The Land of Midian, Vol. 1 by Richard Burton

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The Bedawin far more reasonably declare that this Harrah is not a
mere patch as it appears in Wallin's map, a narrow oblong not
exceeding sixty miles (north lat. 27 --28 ), disposed diagonally
from north-west to south-east. According to them, it is a region
at least as large as the Hisma; and it extends southwards not
only to the parallel of El-Medinah, but to the neighbourhood of
Yambu'. The upper region has two great divisions: the
Harrat-Hisma or the Harrah par excellence, which belongs to the
Ma'azah, and which extends southwards through El-Sulaysilah as
far as the Jaww. The latter region, a tract of yellow sand,
dotted with ruddy hills, apparently a prolongation of the Hisma,
separates it from the Harrat el-'Awayraz, in which the Jebel
el-Muharrak lies.[EN#156] This line of volcanism is continued
south by the Harrat el-Mushrif (P.N. of a man); by the Harrat
Sutuh Jayda; and, finally, by the Harrat el-Buhayri. the latter
shows close behind the shore at El-Haura, in nearly the same
latitude as El-Medinah, where we shall presently sight it. There
is great interest and a general importance in this large
coast-subtending eruptive range, whose eastern counterslope
demands long and careful study.

Sweeping the glance round to south, we see the southern of the
two Jilsayn, tall mounds of horizontal strata, with ironstone in
harder lines and finial blocks. This is the Jils el-Daim, so
distinguished from the northern Jils el-Rawiyan. The lower edge
of the Hisma swells up in red and quoin-like masses, the Jibal
el-Zawiyah, and then falls suddenly, with a succession of great
breaks, into the sub-maritime levels. During our next ten days'
travel we shall be almost in continuous sight of its southern
ramparts and buttresses. Far over the precipices lie the low
yellow sands of the Rahabah, alias the Wady Damah; and behind it
rises the sky-blue mountain block, which takes a name from the
ruins of Shaghab and Shuwak.

We breakfasted upon the Khuraytah crest; and Mr. Clarke set out
to shoot the fine red-legged "Greek" partridges (caccabis) that
haunt the hilltops, whilst the rest of us marched with the
caravan to the nearest camping-ground. About a mile from the Col,
and lying to the west of the Jils el-Rawiyan, it is supplied with
excellent drinking-water by the Miyah el-Jedayd, lying nine
hundred to a thousand metres to the south-east. On the other
hand, fuel, here a necessary of life, was wanting; nor could the
camels find forage. Thus we were camped upon the western edge of
the Hisma. The Ma'azah Shaykhs, who vainly urged us forwards,
showed a suspicious disappointment at our not reaching their
quarters on the far side, where, they said, a camel was awaiting
to be slaughtered for our reception.

Meanwhile, we were enjoying the reverse of hospitality. The
Bedawin evidently now held that all which was ours had become
theirs. Their excessive greed made them imprudent. Not satisfied
with "eating us up," with a coffee-pot ever on the fire, with
demanding endless tobacco, and with making their two garrons
devour more barley than our eight mules, they began to debate,
aloud as usual, how much ready money they should demand. This was
at last settled at four hundred dollars; and the talk was
reported to me by the Bash-Buzuk Husayn, whom they had compelled
to cook for them. At the same time unpleasant discussions were
beginning: "This man stole my camel!" "That man killed my
father," already took the form of threats; in fact, I almost
repented having brought the Huwaytat and their camels into the
trap. Still they all respected Furayj, as might be seen by their
rising and making room for him whenever he approached the fire.

At last an evil rumour arose that the Ma'azah had determined to
supply us with transport, and had sent messengers in all
directions to collect the animals. This step looked uncommonly
like a gathering of war-men. I was sorely disappointed, for more
reasons than one. The state of affairs rendered a distant march
to the east highly unadvisable. The principal object of this
journey had been to investigate the inland depth of the
metalliferous deposits; in fact, their extent from west to east.
Their north-south length would be easily ascertained, but the
width would still remain unknown. The "Land of Midian," through
which we have been travelling, has evidently been worked, and in
places well worked; thus the only chance of finding a virgin
California would be in the unknown tracts lying to the east of
the "Harrahs." Too bad to be thwarted in such a project by the
exorbitant demands of a handful of thieves!

