Travels in Arabia Deserta (Volume 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1888. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XX. . Damsels to wed. Fair women. The people of Teyma untaught. Their levity noted by the Beduins. The well camels. Labourers at the ruined haddaj. Beduins swimming in the haddaj. Project to rebuild the haddaj. Ibn Bashid's Resident. Ibn Rashid a Hakim el-Aarab. The Medina government cast their eye- upon Teyma. Unreasonable patients. Oasis ophthalmia. The evil eye. Exorcism. Zelots in Ramathdn. The ruined site of Mosaic Teyma. Reported necropolis of antique Teyma with inscriptions. The seven ancient boroughs of this province. A. new well-ground. African slave-blood in the Peninsula. The Arabian bondage is mild. Ramathdn ended. Bairam festival. A whistler. The music of Damascus. The Fukara arrive. Beduins of Bishr flocking into the town. The date-gathering. An Harb dancing woman. Misshel's words. Better news of the Moahtb. The visit of Homed and Wdyil to Ibn Itashid. Nomad butchers. MShsan's petition. The " wild ox " or wothyhi. The ancient archery. The Aarab friends are slow to further the Nasrany's voyage. The Bishr at Teyma. An Heteymy sheykh. Dispute with Zeyd's herdsman. Last evening at Teyma. Zeyd. In the field, where we dwelt, I received my patients. Here I found the strangest adventure. A young unwedded woman in Teyma, hearing that the stranger was a Dowlany, or government man, came to treat of marriage: she gave tittun to Me'hsan's wife and promised her more only to bring this match about; my hostess commended her to me as 'a fair young woman and well grown; her eyes, billah, egg-great, and she smelled of nothing but ambergris.' The kind damsel was the daughter of a Damascene (perhaps a kella keeper) formerly in this country, and she disdained therefore that any should be her mate of these heartless villagers or nomad people. We hav...