Part 13 (1/2)
On the second day, accoe ht bank of the river about five roups of sst which may still be traced the lines of streets and canals It is about four or five e of Abd-ul-Azeez These low hills, scantily wooded with dwarf oak, are broken into innumerable valleys and ravines, which abound, it is said, ild goats, boars, leopards, and other ani to es still exist, but they could only give me the name of one, Zakkarah On the opposite side of the Khabour, and running parallel with the Abd-ul-Azeez range, is another line of small hills, called Hamma, in which there are many wells
The Shammar Bedouins enca the hot months The mound of Mijdel is a favorite resort of the Boraij in the ”eye of the summer:” the waters of the river are always cool, and there is sufficient pasture for the flocks and herds of the whole tribe
An Arab whom I met in the tent of one of the Hyta-Bashi+s, pretended that he ell acquainted with the ruins called _Verhan-Shehr_[131], of which I had so frequently heard from the natives of Mardin and the Sha on a hill three days distant fros, and sculptured stones like those of Palha had already invested him with a robe of honor, and had prevailed upon hi measures for the recovery of the plundered treasure The scarlet cloak and civil treatment had conciliated the Jebour chief, and when he parted with the Turkish commander in my tent there was an unusual display of es of eternal friendshi+p Mijwell looked on with indignant conteenerate, ploughing Arabs, and cursing the whole order of _temminahs_[132]
We were detained at Umjerjeh several days by the severe illness of Mr
Hormuzd Rassam I took the opportunity to visit the tents of the Milli, whose chief, Mousa Agha, had invited us to a feast The spacious tent of the chief was divided by partitions of reeds tastefully interwoven with colored wool The coolest part of the salamlik had been prepared for our reception, and was spread with fine carpets and silken cushi+ons The chief and his brothers, followed by their servants bearing trays loaded with cups, presented the coffee to their guests
After some conversation ent to the harem, and were received by his nified countenance and demeanor Her dress was of the purest white and scrupulously clean Altogether she was alst Eastern tribes The wives and daughters of the chiefs, with a crowd of wolance, that they were of a different race fro tribes of the Desert
The principal ladies led us into the private compartment, divided by colored screens from the rest of the tent It was furnished with more than usual luxury The cushi+ons were of the choicest silk, and the carpets (in the manufacture of which the Milli excel) of the best fabric Sweetmeats and coffee had been prepared for us, and the women did not object to partake of theha's e ceremonies of the tribe Our account of sist the ladies The Milli girls are highly prized by the Kurds Twenty purses, nearly 100_l_, ere boastingly told, had been given for one of unusual attractions The chief pointed out one of his oives who had cost him that sum Other ant investiture of irls were called before us, and the old lady appraised each, ahter of their companions, who no doubt rejoiced to see their friends valued at their true worth They were all tatooed on the arms, and on other parts of the body, but less so than the Bedouin ladies The Kurdish ladies do not, like the Mussulman women of the town, conceal their features with a veil; nor do they object tomy stay at Umjerjeh I invited the harem of the Chichi chief, and their friends, to a feast in n of satisfaction
The Milli were formerly one of the wealthiest Kurdish tribes; but they antonly plundered, and alo Although the Porte openly condee, and had promised compensation, no step whatever had been taken to restore the stolen property, the greater part of which had passed into the govern our visit, had been seated in a corner, his eyes wandering from the tent and its furniture to the horses andaround He cast, every now and then, significant glances towardsto the Bedouins These people and their property were hazous_” As we rode away I accused him of evil intentions ”Billah, ya Bej!” said he, ”there is, indeed, enough to rohite with envy; but I have now eaten his bread under your shadow, and should even his stick, ith he drives his camel, fall into my hand, I would send it to him” He entertained me, as we returned home, with the domestic affairs of his fae to Suttu, it would appear, a the Bedouins Mijwell rather looked upon his brother with pity, as a henpecked husband He hih already married to one wife, and betrothed to Maizi, who a third e His heart had been stolen by an unseen damsel, whose beauties and virtues had been the the Arab rhymers, and she was of the Fedhan Aneyza, the mortal enemies of the Shammar Her father was the sheikh of the tribe, and his tents were on the other side of the Euphrates The difficulties and dangers of the courtshi+p served only to excite still ination had pictured a perfection of loveliness; his whole thoughts were now occupied in devising thethis treasure[133] He had already apprised the girl of his love by a trustywith the Shammar, and she had, at last, promised him her hand, if he could claim her in her own tent Mijwell had now planned a sche until the Fedhan were so enca previously seen, he wouldhis best irl's father Meat would, of course, be laid before hiuest, and under the protection of the Sheikh On the followingher race and qualities, to his host, and ask his daughter; offering, at the saht worthy of her The father, ould probably not be ignorant of what had passed between the lovers, would at once consent to the union, and give back the e would shortly afterwards be solemnised, and an alliance would thus be formed between the two tribes Such was Mijwell's plan, and it was one not unfrequently adopted by Bedouins under similar circumstances