The disappointment was aggravated by other considerations. From
all that I had heard, the Hisma is a region full of archaological
interest. Already we were almost in sight of the ruins of Ruafa,
lying to the north between the two white dots El-Rakhamatayn.
Further eastward, and north of the pilgrim-station Zat-Hajj, are
the remains of Karayya, still unvisited by Europeans. Finally, I
had been shown, when too late to inspect the place, a fragment of
a Nabathaan inscription, finely cut in soft white
sandstone:[EN#157] it had been barbarously broken, and two other
pieces were en route. The stone is said to be ten feet long (?),
all covered with "writings," from which annalistic information
might be expected: it lies, or is said to lie, about two hours'
ride north of our camp, and beyond the Jils el-Rawiyan famed for
Hawawit. At first I thought of having it cut to portable size;
but second thoughts determined me to leave it for another visit
or for some more fortunate visitor. Lastly, we were informed, a
few weeks afterwards, that the Ma'azah Shaykhs had carried it off
to their tents--I fear piecemeal.

It was not pleasant to beat a retreat; but, under the
circumstances, what else could be done? No one was to be relied
upon but the Europeans, and not all even of them. The black
escort, emancipated slaves, would have run away at the first
shot; except only Acting-Corporal Khayr. And when I told the
officers assembled at mess that we should march back early next
morning, the general joy showed how little they relished the
prospect of an advance. Then came out in mass the details--many
doubtless apocryphal--which should have been reported to me, and
which had carefully been kept secret. The Ma'azah, when our
messenger first notified our visit, had declared that they would
have no Nazarenes in their mountains; that they did not care a
fico for Egypt. Why had not "Effendina" written to them? they
were his equals, not his subjects! It was then debated whether
they should not raise a force of dromedary-men to fall upon us.
Some of them proposed to summon to their aid the rival chief, Ibn
Hermas; but the majority thought it would be better to reserve
for themselves the hundred dollars per diem, of which they
proposed to fleece us.

Of course, everything around us was intrigue; the Mayat taht
el-Tibn ("water under the straw") of the Arab saying. Furayj, it
is true, looked serene, and privately offered me to fight the
affair out; but he was alone in the idea. The Sayyid was
tranquil, as usual; Hasan the 'Ukbi wore an unpleasant appearance
of satisfaction, as if he had been offered a share in the plunder
of the Huwaytat; and 'Alayan, a brave man on his own ground,
could hardly conceal his dejection. I might, it is evident, have
seized Shaykh Mohammed, placed a pistol to his ear, and carried
him off a prisoner; but such grands moyens must be reserved for
great occasions. The worst symptoms in camp were that the Ma'azah
at once knew the whole of my project; while the Egyptian officers
were ever going to their tents, and one stayed talking with them
till near midnight.

February 25th was a day of humiliation. I aroused the camp at
4.30 a.m., and at once gave orders to strike the tents and load.
The command was obeyed in double quick time; but not before
Shaykh Mohammed had visited us to propose a march to his home in
the east. He was not comfortable; probably his reinforcements had
still to arrive: his face was calm, as the Eastern's generally
is; but his feet trembled, and his toes twitched. I drily told
him of our changed plans, and he left us in high dudgeon. The
tragi-comedy which followed may be divided into six acts:--

1. The Ma'azah mount their horses and camels: I walk up to them,
and expostulate about so abrupt a departure without even drinking
a friendly cup of coffee.

2. They dismount, and squat in council round the fire, sending on
three dromedary-riders to crown a hill commanding the pass. The
"burning question" is now whether armed clansmen are or are not
lurking behind the heights.

3. Shaykh Mohammed comes forward, and demands blackmail to the
extent of two hundred dollars. I offer one hundred dollars.

