhcd as noble, by their poffeffion of 

 lands, are denominated " Abu el Abaar :" and the fecond 

 " Moxdan," which are eftecmed a middle clafs, between 

 genuine Arabs and peafants. Thefe are fometimes mentioned 

 contemptuoufly, becaufe they keep buffaloes and cows. The 

 " Morcdan," tranfport their dwellings from one country to 

 another, as palturage faili ; fo that a village fprings up fud- 

 denly in a fituation where, on a preceding day, was not to. 

 be fcen a fingle te[it. The genuine Bedoweens, living always 

 in the open air, have a very acute fmell; and the tctid ex- 

 halations produced by cities are one caufe of their dnlike of 

 them. So acute is tlieir fmell, that, according to Niebuhr, 

 if they are carried to tlie fpot from which a camel has ftray- 

 ed, they will follow the animal by fmcUing its track, and 

 dillinguifh the traces of its footffeps from thole of other ani- 

 mals that have paffed tlie fame way. Thofe Arabs, who- 

 wander in the defert, will fubfill five days without drinking, 

 and dlfcover a pit of water by examining the foil and plants in 

 its e.'.virons. Like other people that lead an erratic lite, they 

 are addidfed to robbeiy, and of courfe are formidable ene- 

 mies to thofe who traverfc the defcrts ; but tiiey never mur- 

 der thofe whom they rob, unlcfs travtllers in their own de- 

 fence fliould chance to kill a Bedowcen, in which cafe the 

 others are eager to revenge his death. Upon all other oc- 

 cafioiis they aft in a manner confident with their natural, 

 hofpitality. Of their hofpitality Niebuhr has recorded feve- 

 ral very pleafing inllajices. The pillaging of the caravans, 

 he fays, is not always owing merely to their propenfity for 

 robbing, but their expeditions for this purpofe are commonly 

 confideredby themfelves as lawful hollilities againil enemies, 

 wlio would defraud the natives of theii' dues, or againll rival 

 tribes, who have undertaken to proteft thofe illegal traders. 



The government of the Bedoweens is at once republican,, 

 ariftocratical, and even defpotic. It is republican, as the 

 people have great influence, and nothing can be tranfafted 

 without a majority : it is ariftocratical, becaufe the families 

 of the fcheiks poffefs fome of the prerogatives whicli every 

 where accompany power; and it is defpotic, becaufe the 

 principal fcheik has an indefinite, and almoft abfolute autho- 

 rity, which he may abufe ; though the ftate of the tribes 

 confines this abufe witliin very narrow limits ; for if he 

 ftiould kill an Arab, it would be alnioll impoffible for him to 

 8 cfcape 



