fqW” Niebuhr mentions o tte r towns, of Aired, among which is
Jebrin, on the confines of Làhfa.
r; ,‘‘ The province, of, Kerjé is^in the' S. W - p a rt, of'Neged; and of
courfe on the frontiers of Yemen : it extends alotig the E. of Hejaz,
^ confiderable way to çhe N. Here'is the town of Imama, 'which in the
time of Mahomet was renowned for the prophet Mofeilama, in the
diftriâ: called SurzaT " This province alfo colnpfifes other to'wns, among
which is Salemia on the confines of Yemen. Mount Schamer, ten days
journey from Bagdad, is in the northern part of Neged [and its precincts
difplay feveral towns mentioned by Niebuhr*]. In Negèd there
is alfo a hilly country called Jof al Siran, between mount Schamer,
and Sham,. or Syria t it contains two towns, Shake and Duma.
“ The Arabs of Neged are not more inhuman'towards ftrangers than
the reft of their nation, nor lefs hofpitable ; but as this country contains
fo.many little independent ftatés, each governed by a Sheik; it may be
eàfily conceived that travellers here find little’fecurity: Each ptiricé'endeavours
to Vet from- them all he can aridfasythey- àye^commMy; at
war with each other, ftrangers are defpoiled by thc firft, that Ms-nergto
hours may not be the richer.' Hence'opulentjoreign merchants cannot
hazard their caravans in thefe regions;, and tbofe that’ corné from
Omon and Lahfa to Mecca are generally compofed of i beggars,: or
people who wifh to pafs for fuch : and the caravan which ef eïy year
leaves Bagdad for Mecca, accompanied with many rich Perfians, is in
proportion to its number, charged with fimilar expenees and eportiptfs
as thofe of Turkey, Egypt, and Magreb, which pafs by Hejaz. Yet
there is room to believe that the towns of Neged carry on a coflfidfef*
able trade among themfelves, and with the neighbouring places': in
Hejaz, Yemen, and Lahfa, whence it, may be poffible for â European
traveller to fnfpeét this internal part of Arabia. I was told at Bazra
that in Neged a young Arab cannot marry till he have proved his valour
by thé death of one of his enemies ; but this appears to me extravagant,
' except wild beafts may be reckoned among enemies ; I and even in this
• This province, unknewn to our maps, might be' named-' from the mountain till fcnthc'r
enquiry : it mult be about 200 miles,from Bagdad, probably S. W. D ’Anvillc has doubled the
diftance.
cafe
cafe the law mull not** be df'Mgordj&s -'acceptation, as the-Arabs of Goverh-
js j^ n are n'ck-l'efs-ehgfeVthdh the qfher Prieritals to marry their children
very young.”
1 Niebuhr tiled' proceeds "'to mention^the^neXv' prophet Wahheb, of
th£‘pf'oVificS 'tif TIantft, "^f© howscalfed 'Daraih. ©f’the 'Wandering -
BeduiiU dfNergedf'one o'fi the^h'iefi tribes is 'the Beni Kaledy whtvhave
c en te re d ’ Lahfa' fhe'reigning Sheilpmdftlyflivingiltt tents: the tribe
pf'Riib dw’eHfe in towns^arid villages^ while that of Mohtefitinoheitpies
both flibf5es of the 'Euphrafesf from’btsifMfljUdhce! with >the‘Tigris“td
Arasje. > Other tribes’In ^hah-quarter need mot'be!dhdicat€fd.I;iIfi.'(the .
gfelS ddfdrt'of the^prO’khee'bfiNege'd the tribe oSAnafi|isf^hei'driucipal;
and'there "Is ahdftref jcalled?;S£Ka^ft'firdxn’ the mduntain >: ^Unbit i*to
be‘regretted that NlebUhr’s - iiifortoaritSnftcoh'CermUg the inlarfd region's
Ip dot fribre«texteTifi've'V-dnd that bis maps are \e ^ o g rap h i^ ;5swhil^
frorfi'his' gfebefal knowledge, he Plight hate 'given'a map of Ar abia,
fiiphrior to that, of D’Anville:1 •
t Erdm ffiis^geheraT idea o f thegreateT-p'drt-PfiAr.ab'iupitt-vMlL'be per* j | | | | | | and'
'clfv&tfthathlfe marine^ and cuftoms'PPth^h|^|ilSMsmnlbprmmllll^ “
be'coinmon •WithJii6Te'ipf the other Beduih«^f6^<^ml'y<BefeMiedby
HbfeVous' travellers^' ^ho^''df^t,h e 'c c^ tfy < § fl^ la ^ ■ '^ ^ b .b ’een^aS*■''
cyratefy delineated by "'Niebuhr. | ahd j thhrph%vi#Tc'e^wlll qbab%1 rafter
thd '’ut’moft difcovery, ciMinue t o ' b'e“ fe|irded a& We 'nio’ft -interellrlg
*poM%n ;‘“feprefenting,“as' (jibbon has obferved",- the Arabia'Felix of an1-
ticjdity.* In ^emen‘ murifer is punlihed with death, bnbhfiope ©fte\
Teff lo < private'* tefenge',' #hifch :odcafrons family feuds, Eh'aKpeM'etide
o f^ le fy . The btlilf cUftdmPafe-5 chiefly co’mmoh with the-'Mhhome-
tan nations': but in politenefs the Arabs vie with-the Perft^fe^ana
"there are fell remaidsof f fltfie^offiSffriTalut^
'tipn is the &alam_ Alekum , or iW e be witHs‘y6&f; i^prhnOihficfngJwhich
words th ^ r a if ^ th e . riglff hancTto Hhe heaft, but 'i^feldom
addreffed to Chiiftians. On ipeelihg intheii^/ld|dtferfe>he‘faiutatioM
arp^multiplied; and fhe hank o f a fuperiorAVItifiM i ^ p f e ^ o ^ ^ e d h ;
I * Ptolemy lias extended this ;name over f he. Wide deferts wbicti ,reaci> ,fi:pm Omon .to Mecca ;
__ bnt it is probable that be, as ufua^ffled up- fte :;centralluteival^witb f l f f l s and toivns .which
' belimged to the ihores. a ceremony