4. Our hosts break off the debate in a towering rage; refuse
coffee, and declare that the caravan of "Effendina" (the Viceroy)
shall not be loaded. Mohammed's feet twitch more violently as the
camels are made to kneel.

5. The caravan shows too much emotion. I pay the two hundred
dollars into the chief's hands. He at once demands his Sharaf
("honour") in the shape of a Kiswah, or handsome dress, and, that
failing, an additional twenty-five dollars for each of the five
headmen. I promise that a robe shall be sent from
El-Muwaylah.[EN#158]

6. The caravan sets out for the Pass, when the three
dromedary-riders open with the war-cry: it is stopped with much
apparatus by the Shaykhs, who affect to look upon it as
dangerous.

* * * * *

We now marched without delay upon the Col, which was reached at
8:15 a.m.; Mohammed bin 'Atiyyah having meanwhile disappeared. We
descended the Khuraytat el-Jils in twenty-six minutes, and
dismissed the remainder of our Ma'azah escort at the foot. I
vainly offered them safeguard to El-Muwaylah, which they have not
visited for the last dozen years; all refused absolutely to pass
their own frontiers.

Au revoir Mohammed ibn 'Atiyyah and company!

Having broken our fast and sent forward the caravan, we at once
began to descend the southern Pass, the Khuraytat el-Ziba. Here
the watershed of the Wady Surr heads; and merchants object to
travel by its shorter line, because their camels must ascend two
ladders of rocks, instead of one at the top of the Wady Sadr. The
Col was much longer and but little less troublesome than its
northern neighbour; the formation was the same, and forty-five
minutes placed us in a gully, that presently widened to a big
valley, the Wady Dahal or El-Khuraytah. We reached it at 12:30
p.m., and laid down the distance from the summit of the northern
Col at about five miles and a quarter. The air felt tepid, the
sun waxed hot; drinking-water was found on the left of the bed,
and a hole in the sole represented a spring, which the people say
is perennial: we were dismounting to quench our thirst at the
latter, when Juno plunged into it, and stood quietly eyeing us
with an air of intense satisfaction.

We spent that night at a place lower down the Wady Dahal, known
as the Jayb el-Khuraytah ("Collar of the Col"). The term "Jayb"
is locally applied to two places only; the other being the Jayb
el-Sa'luwwah, which we shall presently visit. A larger feature
than a Wady, it reminds us of a Norfolk "broad," but it is of
course waterless. Guards were placed around the camp; and a
wholesome dread of the Ma'azah kept them wide awake. The only
evil which resulted was that none dared to lead our mules to
water; and the poor animals were hardly rideable on the next day.

Of the Hisma in its present state, we may say as of Ushant, Qui
voit Ouessant, voit la mort. Nothing can be done towards working
the mines of Midian until this den of thieves is cleared out. It
is an asylum for every murderer and bandit who can make his way
there--a centre of turbulence which spreads trouble all around
it. Under the sham rule of miserable Sham (Syria), with its
Turkish Walis, men like the late Rashid Pasha, matters can only
wax worse. Subject to Egypt, the people will learn discipline and
cease to torment the land.

Happily for their neighbours there will be no difficulty in
reducing the Ma'azah. They are surrounded by enemies, and they
have lately been obliged to pay "brother-tax" to the Ruwala as a
defence against being plundered: the tribute consists of one
piece of hair-cloth about twenty cubits long. On the north, as
far as El-Ma'an, they meet the hostile Beni Sakr (Jawazi), under
the Shaykh Mohammed ibn Jazi; southwards the Baliyy, commanded by
Shaykh 'Afnan, are on terms of "blood" with them; eastward stand
the 'Anezah and the warlike Shararat-Hutaym, who ever covet their
two thousand camels: westward lie in wait their hereditary foes,
the Huwaytat. Shaykh Furayj, the tactician, has long ago proposed
a general onslaught of his tribesmen by a simultaneous movement
up the Wadys Surr, Sadr, Urnub, and 'Afal: they seemed to have
some inkling of his intentions, as they hastened to conclude with
him a five months' 'Altwah or "truce." Finally, a small
disciplined force, marching down the Damascus-Medinah
pilgrimage-road to the east, and co-operating with the Huwayta't
on the west would place this vermin between two fires.

