Perfidy and treachery are two innate vices of the Arabs. It is for this reason they never stir from their tents unarmed. They never make any agreements in writing, well assured that he who receives an obligation would poignard him to whom he signed it, to cancel his debt; and therefore they always carry hung to their neck, a little leather purse, in which they carry about with them whatever they consider as precious. Although they keep nothing in their tents under lock and key, yet I have seen some of them having small chests; these coffers, which often do not contain the value of a small crown, are an object of desire to the whole colony—I must not even except the brother, father, nor son of the proprietor. My master's brother was particularly envious on account of the small booty with which I had enriched his brother. He proposed to me one day, as a very simple matter, that I should kill him during the night. He offered me his poignard, and promised to conduct me to Morocco when I had committed the crime. However discontented I then was with my situation, this proposal shocked me—it struck me with horror. However, it was soon renewed to me, with entreaties, by one of Sidy Mahammet's uncles, who, of all his relations, appeared to be most attached to him. I have frequently seen this man steal into my master's tent during the night, in order to carry off some old iron, or leather thong. This same man was one of the most considerable in the village. He was consulted in their different disputes, and his judgment was always deemed weighty by the poor—the rich paid little attention to any man's opinion.
Among the first lessons that they teach their young folks, are, to be expert in using the poignard, to tear the entrails of their enemy with their nails, and to give to a falsehood the semblance of truth. Those who to these talents add that of reading and writing, become very dangerous monsters, and thus acquire a very great ascendancy over their companions. It may be justly said, that they are from their infancy familiarized with vice, and equally happy in committing a bad or good action.
According to the custom of the country, every stranger Arab, to whatever district or tribe he belongs, known or unknown, is entitled to their hospitality. If there are many travellers, they all contribute towards the expense of their entertainment. All, without distinction, go out to meet a stranger, and welcome him upon his arrival, assist him in dismounting from his beast, and carry his baggage behind the bush, which is to defend him from the rigour of the night; for it is an established custom, that no stranger is admitted into their tent. This ceremony over, they sit down around the new comer; inquire of him the news of the country, whence he comes, and if the party have evacuated the places where they were encamped; if he fell in with any other person in districts more or less remote; and likewise if he found plenty of pasturage in the places through which he passed. When they have got an answer to these different questions, they then inquire to what tribe he belongs; but they never think of inquiring about his own health or welfare, till they are satisfied as to the other questions.
If no person is acquainted with the stranger in the horde which he visits, the richest among them entertain him. If there are many of them, the expense, as I have already said, becomes common. They serve to each a large bowl of milk, and of barley meal mixed with boiled milk, or water when it can be had. If the stranger can read, they give him the honour of saying prayers; in which case the Talbe of the village places himself by his side, as master of the ceremonies. This sums up all his entertainment, if he is a stranger little known among them; but if has any friends in the horde, or known to be rich, they quickly kill a good ram, or a fat sheep, to regale him. The women prepare the banquet; and while they are dressing the flesh, they serve up the fat first raw. So soon as the meat is ready, they begin by laying aside a portion for the husband; then that which they appoint for any of their neighbours, with whom they live on good terms. If this attention was neglected, it would be an irreparable fault. They then place, with care, the travellers mess upon a truss of straw. The Arab who is the entertainer, causes a Christian slave or negro, to follow him, carrying on his head the repast for the guest, which however is not set before him till ten o'clock at night, although perhaps he arrived early in the morning. Their practice is to give nothing to eat, till night, when they feast either by the light of a clear moon, or by a great fire, for they must have fire in almost every season of the year. The traveller never fails earnestly to entreat the person who brings him his mess, to do him the honour of eating with him, but he generally declines it as much as possible, and his refusal is founded on respect for his guest.
