Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/263

Rh Huweitat tribe. They say they are very numerous in the far East, and the three sections of the Huweitat all complain of the pushing nature of the Ma'azi on their frontiers. There is a large settlement of Ma'azi Arabs in Egypt, extending from Suez southwards along the Red Sea shore as far as Kosseir.

These Arabs everywhere have a bad character for thieving; they are divided up under numerous Sheikhs, and are continually making raids on the Arab tribes round them; they are generally very poor.

The only other two tribes of importance in this region are the Terabîn and the Teiyâhah; the latter are divided into two sections, the Teiyâhah and the Azazimeh. For many years the south country has been in a disturbed state, owing to the war going on between these two tribes; the dispute was about the boundary of the tribe lands near Bir es Seba. Peace has now been obtained by the internal divisions of the Teiyâhah, a portion of whom have gone over to the Terabîn, the remainder having no heart to continue the conflict, although it may break out at any time.

The Teiyâhah have no friends or allies in any of the tribes around them, and have a feud with the great Huweitat family. The Terabîn, on the contrary, are at peace with their other neighbours; they cultivate the ground extensively about Gaza, and are closely allied to the Huweitat of Egypt. They bear a good character, and are a rich tribe.

The Terabîn rule the western portion of the south country, the Teiyâhah having the eastern portion as far as Wady 'Ai-abah.

The Haiwat are a small tribe occupying the country about the Haj road; they are ruled by Sheikh el 'Ayan Mismeh, who has his camp generally about Bîr etu Therned. Men of this tribe were the principal actors in the murder of Professor Palmer and his companions; they are a poor tribe, under the influence of Sheikh Shedid of Egypt.

Camp was pitched in the Ghur el Feifeh, near Wâdy Tutihel, and next day we moved on to the Ghôr es Safieli, where the Ghawarneh were encamped. These are a wretched race of fellahin, who cultivate the Ghôr es Safieh, and are pillaged by the Huweitat from the south, the Ma'azi from the east, and the Teiyâhah from the west. They are the same race as those that occupy the ghôr at Jericho.

They were actually engaged in ploughing up their ground, which is well watered by the streams from Wâdy Safieh. Notwithstanding the constant blackmail they have to pay to different tribes they seemed to be well to do, and I believe make a good deal in trading with the Bedouins