The tale of my disappointment may conclude with an ethnological
notice of those who caused it.

The Ma'azah is a Syro-Egypto-Bedawi clan, originally Arab, or
rather Syrian, but migratory, as are all Arabs. It now extends
high up the valley of the Nile, and it is still found in the Wady
Musa (of Suez) and on the Za'faranah block. Even in Egypt it is
turbulent and dangerous: the men are professional robbers; and
their treachery is uncontrolled by the Bedawi law of honour--they
will eat bread and salt with the traveller whom they intend to
murder. For many years it was unsafe to visit the camps within
sight of Suez, until a compulsory residence at head-quarters
taught the Shaykhs manners. The habitat in Arabia stretches from
the Wady Musa of Petra, where they are kinsmen of the Tiyahah,
the Bedawin of the Tih-desert; and through Ma'an as far as the
Birkat el-Mu'azzamah, south of Tabuk. Finally, they occupy the
greater part of the Hisma and the northern Harrah.

According to Mohammed el-Kalb, these bandits own the bluest of
blue blood. Their forefather was one Wail, who left by his
descendants two great tribes. The first and the eldest took a
name from their Ma'az ("he-goats"); while the junior called
themselves after the Annaz ("she-goats"): from the latter sprung
the great Anezah family, which occupies the largest and the
choicest provinces of the Arabian peninsula. Meanwhile
genealogists ignore the Ma'azah.

Wallin would divide the tribe into two, the Ma'azah and the "Beni
'Atiya:" of the latter in Midian I could hear nothing except that
they represent the kinsmen of the Shaykh's family. We find "Benoo
Ateeyah" in maps like that of Crichton's (1834), where the
Ma'azah are laid down further south; and northwards the Beni
'Atiyyah are a powerful clan who push their razzias as far as the
frontiers of Moab. My informants declare that the numbers of
fighting men in the Midianite division of the race may be two
thousand (two hundred?), and that they are separated only by
allegiance to two rival Shaykhs. The greater half, under Ibn
Hermas, is distributed into five clans, of whom the first, 'Orban
Khumaysah, contain two septs. Under Mohammed ibn 'Atiyyah
(El-Kalb) they number also five divisions. Amongst them are the
Subut or Beni Sabt, "Sons of the Sabbath," that is, Saturday;
whom Wallin suspects to be of Jewish origin, relying, it would
appear, principally upon their name. The ringing of the large
bell suspended to the middle pole of the tents at sunset, "to
hail the return of the camels and the mystic hour of descending
night," is an old custom still maintained, because it confers a
Barakat ("blessing") upon the flocks and herds. Certainly there
is nothing of the Bedawi in this practice, and it is distinctly
contrary to the tradition of El-Islam; yet many such survivals
hold their ground amongst the highly conservative Wild Men, and
they must be looked upon only as local and tribal peculiarities.

End of Vol. I.

Endnotes

[EN#1] My collection dates from between the first century B.C.
and the first century A.D.; this can be gathered from comparison
with the coins of Alexander Jannaeus and his successor, Alexander
II. The tetradrachm may belong to the reign of Alexander the
Great, or the ages preceding it.

[EN#2] Here probably disappeared some fine specimens of silicate
of copper which caused a delay of three months in the report.--R.
F. B.

[EN#3] Messrs. Edgar Jackson found in the same box:--

Silver (per statute ton)...............2 oz. 17 dwts. 11 grs.

[EN#4] "Box No. 37" yielded silver....13 dwts. 1.6 grs.

[EN#5] "Box. No. 47" yielded silver...12 dwts. 1.6 grms.

[EN#6] In boxes Nos. 48 and 51 Mr. Jenken found silver 2 oz. 13
dwts. 8 grs.; and 4 oz. 5 dwts. 12 grms.

[EN#7] In a fragment of similar "turquoise rock," from the same
site (Ziba), Dr. L. Karl Moser, of Trieste, found silver.

