maintain them in the name of God and of his prophets Mahomet and Ali;
declaring by these presents that we are determined to live and die in
this holy alliance.
“Dated, signed, and sealed, the 12th of
November, 1811.”
All who were present approved and signed it.
Some time afterwards, being encamped in the large and fine plain of El
Rané, the Drayhy sent couriers to the other tribes, to invite them to
sign this treaty. Several chiefs set their seals to it, and those who
had no seal fixed on it the impression of their finger. Among these
chiefs I noticed a young man who from the age of fifteen had governed
the tribe of El Ollama, which bears a character very superior to those
of the other Bedouins. They cultivate poetry, are well informed, and in
general very eloquent. This young sheik thus related the origin of his
tribe:--
A Bedouin of Bagdad was held in high reputation for sagacity. A man
one day came to him, saying:--“My wife disappeared four days ago; I
have sought her ever since in vain: I have three weeping children,
and I am in despair; assist me with your advice.” Aliaony consoled
the unfortunate man, recommended him to stay with his children, and
promised him to seek his wife for him, and bring her back dead or
alive. In collecting all sorts of intelligence upon the subject, he
learnt that the woman was remarkably beautiful; he himself had a
libertine son, who had also been some days absent: a ray of light broke
upon his mind--he mounted his dromedary and searched the desert. He
perceived from afar an assemblage of eagles, hastened towards them, and
found at the entrance of a grotto the dead body of a woman. Examining
the spot, he discovered the track of a camel, and part of the trimming
of a wallet: he brought away this dumb witness and retraced his steps.
On returning to his tent, he found his son arrived: his torn wallet
wanted the fatal trimming. Overwhelmed by his father’s reproaches, the
young man confessed his crime: Aliaony cut off his head, sent for the
husband, and said to him:--“My son killed your wife--I have punished
him and revenged you; I have a daughter, and give her to you in
marriage.” This trait of barbarous justice enhanced the reputation of
Aliaony: he was elected chief of his tribe, which from his name assumed
that of El Ollama, signifying wise,--an appellation which the tribe has
always justified.
As we approached Bagdad, our treaty daily received a number of
additional signatures.
After quitting El Rané, we encamped at Ain el Oussada, near the river
El Cabour. During our sojourn there, a courier despatched by the Drayhy
to the Sheik Giandal, chief of the tribe of Wualdi, having been very
ill received, returned, bearing an offensive message to the Drayhy. His
sons were desirous of taking immediate vengeance. Sheik Ibrahim opposed
them, representing that it was always time enough to make war, and
that it was right first to try persuasion. I proposed to the emir to
go myself with explanations to Giandal. At first he refused the offer,
saying:--“Why should you take the trouble of going to him? Let him
come himself, or my sabre shall compel him.” He yielded, however, at
length to my arguments, and I set out escorted by two Bedouins. Giandal
received me with anger, and learning who I was, said to me:--“If I
had met you anywhere but under my tent, you should never have eaten
bread again: be thankful to our customs, which forbid my killing
you.”--“Words do not kill,” said I; “I am your friend, and have your
good at heart. I am come to ask a private interview with you. If what I
have to say to you does not satisfy you, I shall return by the way that
I came.” Seeing my _sang-froid_, he stood up, called his eldest son,
conducted me beyond the tents, where we sat down upon the ground, and I
thus opened the conference:--
“Which do you prefer, slavery or liberty?”
“Liberty, undoubtedly!”
“Union or discord?”--“Union!”
“Greatness or abasement?”--“Greatness!”
“Poverty or riches?”--“Riches!”
“Good or evil?”--“Good!”
