towards the left, we came in twenty minutes (at 6? 40') to the encampment of the Ta'âmirah belonging to our guides; where we found our tent already pitched, and our home for the night prepared. The situation was high, lying on the northern declivity of the high land around Tekoa; and overlooking a large tract of country towards the North.1

The Ta'âmirah were said to muster in all about three hundred men. The limits of their territory are not very distinct; but they may be said to occupy, in general, the district lying between Bethlehem, Tekoa, and the Dead Sea; the eastern part of which is a mere desert. At the place where we now were, there were only six tents; the rest of the tribe being dispersed in other similar encampments. They have but a single village, Beit Ta'mar, and this is rarely inhabited; here they store their grain in subterranean magazines like cisterns, as is common in other villages. The Ta'âmirah occupy indeed a sort of border ground, between the Bedawîn and Fellâhîn; between the wandering tenants of the desert who dwell only in tents, and the more fixed inhabitants of the villages. Hence, being acknowledged by neither and distrusted by all, they are regarded as a sort of Ishmaelites whose "hand is against every man; and have acquired for themselves a notorious character as restless and daring robbers and rebels. As a matter of course, they took part in the insurrection of 1834; and at the capture of Jerusalem, our Sheikh was said to have been the first man who entered the city.

They also held out till the very last against the government. Fearing the consequences of their activity in the rebellion, and dreading especially the thought of being subjected to the conscription, they retired into

1) From the encampment the Frank Mountain bore E. N. E.

Bethlehem N. Teku'a S. 6o E. distant 25 minutes.

the desert and encamped near the Dead Sea. In order to bring them to terms, the Mudîr of 'Akka came with several thousand men and encamped in their territory for some months; and it was only when they saw their flocks and stores seized, their crops destroyed, and famine staring them in the face, that they returned and submitted. They were disarmed, and compelled to pay an annual capitation-tax of one hundred Piastres for each man; but no soldiers were taken from them, nor as yet had any other tax been demanded in any form. But during the very last year, orders had come from Ibrahim Pasha to take of them for soldiers; upon which all the young men immediately fled to the east side of the Dead Sea. The Sheikh made representations to the authorities at Jerusalem, and the orders were recalled; though in the mean time five men had been already seized, some of whom were now dead, and the others not yet given up.

Such were the character and circumstances of the tribe, in the midst of whom we now were, and into whose care and keeping we had committed ourselves. But we had already learned enough of common reports, to know that they were in general exceedingly exaggerated; and we felt ourselves quite as secure here as within the walls of Jerusalem. To judge from our own intercourse of eight days with the Ta'âmirah, they are much like other Bedawîn; though I think braver, and more faithful and trustworthy in danger. The Sheikh and his four men who accompanied us, were personally brave, and would probably have laid down their lives at any moment in our defence. Yet, like most Arabs, they have no regard for veracity, whenever there is the slightest personal motive to tell a lie; and like most Arabs too, their notions of meum and tuum are not very strictly defined, except towards one another, and towards those to whom they are bound in VOL. II.

23

honour. In this particular, we at least had no occasion for complaint.

Our Sheikh was in every respect something more than a common Arab. In stature he was more than six feet high, well built and finely proportioned; and there was in his movements a native dignity and nobleness, which we did not find in other Bedawîn. His countenance was intelligent, and had a mild and pensive cast; indeed there was a seriousness and earnestness about him, which could not but give him influence in any situation. He was also more than an ordinary Sheikh; he could read and write; and was likewise the Khatîb or orator and Imâm of his tribe. In this capacity he was very regular in the performance of the Muslim devotions, and often chanted long prayers aloud. This seemed indeed to be his chief character, and he was addressed only as ' Khatîb;' so that we hardly heard him called by his real name, Muhammed. There was said to be one or more other Sheikhs of the tribe; though we saw no one but him. The learning of the tribe is confined to the Khatîb, no other individual being able to read or write; but as even this is an exception to Bedawy custom, the Ta'âmirah stand degraded by it in the eyes of their brethren.

As the Khatîb was unwell, we saw no more of him that night. When we sent forward our servants, we had given them a hint to evade (if possible) the sheep, which the Sheikh had proposed to kill in our honour; for which we were told in Jerusalem, a present of not less than two dollars to the Sheikh's wife would be a necessary acknowledgment. This they had been able to do without difficulty. The Sheikh had indeed brought to the tent, not the proffered sheep, but a kid, to be killed as a present; and our servants had told him rather unceremoniously, that we did not eat goat's flesh, and counselled him to take it away again; which he did.

It was now late; and in the bright light of the moon, the scene was highly romantic. We were here on the lofty hill-side, looking out upon the dark mass of the Frank Mountain and the sacred region of Bethlehem; while around us were the black tents, the horses picketed, and the numerous flocks of sheep and goats, all still like the silence of the desert.

We had noticed on our arrival a fine mare with many trappings picketed near the tents; and were told the animal belonged to a Sheikh of the Jehâlîn, who was here on a visit. He came to our tent during the evening, and proved to be Defa' Allah, the chief Sheikh of that tribe. He was gaily dressed, and wore red boots, which he kicked off with some difficulty on entering our tent. As we were expecting to visit Wady Mûsa with an escort from his tribe, we were glad to meet him here and obtain the necessary preliminary information. He had lately been there himself; having accompanied Lord Prudhoe thither directly across the desert from Suez. He said they were accustomed to take travellers from Hebron either on horses or dromedaries; but the latter were preferable, because in case of necessity they were fleeter, and could hold out longer. He was quite talkative, and seemed good-natured and spirited; but as I could not follow his talk, and was exceedingly weary, I could not resist falling into a deep sleep as I leaned on my couch; however little honour this might reflect upon my courtesy. He however did not take it ill; and after some weeks we met again as old acquaintances at Hebron.

The object of Defa' Allah's visit here we did not learn at the time; but it afterwards turned out, that he belonged to the warlike party we had met in Bethlehem, and had come hither to induce the Ta'âmirah to join in the expedition. But they had already suf

fered enough from war, and were too wary to make any movement which might draw upon them the notice of the Egyptian government; so that the Sheikh of the Jehâlîn did not effect his purpose, and left the encampment during the night to overtake his party. But the Khatib was still too much of a diplomatist not to keep all this for the present to himself; and it was only after our return to Jerusalem, that he gave us this information.

Wednesday, May 9th. We rose soon after 4 o'clock, and looked about upon the encampment. All was already in motion at this early hour. There were about six hundred sheep and goats, the latter being the most numerous; and the process of milking was now going on. They have few cows. The six tents were arranged in a sort of square; they were made of black hair-cloth, not large; and were mostly open at one end and on the sides, the latter being turned up. The tents formed the common rendezvous of men, women, children, calves, lambs, and kids. The women were without veils, and seemed to make nothing of our presence. Here we had an opportunity of seeing various processes in the housekeeping of nomadic life. The women in some of the tents were kneading bread, and baking it in thin cakes in the embers or on iron plates over the fire. Another female was churning the milk in a very primitive way, which we often saw afterwards in different parts of the country. The churn consists of a common water-skin, i. e. the tanned skin of a goat stripped off whole and the extremities sewed up. This is partly filled with the milk; and being then suspended in a slight frame, or between two sticks leaning against the tent or house, it is regularly moved to and fro with a jerk until the process is completed.

In another tent a woman was kneeling and grinding at the hand-mill. These mills are doubtless those