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

cii. xxvni.] The Five great Breeds. 271
The names of the Khamsa, or five ixreat strains
of blood (originally Ahwaj, and possibly all Kehilan,)
are as follows :
1. Kehilan, fern. KcMhh (or Kehilct before a Towel).
This strain is the most numerous, and, taken generally, the
most esteemed. It contains a greater proportion, 1 think, of
bays than any other strain. The Kehilans are the fastest,
though not perhaps the hardiest horses, and bear a closer resemblance
than the rest to English thoroughbreds, to whom
indeed they are more nearly related.
The Darley Arabian, perhaps
the only thoroiighhred Anazeh horse in our stud book, was
a Kehilan. The Kehtlan is not by any means the most beautiful
of the strains. Its subdivisions are very numerous, and will
be given in the list at the end of this chapter. The favourite
substrains are the Kehilan Ajuz, the Kehilan Nowag, the Kehilan
Abu Argiib, Abu Jenub, and Ras-el-Fedawn.
2. Seglawi, fern. Beglawieli.
One strain of this blood, the Seglawi Jedi'an, is considered the
best of all in the desert ; and the Seglawis generally are held in
high repute. They are, how^ever, comparatively rare, and exist
only in a few families of the Anazeh. Among the Shammar
there are Seglawis, but no Scghnvi Jedi'iins, the last mares of
this breed having been liought up at fabulous prices by Abbas
Pasha. The four strains, Jedran, 01)eyran, Arjebi and cl-Abd
are identical in origin, being descended from four Seglawi
mares, sisters—but only the first has been kept absolutely pure.
Even the Seglawi JechVui is to be found pure in the families
of Ibn Nederi and Ibn Sbeni only. The Seglawi Obeyran
has been crossed with the Kehilans and other strains, and the
most celebrated, was given by him to the Sheykli of the
She was called
tliem, tlie
Uzd, in whicli tribe her descendants are still found.
Zad-el-Mus('fir (food for the traveller) on accoant of her being fast
enousrh to run down the 2;a;^ellc.