“All these advantages we are desirous of securing to you: we wish to
release you from slavery to the Wahabees, and from the tyranny of the
Osmanlis, by a general confederation which shall make us powerful
and free. Why do you refuse to join us?” He answered: “What you say
is plausible, but we shall never be strong enough to resist Ebn
Sihoud!”--“Ebn Sihoud is a man like yourself; he is moreover a tyrant,
and God does not favour oppressors: it is not numbers, but intelligence
which gives the superiority; power does not rest in the sabre which
strikes, but in the will which directs it.” The conference lasted some
time longer; but in the end I convinced him, and persuaded him to
accompany me to the Drayhy, who was highly satisfied with the issue of
my negotiation.
We next encamped near the mountains of Sangiar, which are inhabited by
the worshippers of an evil spirit. The principal tribe of the country,
commanded by Hammond el Tammer, is fixed near the river Sagiour, and
does not wander like the others. Hammond refused at first to enter into
the alliance. I had a long correspondence with him on this subject, and
having at length persuaded him to join us, great rejoicings took place
on both sides. Hammond invited the Drayhy to visit him, and received
him magnificently. Five camels and thirty sheep were slaughtered for
the entertainment, which was served on the ground without the tents.
Large dishes of tinned copper, resembling silver, were borne each by
four men, containing a mountain of rice six feet high, surmounted by
an entire sheep or the quarter of a camel. In other dishes not so
large, was a roast sheep or a camel’s ham; and a multitude of little
dishes, filled with dates and other dried fruits, were distributed
in the intervals. Their bread is excellent. They bring their corn
from Diabekir, and their rice from Marhach and Mallatia. When we were
seated, or rather squatted, round this feast, we could not distinguish
the persons opposite to us. The Bedouins of this tribe dress much more
richly than the others: the women are very pretty; they wear silk
dresses, many bracelets and ear-rings of gold and silver, and a golden
ring in the nose.
After some days passed in festivities, we continued our journey and
approached a river, or rather an arm of the Euphrates, which connects
it with the Tigris. Here we were joined by a courier, who in five
days had travelled on a dromedary a distance which takes thirty at
the pace of a caravan. He came from the district of Neggde, sent by a
friendly sheik to warn the Drayhy of the rage into which his projects
and alliances had thrown Ebn Sihoud. He despaired of seeing him ever
able to make head against the storm, and strongly recommended him to
make peace with the Wahabees. I wrote, in the name of the Drayhy, that
he felt no more concern about Ebn Sihoud than he should about a grain
of mustard; placing his confidence in God, the sole giver of victory.
Then, by a diplomatic _ruse_, I gave him to understand that the armies
of the Grand Signior would support the Drayhy, who was desirous, above
all things, of opening the road to the caravans and delivering Mecca
from the power of the Wahabees. The next day we crossed the great arm
of the river in boats, and encamped at the other side, in the vicinity
of the tribe of El Cherarah, celebrated for its courage, and also for
its ignorance and obstinacy.
We had foreseen the extreme difficulty of gaining it over, not only on
account of these faults, but because of the friendship which existed
between its chief Abedd, and Abdallah, the principal minister of
King Ebn Sihoud. Accordingly he refused to join the alliance; and in
this state of things, the Drayhy, supposing all negotiation useless,
declared that the sabre must decide between them. The following day
Sahen was sent, with five hundred cavalry, to attack Abedd. He returned
in three days, having taken one hundred and forty camels, and two mares
of great value: eight men only were killed, but a great number wounded
on both sides. I witnessed on this occasion a very extraordinary cure.
A young man, a relation of Sahen, was brought back, having his skull
broken by a stroke of the djerid, seven sabre wounds in the body,
and a lance still fixed in his side. The extraction of the lance
was immediately set about, and it was brought out from the opposite
side: during the operation the patient turned to me and said--“Do not
distress yourself about me, Abdallah, I shall not die;” and extending
his hand, he took my pipe and began smoking as tranquilly as if the
seven gaping wounds had been in another body.
In about twenty days he was completely cured, and was on horseback
as before. The only medicine they gave him was camel’s milk mixed
with fresh butter, and his only food was dates dressed in butter.
