Egypt : handbook for travellers / edited by K. Baedeker.

Date:
1885-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Egypt : handbook for travellers / edited by K. Baedeker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    71/628 (page 47)
    they possess no boats or other appliances, with the exception of spears and landing-nets, hut merely ‘Ichthyophagi’, who pick up shell-fish, octopoda, or small fish thrown up onthebeach. Occasion- ally they make a prize of turtle’s eggs, and sometimes succeed in reaching the sandy islands of the Red Sea where the sea-swallow (sterna) lays its eggs. This poor mode of life of course has an in- fluence on their mental capacity, which is not of a very high order; but they are intelligent in their own affairs, and remarkably skilful trackers, so much so that they are often employed by the government in pursuing criminals. They are nominally Mohammedans, but they do not pray, or keep the fast of Ramadan, or make pilgrimages, except on rare occasions. Nor do they, like orthodox Mohammedans, fear ‘ginn’ and ‘ghuls’, but they permit polygamy, observe the rite of circumcision, and worship saints. Besides the Bega, there are numerous Beduins who inhabit the steppes and deserts belonging to the region of the Nile, but beyond the limits of Egypt, and range as far as the confines of the heathen negro-races on the left bank of the Nile, nearly to 9° N. latitude; but with these wTe have not at present to deal. Among the Arabian Beduins of the North, there are three important tribes in the pen- insula of Mount Sinai: the Terdbiytn, who carry on a brisk caravan traffic between Suez and Cairo, and claim territorial rights as far as the banks of the Nile near Basatin above Cairo ; the Tthdya, who occupy the heart of the peninsula, between Suez and rAkaba ; and the Sawarkeh or EL- Araytsh, to the north of the latter. In Upper Egypt, besides the Ababdeh, the only Beduins who occupy the eastern bank of the Nile are the Beni Wasel and the Atuni, or Hawddat, who, however, have now settled on both banks of the Theban Nile valley and are gradually blending with the fellahin, and the Md'azeh (about 3000 in number), who dwell in groups among the limestone mountains between Suez and Keneh, where there are good pastures at places. Most of the Arabian Beduins, on the other hand, who belong to Egypt, confine themselves to the western bank of the Nile. They occupy the whole of this side of the river from the Fayuin as far as Abydus nearGirgeh, and it is mainly with their aid that communication is maintained with the western oases, peopled by a totally different race (p. 65), who till the ground and possess no camels, being probably allied to the Berbers of Northern Africa (one of the numerous Libyan tribes mentioned in ancient inscriptions). The Beduins of the North have inherited with comparative purity the fiery blood of the desert tribes, wrho achieved such marvellous exploits under the banner of the prophet, but the traveller will rarely come in contact with them unless lie undertakes a journey across the desert. The loiterers who assist travellers in the ascent of the pyramids and pester them to buy antiquities, which are generally spurious, callAhemselves Beduins, but, even if originally