'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎674] (773/905)

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government
[chap. xxv.
Tents of the The Ababde, on the borders of Egypt, and some other
Ababde, &c. tribeg} use a fl a t.roofed tent, of very small size, supported by
several slight poles, but so low that there is only space to sit
in an upright posture ; l and the Ssleib (the hunting Arabs)
have one rather smaller, which is supported by two poles in
the centre : it has a pent-shaped roof, which slopes till it
almost touches the ground; and as asses are used instead of
camels, to carry the tents, a diminution of weight in the latter
is of great importance, When the encampment is formed,
the animals are parked round their proprietor's tent; and the
interior of the latter contains the simple utensils belonging to
an Arab family.
The pastoral Except a few persons who have permanent habitations
raUyfoiiowed. during the winter, the lives of the Arabs are nomadic, and
the pastoral vocation is alone considered by them as worthy
of man. Many of them follow strictly the laws of the ancient
Rechabites, for they neither build houses nor sow seed, and they
dwell in tents. 2 Slaves, when they have any, are treated in
every respect as part of the family. The comfort, and even
the wealth of an Arab depends upon his camels: every man
has at least one; with ten a man is considered poor; with
thirty or forty his circumstances are easy, and with sixty
he is rich. 3
The govern- Among the great tribes the government is strictly patri-
Sir 1 - archal, with gradations of authority, according to the number
of people, from the head of a single family to the malik or
sheikh el kebir, whose power extends over a number of
tribes.
In the book of Job there are frequent allusions to a regular
system of governnent in Arabia, and particularly to the admi
nistration of justice; the Hebrew lawgiver himself con
descended to follow the advice of his Arabian father-in-law
in appointing men of truth and hating covetousness to be
rulers over thousands, and rulers over fifties, and rulers over
tens. 4 Among the Arabs at the present day, the individual
1 See Plate LVIII.
4 Jeremiah, ch. xxxv,, v. 7 ; Diod. Sic., lib. xix., p. 649.
3 Burckhardt's Bedawin and Wahhdbi, p. 39. 4 Exod., ch. xviii. v. 17-26.