Every third day his wounds were washed in camel’s urine. I doubt if a
European surgeon, with all his apparatus, would have made so complete a
cure in so short a time.
The war became daily more serious: Abedd collected his allies to
surround us, which obliged us to encamp upon the sands of Caffera,
where there is no water. The women were obliged to fetch it daily from
the river, in leathern budgets carried by camels. The great quantity
necessary for watering the cattle rendered this a very heavy labour.
On the third day the terrified drivers came to announce that eight
hundred camels had been carried off by Abedd’s followers, while they
were leading them to the river. The Drayhy, to revenge this outrage,
gave orders to strike the tents and to make a rapid advance on the
tribe of Cherarah, which he resolved to attack with his whole force. We
marched a day and night without halting, and pitched ten thousand tents
at about half a league from the camp of Abedd. A general and murderous
battle seemed inevitable; but I determined to hazard a last effort to
prevent it if possible.
The Bedouins hold women in great respect, and consult them on all
their plans. In the tribe of El Cherarah their influence is even more
extensive than elsewhere; there the women hold the actual command.
They have generally much more sense than their husbands; and Arquia,
wife of the Sheik Abedd, in particular passes for a very superior
woman. I determined to go to her, to take her some presents of
ear-rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other trifles, and to endeavour
thereby to bribe her to our interests. Having secretly made all the
necessary inquiries to direct my proceedings, I introduced myself to
her in the absence of her husband, who was holding a council of war
with one of his allies. By dint of compliments and presents, I led her
to enter herself on the subject of the war,--the real purpose of my
visit, though I did not choose to confess it. I took the opportunity
of explaining to her the advantages of an alliance with the Drayhy,
solely as a subject of conversation, and by no means as authorised
to consult with her upon it: I told her that my visit was solely
induced by a natural curiosity to see so celebrated a woman, who
governed warriors redoubtable for their courage, but in need of her
superior understanding rightly to direct their brutal force. During
this conversation her husband returned to the camp, was informed of
my arrival, and sent orders to Arquia ignominiously to dismiss the
spy she had with her; that as the rites of hospitality would withhold
his arm from taking vengeance upon the threshold of his own tent,
he should not enter it till the traitor was gone. Arquia haughtily
replied, that I was her guest, and that she should not suffer the law
to be laid down to her. I got up to take leave of her, asking pardon
for the embarrassment I had caused; but she seemed to make a point
of convincing me that I had not gratuitously attributed to her an
influence which she did not possess, for she detained me by force while
she went to confer with her husband. She soon returned, accompanied
by Abedd, who treated me very politely, and requested me to explain
the intentions of the Drayhy. I gained his entire confidence, by the
assistance of his wife, and, before the end of the day, he himself
solicited permission to accompany me to the Drayhy; which I opposed,
telling him that I should not dare to present him to the emir without
notice, because he was so highly irritated against him; but that I
would plead his cause and send him an immediate answer. I left them at
least as desirous of joining the confederacy as I had been to persuade
them to do so.
By the invitation of the Drayhy, Abedd went a few days afterwards
to set his seal to the treaty, and to exchange the camels which had
been reciprocally taken during the war. This difficult affair thus
terminated in so satisfactory a manner, we left the sands to pass eight
days in the district of Atteria, at three hours’ distance from the
Tigris, near the ruins of the castle El Attera, where the pasturage
is abundant. Having here refreshed the cattle, we continued our route
eastwards.
We one day met a Bedouin, mounted on a fine black dromedary: the sheiks
saluted him with an air of concern, and inquired what had been the
issue of his unfortunate adventure of the preceding year. I asked his
history, and found the recital sufficiently interesting to give it a
place in my journal. Aloian (this was the name of the Bedouin,) while
hunting the gazelle, arrived at a spot where broken lances, bloody
sabres, and unburied corpses indicated a recent battle. A plaintive
sound, which scarcely reached his ear, attracted him to a pile of dead
bodies, in the midst of which a young Arab still breathed. Aloian
hastened to his assistance, placed him upon his dromedary, led him to
his tent, and by his paternal cares restored him to life. After four
months’ convalescence, Faress (the wounded man) began to talk of his
departure; but Aloian said to him:--“If we must absolutely separate,
I will conduct you to your tribe, and there take leave of you with
regret; but if you will remain with me, you shall be my brother, my
mother shall be your mother, and my wife your sister: consider my
proposal, and give it a deliberate answer.”--“Oh! my benefactor,”
replied Faress, “where shall I find such relations as you offer me?
But for you, I should not now be living; my flesh would have been
devoured by birds of prey, and my bones by the beasts of the desert:
since you are willing to keep me, I will live with you and serve you
to the end of my life.” A motive less pure than he dared to avow had
prompted Faress’s decision: love for Hafza, the wife of Aloian, who had
been his nurse, was beginning to agitate his bosom, and was returned.
Aloian, who entertained no suspicion, one day charged Faress to escort
his mother, his wife, and two children to a new encampment, while he
went hunting. Faress could not resist this fatal opportunity: he laded
a camel with the tent, placed the mother and two children upon it, and
sent them forward, saying that he would follow with Hafza on horseback.
But the old woman looked back in vain: Hafza did not appear; Faress
had carried her away upon an extremely swift mare to his tribe. In the
evening Aloian arrived, fatigued with the chase, and searched in vain
for his tent among those of his tribe. The old mother had been unable
to pitch it without assistance, and he found her seated upon the earth
with the two children. “Where is Hafza?” said he.--“I have neither seen
Hafza nor Faress,” replied she: “I have been expecting them since the
morning.” Then, for the first time, he suspected the truth; and having
assisted his mother to fix the tent, he mounted his black dromedary and
rode two days till he came up to the tribe of Faress. At the entrance
of the camp he stopped to speak to an old woman who was alone. “Why
do you not go to the sheik?” said she; “there is a feast in the tribe
to-day: Faress Ebn Mehidi, who had been wounded on a field of battle
and wept for dead, is returned, bringing with him a beautiful woman;
this evening their wedding is to be celebrated.” Aloian dissembled, and
waited for the night: then, while all the camp slept, he introduced
himself into the tent of Faress, separated his head from his body
by a stroke of his sabre, and having carried the corpse out of the
encampment, returned upon his steps, found his wife asleep, and woke
her, saying,--“It is Aloian who calls thee; follow me.” She rose in
terror and said,--“Save thyself, imprudent man! Faress and his brothers
will kill thee.”--“Traitress!” replied he, “what have I done to be
thus treated? Have I ever contradicted or reproached thee? Hast thou
forgotten all the cares I have lavished upon thee? Hast thou forgotten
thy children? Come, rise, call upon God and follow me: accursed be
the devil who has tempted you to commit this folly!” But Hafza, far
from being moved by this mildness of Aloian, exclaimed, “Go hence!
or I shall give the alarm and call Faress to kill thee.” Seeing that
there was nothing to be gained by remonstrance, he seized her, stopped
her mouth, and in spite of her resistance placed her on a dromedary,
which never paused till they were out of hearing of the camp. Then
placing her _en croupe_ behind him, he more leisurely continued his
route. At day-break the corpse of Faress and the disappearance of his
wife set the whole camp in a tumult. His father and brothers followed
and overtook Aloian, who defended himself with heroic courage. Hafza,
breaking off her bonds, joined the assailants and threw stones at him,
one of which struck him on the head and made him stagger. Aloian,
however, though covered with wounds, conquered his adversaries: he
killed the two brothers, and disarmed the father, saying it would be
disgraceful to him to kill an old man; he restored him his mare, and
advised him to return home; then, seizing his wife anew, he pursued his
route and reached his tribe without having exchanged a word with her.
