The Horses of the Sahara and the Manners of the Desert

by E.‏ Daumas

In 1850, El-Ghiry, of the tribe of the Mokhalif, was hunting the ostrich, and, while wholly absorbed in chasing a delim, his horse broke down just as his last drop of water was exhausted. All trace of his companions was lost. For thrice twenty-four hours he wandered about at random, in the desert, without food or water. During the day he slept under a bethoum, and walked all night. His family had given him up entirely, when at length they saw him approaching. At first they could hardly recognize him, so utterly exhausted was he, so blackened by the sun, and reduced to such a skeleton. He afterwards related that he believed he owed his life to his dreams, in which he beheld his mother tending him, and giving him something to eat and drink. These visions, he said, had comforted and sustained him in his sore distress.

Let us now pass on from these examples of vigour and abstinence, which might be multiplied to infinity, and give a tolerably correct estimate of the goods and chattels of a Saharene nomad. This inventory will afford a far better idea of life in the desert than can be obtained from a long description. I take a man of influential family, and assume that his household is constituted after the following fashion. Himself, four wives, four sons, the wives of two of his sons, each of whom has a child, four negroes, four negresses, two white men servants, two white women servants: in all, twenty-five souls. He may also, of course, have daughters, but they are sure to be married, and are no further trouble to him. Such a household as this will possess:

A spacious tent in thoroughly good condition, to make which will require sixteen pieces of woollen cloth, forty cubits long by two in width, each worth from 7 to 8 douros, making a total of about	112 douros.
Two Arab beds, or rather carpets of shaggy wool, thirty cubits in length by five broad; dyed with madder, 20 douros each; if dyed with kermes, 25 douros	50
A carpet, twelve cubits long by four wide, hung up as a curtain to separate the men's apartment from that of the women. It is dyed with kermes and costs	16
Six cushions, to contain wearing apparel and used as pillows: the price of each is 2 douros	12
Six cushions of tanned antelope's skin, also used to contain dresses and spun wool, and to lean against in the tent	6
Six pieces of woollen stuff, made into a sort of palanquin carried on camels' backs, and in which the women travel	12
Five red haïks to cover the palanquins	50
Twenty woollen sacks for the carriage of corn	40
Six hamal, or loads of wheat	48
Twelve loads of barley	60
Ten woollen sacks in which are kept jewels, wearing apparel, cotton-stuffs, gunpowder, filali,[[91]] money, etc., at 2 douros each	20
Fifteen goat-skin bags to hold water	25
Twelve sheep- or goat-skin bags to contain butter, valued each at 4 douros	48
Four sheep- or goat-skin bags to hold honey, which is an expensive article, as it comes from the Tell; at 8 douros each	32
Eight hamal of dates. These hamal are sacks lined with wool	64
Six tarahh, each tarahh comprising six skins of morocco leather; in all, thirty six skins, at one douro a piece	36
Gunpowder	30
Lead	5

Flints	4 douros.
Ten mektaa, or pieces of cotton-stuffs	20
Two meradjen, or vases of copper lined with tin, with handles, to drink out of	2
Two tassa, or vases, also for drinking purposes	2
Two guessaa, or large wooden bowls for making or eating kouskoussou	4
Six bakia, or drinking vessels of wood	2
A copper pot for cooking the food	2
Three metreud, or wooden platters for strangers to eat from	3
Two fass, or mattocks, for preparing the site of the tent, fixing it, etc., and for clearing wood	2
A kadouma, or small hatchet for shaping wood	1
Ten meudjesa, a kind of sickle for sheep-shearing	1
Two rekiza, or uprights of the tent	2
A âeushut-el-zemel, or tent with carpets, cushions, etc., for travelling, or for receiving strangers	30
Total	741 douros.

The wearing apparel of five men will consist of:

Eleven white burnouses, three for the father, and two for each of his sons: a burnous costs 4 douros	44 douros.
Five haïks, at 4 douros each	20
Five habaya, or woollen shirts	10
Five mahazema, or belts of morocco leather embroidered in silk	10
Five pair of belghra, or morocco shoes	2
Five shashia, or morocco fessy	2
Five kate, or complete suits, for grand occasions, consisting of an oughrlila or outer garment, a cedria or waistcoat, a seroual or pair of trousers; a haïk of silk, a silken cord replacing the camel's rope; and a cloth burnous: each suit at 60 douros will make	300
Total	388 douros.

The wearing apparel of six women will consist of:

Six women's haïks, dyed with kermes	60 douros.
Six pair of morocco leather boots, embroidered	6
Six woollen girdles	12
Six white haïks worn over the head	6

Six benica, or silken hoods	6 douros.
Six aâsaba, or thread cord by which the women fasten the haouly, or white haïk, over their heads	2
Six pair of kholkhale, or silver anklets, 20 douros the pair	120
Six pair of souar, or bracelets, 7 douros the pair	42
Twelve bezima, or silver buckles, used by women to fasten the haïk, 6 douros the pair	36
Six bezimat el gueursi, or throat buckles, used to fasten the haouly under the chin after it has encircled the head	12
Twelve ounaiss, or silver ear-rings set in coral. Every woman wears two pair	24
Six mekhranga, or necklaces of coral and pieces of money	48
Six necklaces of cloves interspersed with coral	5
Six zenzela, or silver chains with a small circular plate in the middle, called "the scorpion:" the chain stretches from ear to ear	18
Six kuerrabar, or silver boxes which the women hang from their necks, and in which they put musk and benjamin	18
Eighteen khatem, or silver rings	6
Six melyaca, or bracelets of djamous horn	6
Women in the desert do not wear any ornaments of gold; the whole of their jewelry is in silver.
Total	815 douros.

The arms for seven men are: