Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates Vol 2 - The Search For Mecca

1 70 Bedouin Tribes of tJie Euphrates, [(.u. xxm.
valley in irrigation. Its way of life is not tliat of
tlie desert. It carries with it its own vegetation,
its own birds, and its own beasts. If the gazelle
creeps down to drink at its waters in summer it
is by night, and she soon leaves the valley. The
sandgroiise fly over it but hardly stop, and only
the little desert partridge seems common to both
sides of the cliff. On the other hand its lions
and Avolves and jackals rarely leave the valley, and
its wild boars keep close within the tamarisk beds.
Its birds are those of Europe or of Asia Minor, the
partridge, the francolin, the magpie, ducks; geese,
snipes, woodcocks.
All these abound l^y the river,
but are never found even a mile beyond its
precincts.
Lastly, there is more than the usual differences
which varied occupation gives, between the men of
the valley and the men of the desert. These last
rarely descend to the river except in the seasons
of orreat drouoht, or when bent on crossino- it to
make a foray on the opposite shore. The pasturage
of the upper plain is better suited to their camels
than is that of the richer valley, and during great
part of the year,
though they arc encamped within
easy reach of it, the river is to them as if it was not
there.
There are hundreds of the Anazeli who have
never seen the Euphrates. On the other hand the
fellah tribes, vith their horned cattle and their
attempts at cultivation, stick closely to the valley,
while the citizens even of such purely desert towns