The laws of Dakheel, another very rest the Shammar, are nearly the same as those of the Aneyza and Hedjaz Arabs, of which Burckhardt has given so full and interesting an account I have little, therefore, to add upon the subject, but its iiously respected by the true Arab than those regulating the mutual relations of the protected and protector A violation of Dakheel (as this law is called) would be considered a disgrace not only upon the individual but upon his family, and even upon his tribe, which never could be wiped out No greater insult can be offered to a man, or to his clan, than to say that he has broken the Dakheel A disregard of this sacred obligation is the first syeneracy in an Arab tribe; and when once it exists, the treachery and vices of the Turk rapidly succeed to the honesty and fidelity of the true Arab character The relations between the Dakheel and the Dakhal (or the protector and protected) arise from a variety of circu acertain acts, or repeating a certain forst the Sha or thread, the other end of which is held by his enemy, he immediately becomes his Dakheel If he touch the canvas of a tent, or can even throw his mace towards it, he is the Dakheel of its owner If he can spit upon ato him with his teeth, he is Dakhal, unless of course, in case of theft, it be the person who caught him A woman can protect any number of persons, or even of tents[134] If a horseer who has eaten with a Shaive Dakheel to his eneh there is blood between his tribe and the Sha out ”Nuffo” (I renounce), iven his protection to another, whether fore of Dakheel, is bound to protect his Dakhal under all circumstances, even to the risk of his own property and life I could relatebeenbeen involved in ith powerful enemies by whom they have been alation Even the Turkish rulers respect a lahich they hty Pasha of Baghdad has found refuge and protection in the tent of a poor Arab Sheikh, who the days of his prosperity, he had subjected to every injury and wrong, and yet ould then defy the government itself, and risk his very life, rather than surrender his guest The essence of Arab virtue is a respect for the laws of hospitality, of which the Dakheel in all its various forst the Bedouins atched our cast the tribes With the exception of a few ballads that he had formerly composed in honor of Sofuk, and other celebrated Shammar Sheikhs, he chiefly recited exte events, or on persons ere present He would sit in h plaintive, strain, to the great delight of the asseuests, and particularly of Mijwell, who, like a true Bedouin, was easily affected by poetry, especially with such as ht touch his own passion for the unknown lady When the bard i chief's excitement was almost beyond control The other Bedouins were scarcely less moved by these rude measures, which have the same kind of effect on the wild tribes of the Persian ht poets, or by the girls of their encampment, will drive warriors to the combat, fearless of death, or prove an ahazou_ or the fight The exciterape He ould understand the influence of the Hoes, should witness the effect which similar compositions have upon the wild no seeh his metre and mode of recitation are rude to European ears, his rich and sonorous language lends itself to this species of poetry, whilst his exuberant iination furnishes hiories The wars between the tribes, the _ghazou_, and their struggles with the Turks, are inexhaustible themes for verse, and in an Arab tent there is little else to afford excitement or amusement The Bedouins have no books; even a Koran is seldo Arab who can read They have no written literature, and their traditional history consists of a little more than the tales of a few storytellers ander fro verses to the ourd covered with sheep-skin
The day of our departure no nigh, and Suleieneral review of the irregular troops under his command
The horsemen of the Milli and Chichi Kurds, and of the Arab tribes who encamped with them, joined the Turkish cavalry, and added to the interest and beauty of the display The Hyta-Bashi+s were, as usual, resplendent in silk and gold There were soh-bred horses in the field; but the ular cavalry is daily degenerating throughout the elected a branch of their national arreat victories, and at one tihbours The abolition of the Spahiliks, and other military tenures, has, of course, contributed much to this result, and has led to the deterioration of that excellent breed of horses which once distinguished the Ottoovernular troops is not sufficient to enable the has been sacrificed to the regular army, undoubtedly an essential element of national defence; but in a future war the Turks will probably find reason to regret that they have altogether sacrificed it to the ancient irregular horse
The Kurds, although encue turbans, are not bad horsemen Mijwell, however, as he scanned the le eye, included them all in one expression of ineffable contempt
[Illustration: Volcanic Cone of Koukab]
CHAPTER XV
DEPARTURE FROM THE KHABOUR--ARAB SAGACITY--THE HOL--THE LAKE OF KHATOUNIYAH--RETURN OF SUTTUM--ENCAMPMENT OF THE SHAMMAR--ARAB HORSES--THEIR BREEDS--THEIR VALUE--THEIR SPEED--SHEIKH FERHAN--YEZIDI VILLAGES--FALCONS--AN ALARM ABOU MARIA--ESKI MOSUL--ARRIVAL AT MOSUL--RETURN OF SUTTUM TO THE DESERT
Mr Horerous illness to be able to ride a deloul, and no re been discovered in the ha on the 29th of April, on our return to Mosul
We again visited the remarkable volcanic cone of Koukab As we drew near to it, Mijwell detected, in the loose soil, the footprints of two nised to be those of Shaacity of the Bedouin in deter from such marks, whether of man or beast, and, fro, and business, of those who may have left them, with many other particulars, is well known In this respect he reseh the circumstances differ under which the two are called upon to exercise this peculiar faculty The one seeks or avoids his enemy in vast plains, which, for three-fourths of the year, are without any vegetation; the other tracks his prey through thick woods and high grass The quickness of perception is the result of continual observation and of caution encouraged from earliest youth Whilst the child in a civilised country is still under the care of its nurse, the Bedouin boy is cohest faculties, and on his prudence and sagacity may sometimes depend the safety of his tribe
The expert Bedouin can draw conclusions fro of animals that would excite the astonishment of an European He will tell whether the ca froued or fresh, the time when it passed by, whether the oas a man of the desert or of the tohether a friend or foe, and sometiht near thefarewell to the pleasant banks of the Khabour, we struck into the Desert in the direction of the Sinjar
Extensive beds of gypsum, or alabaster, such as was used in the assyrian edifices, formed for some miles the surface of the plain We soon approached a densea swamp called the Hol, which extends from the Lake of Khatouniyah to within a short distance of the Khabour This jungle is the hiding-place of many kinds of wild beasts: lions lurk in it, and in the thick cover the Bedouins find their cubs