He immediately assembled all her relations, and placing Hafza in the
midst of them, said to her,--“Relate, thyself, all that has passed: I
refer my cause to the judgment of thy father and brother.” Hafza told
the tale truly, and her father, full of indignation, raised his sabre
and laid her at his feet.
Having proceeded stage by stage to within four hours of Bagdad, M.
Lascaris secretly repaired thither to see the French consul, M. Adrien
de Correncé, and negotiate with him for a large sum of money.
The next day, after crossing the Tigris at Machad, we established
ourselves near the river El Cahaun, and learned there that a sanguinary
war was raging between the Bedouins, who took part for or against
our alliance. Sheik Ibrahim persuaded the Drayhy not to lose time,
but to form a junction with our allies as expeditiously as possible.
We consequently advanced, and encamped near many little springs, at
twenty hours’ distance from Bagdad; and the next day crossed a great
chain of mountains: we then took the necessary precaution of filling
our water budgets, having a march of twelve hours to make over burning
sands, where neither water nor herbage is to be found. On reaching the
frontiers of Persia we met a messenger of the tribe of El Achgaha,
bearing a letter from the chief Dehass, who demanded the assistance of
_the Father of Heroes--the chief of the most redoubtable warriors--the
powerful Drayhy_, against enemies who number fifteen thousand tents.
We were then at six days’ journey from this tribe; but the Drayhy
having given orders to quicken the march, we accomplished this distance
in three times twenty-four hours, without halting even to eat. The
greatest fatigue of this forced march fell upon the women, who were
obliged to make the bread and milk the camels, without delaying the
caravan.
The organization of this ambulatory kitchen was very curious. At
certain regulated distances women were placed, who were employed
without relaxation. The first, mounted on a camel laden with wheat, had
a handmill before her. The corn once ground, she passed the meal to her
neighbour, whose business it was to knead it with water, carried in
budgets suspended on the sides of her camel. The dough was then handed
to a third woman, who baked it in the form of cakes on a chafing-dish,
with charcoal and straw. These cakes she distributed to the division
of warriors, whose food she was charged to provide, and who came every
minute to demand their portion.
Other women walked beside the camels to milk them into
_cahahs_,--wooden pails, containing four litres: these were passed from
hand to hand to slake the thirst of the troops. The camels ate as they
marched, from bags hung round their necks; and when their riders wished
to sleep, they lay at their length on the camels, their feet secured
in the sacks to protect them from falling. The slow and measured step
of the camels invites to sleep, and I have never slept better than on
this march. The wife of the Emir Faress was delivered in her howdah of
a son, who received the name of Harma, from the place we were passing
when he came into the world: it is at the confluence of the Tigris
and Euphrates. We were soon after joined by three tribes: El Harba,
El Suallema, and El Abdalla. We reckoned seven thousand tents when
Dehass joined us. This imposing succour reassured him; we gave him a
magnificent supper, after which he affixed his seal to our treaty.
The enemy was still at the distance of a day’s journey. Our men and
horses being in great need of repose, the Drayhy commanded a two days’
rest; but the assailants did not allow us the desired truce. As soon
as the report of our approach reached them, they began their march,
and the next day thirty thousand men were encamped an hour from us.
The Drayhy immediately advanced his army to the banks of the river,
fearing that our supply of water might be intercepted; and we took up a
position near the village of El Hutta.
The next day, the Drayhy sent a letter to the chiefs of the five tribes
who were come to attack us: Douockhry, chief of El Fedhay; Saker Ebn
Hamed, chief of El Modianu; Mohdi Ebn Hud, of El Sabha; Bargiass, of
Mouayega; and Amer Ebn Noggies, chief of Mehayeda. This attempt was
wholly unsuccessful: the answer was a declaration of war, the style of
which clearly proved that our intentions had been misrepresented, and
that the chiefs acted under foreign influence.