'دليل الخليج، الجزء الثاني، مواد جغرافية ووصفية، القسم الثاني، الجانب الغربي من الخليج' [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٧] (٢٨٦/٢٧٣)

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all are welcome to the feast. The marriage ceremony is simple and is performed
in the presence of the respective fathers, or nearest of kin, of bride and bride
groom. Voluntary consent of the parties is necessary, also the permission of the
lather. The girl's father receives a certain payment. A mulla or greybeard
then asks the parties if they consent to the union, receives a fee and sends them
off to cohabit. There seem to be no particular burial ceremonies. Like
the Muhammadans they wash their dead, cover the corpse with a white
shroud and inter it with a prayer. Afterwards they kill a sheep and distribute
its flesh among the poor. When a shroud is not procurable the Selaib is
buried in a new deerskin frock. The characteristic feature of certain festivals of
the Selaib, especially of circumcisions or weddings, is the planting of a wooden
cross, draped with red cloth and topped with feathers, at the door of the tent
where the ceremony takes place. This serves as general invitation to neigh
bours to collect and dance round the cross. From this apparently is derived
their name (Saleeb=cross). They have a peculiar dance in which the man
lightly kisses his female partner on the shoulder, but may not touch her
waist or hand. (10) (11) (12) The political position of the Selaib appears
to he one of semi-subordination to the Arabs. They wander among the Arabs
and are friends with all tribes yet remain entirely distinct. The Arabs never
intermarry with them. They take no part in Arab feuds, etc., and the tribes
disdain to plunder them ;Bedouins, says Doughty, would not. even rob a soli
tary Sulabi of a valuable ostrich skin. They are too useful as guides and
menials to be injured. They pay no tribute (.^o Pelly says but Doughty says
they pay a small tribute wherever they go) and the tribes* scorn to borrow from
them. The Selaib have a patron in every considerable tribe, to whom thev
appeal in case of necessity and the difficulty is then disposed of by mediation.
They themselves never plunder. In camp they pitch apart from the Arabi.
SELOO.—Two marches from Koweit on one of the routes to Katif.
SIIAAYBAT.—First stage on one route from Koweit to Hasa.
S11ETNA (KIIOR).—A somewhat confused description of this Khor
^ill bo found at page 578 of Bombay Records, Selection XXIV ; and the
name Khor Shetana also occurs in the Admiralty Chart of the Mouth of the
Euphrates, but so placed as not to afford any assistance. It is described as
a branch of Khor Abdullah " formed by "Warba Island and the main, which
continues navigable for large boats above Bussorah. ,, In Admiralty Chart
No. 2374-2S37&, Persian Gulf (1903), a semi-conjectural Khor somewhat
corresponding to the above description is shown ; but the still later survey of
the Khors Abdullah and Umm Kasr by Kemp seems to show that no such Khor
exists. What then is Khor Shctna P Is it merely the northern channel bet
ween Warba Island and the main; or is it identical \mh Khor Umm Kasr
or Khor Zobeir? In 1903 the Vice-Consul, Basra, found a Khor some
what corresponding with the semi-conjectural one mentioned above.
SHIAIBA.—Small square fort on the Koweit coast, c-J miles south of Abu
Ilalaifa. Inhabited by 40 families of Ejman tribe. Beach is sandy, but land
ing at low water is did)cult. In 1898 there was a young date -plantation and
some water in wells; the people were herdsmen and cultivators.
SHUG.—District immediately south of that called Adan by people of
Koweit. It appears to be enclosed between southern part of the parallel ranges
shown in Felly's map as beginning from the Delaa-ed-Delaa and Delaa-el Cheb-
reet hills and running west and then north. The surface rises gently from
the sea.
SHUWAIK (BANDAPt).—See under Kurein.
SULABA.—See Selaib.
THAKUB.—The great mud-flat on which Failaka Island and the islet of
Mashkan stand. It runs south-east from mouth of Khor SaMya and forms
protection on north and east to Koweit harbour. It is nearly 20 miles long
and about 6 miles broad.
TOOR.—See under Failaka Island.
TOWEINA (BANDAR). —See under Koweit Bay.
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