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

8o Bedouin Tribes of the Ettphrates. [en. xix.
and a fine sight it was. The Mehed camp covers
several miles of ground, and the tents are scattered
about, in groups of ten or a dozen, at intervals of at
least a quarter of a mile, so that it is impossible to
make even a guess at the whole number ; but the
line of camels extended as far as we could see on
either side of us, and the tribe is said to reckon a
thousand tents.
Jedaan of course rode with us, and,
as it was the first day of our visit, a fantasia was performed
in our honour, much in the same fashion as
that
to which Faris had treated us, but done with
less spirit. There seems to be none of that personal
affection for Jedaan among his followers that we
found among the Shammar for their Sheykh, and
Jedaan himself is moody and pre-occupied. He
went through his own part of the performance more
as a duty than a pleasure, and it was soon over. I
am glad, however, to have seen him ride in it, as he
is
the most celebrated horseman of the desert, and,
mounted as he was to-day on his big horse, he certainly
gives one a fine idea of Bedouin j)rowess.
His seat on horseback is admirable, a more natural
one to Euro^Dcan eyes than that of most Arabs, who
generally sit
crouched on the very shoulders of their
mares. Jedaan on the contrary sits well back, and
his legs hang easily from the knee, while his hand
seems to be very perfect. He was riding a horse
celebrated in the tribe, a powerful four year old of
at least fifteen hands, of which we had already heard,
and showed it off" admirably, but I was disappointed