The next morning the travellers pursue their journey, without taking leave of any person whatever. This manner of entertaining one another would be surely very commendable, were it not for the many stratagems which they make use of to avoid it. When an unknown stranger appears, they sometimes place at a little distance from their tent a camel's saddle, a mat, a gun and a little bundle, all seeming to intimate the baggage of some traveller who has alighted from his horse; but often these precautions do not hinder the stranger from settling beside the same baggage. The chief comes to declare that they belong to some Arab of a neighbouring village; but as this is a plan with which they are all equally acquainted, the visitor generally is not discouraged, he remains there; but in this case they revenge themselves on his importunity, by giving him a very slender portion of victuals. Then he keeps a sharp lookout, and if he sees any fire, he runs towards it in the hope of getting some flesh or broth. He takes great care to keep himself at first concealed behind the tent, in order to overhear what passes there, and to discover if they are at victuals; for they are at great pains, in order to prevent such visits, to take away very speedily the three stones which support the kettle; and in this case his plan succeeds, since they never see any person pass without inviting him to enter and partake of the feast. It often happens that, while the gormandizing goes on, they steal from behind the bush the effects which he secreted there; but this is only one trick for another, for he takes the first opportunity of paying them home in their own coin.
It is difficult to form a just idea of the pride and ignorance of these people. They not only imagine that they are the first people in the world, but they have the presumption to believe that the sun rises only for them. Several of them have repeatedly said to me, "Behold that luminary! which is unknown in thy country. During the night thou art not enlightened, as we are, by that heavenly body, which regulates our days and our fasts. His children[38] point out to us the hours of prayer. You have neither trees nor camels, sheep, goats, nor dogs. Are your women made like ours?"—"How long didst thou remain in the womb of thy mother?" said another. "As long," replied I, "as thou in that of thine."—"Indeed!" replied a third, counting my fingers and toes, "he is made like us; he differs only in his colour and language, which astonishes me."—"Do you sow barley in your houses?" meaning our ships. "No," answered I; "we sow our fields almost in the same season as you."—"How!" cried out several of them, "do you inhabit the earth? We believed that you were born and lived on the sea." Such were the different questions I had to answer, when I had the honour of their conversation.
[38] Thus they name the stars.
War among them is nothing else than robbery; therefore they never engage in it, but in the view of indulging their sloth, when they have pillaged the flocks, and ravaged the fields before they are reaped. One day that the fields were covered with the whole flocks of the village, one of the keepers ran up, quite out of breath, to inform us that some squadrons of the Ouadelims had appeared upon the top of the hills, with an apparent intention of carrying off the cattle. Immediately the drum[39] beat, all ran to arms, and advanced towards the enemy. The riders on horseback are enveloped in a cloud of dust. The camel, who has a very long step, is almost as agile. Pushed on by the roaring cries of his rider, he darts into the crowd, and makes a more terrible carnage by his bites than all the musketry. They never make an attack drawn up in line of battle. Every warrior has his own particular combatant. He who throws his adversary on the ground, or who carries off his arms or his beast, retires precipitately with the fruit of his victory. Others, if they think they are the stronger party, lay hold on them, give them several blows with a poignard, or trail out their entrails with their horrid claws. The person who to-day is possessed of considerable riches in bestial, may find himself reduced to-morrow to extreme poverty, and stripped by him who, the preceding day, had no property at all. The weakest tribes, who are in consequence most exposed, are careful to live at a considerable distance, especially from the Ouadelims and Labdesseba. I have seen some of these two tribes, sometimes before leaving their country, begin their ravages in the neighbourhood of Arguin, which they call Agadir, and carry them even to the gates of Morocco.
[39] This great drum is committed to the charge of one of the most considerable inhabitants. It is used on different occasions; sometimes to call to arms, sometimes to inform that an Arab is bewildered in the Desert, and at other times that the camels are lost.
In general, they cultivate no other grain but barley, and sometimes wheat, when there has been plenty of rain. But after three years of drought, their fields producing nothing, their method is to carry the horrors of war into more fortunate countries, and there seize from their brethren the fruits of their labour and industry. It thus happens that plentiful crops fall into the hands of ferocious men, who are more disposed to fight, than to labour for their subsistence.