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Rh little brown braided and hooded pelisse, while Nimr threw down his loose camel's-hair cloak. They each wore scarlet cloth jackets, with hanging sleeves like the hussars', wide sleeved, long white cotton shirts, and very full scarlet trowsers. They took off the latter and their shoes. Little Nimr—that is, the Tiger—looked proudly impatient. Young Elias, quietly in earnest, made a spring on Nimr and threw him down. The men clapped their hands and shouted. The wrestling was carried on for nearly half an hour. Elias was, almost in every instance, the victor. At last Nimr, with a mortified look, after many falls, ran to his father and hid himself in the folds of the scarlet cloak. Elias looked quite calm and unexcited by his success. He sat quietly by my side.

I find that wrestling is a very common exercise in the Bedouin tents. Salihh Agha's elder boys, of fifteen and sixteen years of age, were present. They behaved with great deference and respect to their father, and did not sit, or take coffee, or smoke in his presence without his permission; but since that time the eldest son has distinguished himself in warfare, and has killed an enemy of his tribe with his own hand; so he now enjoys the dignity and privileges of manhood, and equality with his father.

The room was cleared of the numerous guests at an early hour, and then the wife of Habîb—my host—and four women came to see me. One of them offered to sleep in the guest-chamber with me, thinking I should be frightened. The Arabs are very timid at night, and always congregate together to sleep, and burn lamps to drive away evil spirits when under a roof. They were surprised that I could dare to sleep in darkness and alone.

The next morning Habîb's wife came tapping at my door early, and with curiosity examined my garments. The room would soon have been full of women to assist and inspect my toilet, if I had not decidedly expressed