[EN#8] In a fragment of similar chalcedony, from the same site
(Aba'l-Maru), Dr. Moser found specks of "free gold."

[EN#9] This was the "splendid button" smelted at Makna.

[EN#10] The "button" was pronounced to be almost pure antimony in
the Government Establishment of Mines, Trieste.

[EN#11] In "box No. 4" Messrs. Jackson found rough crystals of
corundum; and a qualitative analysis of this sample and "box No.
7" yielded quartz, carbonate of lime, alumina, and oxide of iron.

[EN#12] The italics are mine. Mr. Mathey remarks of the specimen
containing 48 grains of gold per ton, "It would be worthless in
its present condition; if however, it could be enriched by proper
washing and dressing, and the cost in labour, etc., be not too
great, it might be made to give fair returns."

[EN#13] "Little health" at Cairo prevented my choosing the
instruments; and the result was that at last I had to depend upon
my pocket-set by Casella. Even this excellent maker's maxima and
minima failed to stand the camel-jolting. The barometer, lent by
the Chief of Staff (Elliott Brothers, 24), contained amalgam, not
mercury. The patent messrad, or odometer (Wittmann, Wien), with
its works of soft brass instead of steel, was fit only to measure
a drawing-room carpet. M. Ebner sold us, at the highest prices,
absolutely useless maxima and minima, plus a barometre aneroide,
whose chain was unhooked when it left the box. M. Sussmann, of
the Muski, supplied, for fifty francs, a good and useful
microscope magnifying seventy-five times. The watches from M.
Meyer ("Dent and Co.!") were cheap and nasty Swiss articles; but
they were also subjected to terrible treatment:--I once saw the
wearers opening them with table-knives. Fortunately M. Lacaze,
the artist, had a good practical knowledge of instruments; and
this did us many a good turn.

[EN#14] For Arabian travel I should advise aconite, instead of
Dover's powder; Cockle's pills, in lieu of blue mass; Warburg's
Drops, in addition to quinine; pyretic saline and Karlsbad,
besides Epsom salts; and chloral, together with chlorodyne. "Pain
Killer" is useful amongst wild people, and Oxley's ginger, with
the simple root, is equally prized. A little borax serves for
eye-water and alum for sore mouth. I need not mention special
medicines like the liqueur Laville, and the invaluable Waldol
(oil of the maritime pine), which each traveller must choose for
himself.

[EN#15] It is Lane's "Kiyakh, vulgo Kiyak," and Michell's "Kyhak,
the ancient Khoiak," or fourth month. The Copts begin their solar
year on our September 10-11; and date from the 2nd of Diocletian,
or the Era of the "Martyrs" (A.D. 284). It is the old Sothic, or
annus quadratus, which became the Alexandrine under the
Ptolemies; and which Sosigenes, the Egyptian, converted into the
Julian, by assuming the Urbs condita as a point de depart, and by
transferring New Year's Day from the equinox to the solstice.

Thus Kayhak I, 1594, would correspond with December 9, A.D. 1877,
and with Zul-Hijjah 4, A.H. 1294. On the evening of Kayhak 14
(December 22nd) winter is supposed to set in. The fifth month,
Tuba--Lane's "Toobeh," and Michell's "Toubeh, the ancient
Tobi"--is the coldest of the year at Suez, on the isthmus and in
the adjacent parts of Arabia; rigorous weather generally lasts
from January 20th to February 20th. In Amshir, about early March,
torrents of rain are expected to fall for a few hours. The people
say of it, in their rhyming way, Amshir, Za'bib
el-kathir--"Amshir hath many a blast;" and

"Amshir
Yakul li'l-Zara 'Sir!
Wa yalhak bi'l-tawi'l el-kasi'r."'

"Amshir saith to the plants, 'Go (forth), and the little shall
reach the big."' It is divided into three 'Asharat or tens--1.
'Asharat el-'Ajuz ("of the old man"), from the cold and killing
wind El-Husum; 2. 'Asharat el-'Anzah ("of the she-goat"), from
the blasts and gales; and 3. 'Asharat el-Ra'i' ("of the
shepherd"), from its change to genial warmth. Concerning Barmahat
(vulgo Barambat), of old Phamenoth (seventh month), the popular
jingle is, Ruh el-Ghayt wa hat--"Go to the field and bring (what
it yields);" this being the month of flowers, when the world is
green. Barmudah (Pharmuthi)! dukh bi'l-'amudah ("April! pound
with the pestle!") alludes to the ripening of the spring crops;
and so forth almost ad infinitum. For more information see the
"Egyptian Calendar," etc. (Alexandria: Moures, 1878), a valuable
compilation by our friend Mr. Roland L. N. Michell, who will, let
us hope, prefix his name to a future edition, enlarged and
enriched with more copious quotations from the weather-rhymes and
the folk-lore of Egypt.

[EN#16] This is a most interesting feature. According to Forskal
(Descriptiones xxix.), "Suensia litora, a recedente mari serius
orta, nesciunt corallia;" and he makes the submaritime
"Cryptogama regio animalis" begin at Tor (Raitha) and extend to
(Gonfoda). Near Suez is the Newport Shoal, which could be sailed
over with impunity twenty years ago, and which is now dangerous:
it resembles, in fact, the other reef at the entrance of the
Gulf, where tile soundings have changed, in late years, from 7-7
1/2 fathoms to 3-3 1/2. Geologists differ as to the
cause--elevation or accretion by current-borne drift.

[EN#17] In Chap. XIV, we will return to this subject.

[EN#18] "The Gold-Mines of Midian," etc. (London: C. Kegan Paul &
Co., 1878).

[EN#19] Assuming the sovereign at 97 piastres 40 parahs, this
hire would be in round numbers one and two shillings; the
shilling being exactly 4 piastres 24 parahs. See Chap. VII. for
further details.

[EN#20] Besides a popular account of the stages in "The Gold
Mines of Midian," a geographical itinerary has been offered to
the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society.

[EN#21] They were, perhaps, a trifle too long for small beasts:
seventy-seven centimetres (better seventy); and too deep, sixty,
instead of fifty-eight. The width (forty-six) was all right. The
best were painted, and defended from wet by an upper plate of
zinc; the angles and the bottoms were strengthened with iron
bands in pairs; and they were closed with hasps. At each end was
a small block, carrying a strong looped rope for slinging the
load to the pack-saddle; of these, duplicates should be provided.
In order to defend our delicate apparatus from excessive shaking,
we divided the inside, by battens, into several compartments. The
smaller cases of bottles and breakables should have been cut to
fit into the larger, but this had been neglected at Cairo.
Finally, not a single box gave way on the march: that was
reserved for the Suez-Cairo Railway, and for landing at the
London Docks.

[EN#22] MM. Gastinel (Bey) and Marie give it per cent.:--

Titaniferous iron . . . .. . . . . . . 86.50
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10
Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.40 (2 1/2 per cent.)
Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0

[EN#23] Hence, evidently, the derivation of the "Marwah" hill
near Meccah, and the famous "Marwah" gold mine which we shall
visit in South Midian. The Arabs here use Jebel el-Mara and Jebel
el-Abyaz (plur. Jibal el-Bayza) synonymously.

[EN#24] Spon: London, 1875. A book opening a new epoch, and duly
neglected.

[EN#25] So said the engineer. He relied chiefly upon M. Amedee
Burat, p. 229, "Geologic Appliquae" (Paris: Garnier, 1870), who
quotes the compte rendu of M. Guillemin, C.E. to the Exposition
of 1867. The latter gentleman, who probably did not, like the
former, place Mexico in South America, makes the metalliferous
lands measure four-fifths of the total surface. I am much
mistaken if the same is not the case with Midian.

[EN#26] In "The Gold-Mines of Midian," p. 171, I erroneously
asserted that the Beden does not extend to these mountains. The
second Expedition could learn nothing about the stag with large
branches vaguely spoken of by the Bedawin.

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