The Arabs Are Extremely
Proud Of A Good Sword, And A Blade Of Great Value Is Carefully
Handed Down Through Many Generations.
The sheiks and principal
people wear silver-hilted swords.
The scabbards are usually
formed of two thin strips of elastic but soft wood, covered with
leather. No Arab would accept a metal scabbard, as it would
destroy the keen edge of his weapon. The greatest care is taken
in sharpening the swords. While on the march, the Arab carries
his weapon slung on the pommel of his saddle, from which it
passes beneath his thigh. There are two projecting pieces of
leather, about twelve inches apart, upon the scabbard, between
which the thigh of the horseman fits, and thus prevents the sword
from slipping from its place. Carried in this position at full
speed, there is an absence of that absurd dangling and jumping of
the sword that is exhibited in our British cavalry, and the
weapon seems to form a portion of the rider. The first action of
an Arab when he dismounts at a halt upon the march, and sits
beneath a tree, is to draw his sword; and after trying both edges
with his thumb, he carefully strops the blade to and fro upon his
shield until a satisfactory proof of the edge is made by shaving
the hair off his arm, after which it is returned to the sheath.
I have measured these swords; that of a fair average size is
three feet in the length of blade, and one inch and seven-eighths
in breadth; the hilt, from the top of the guard to the extremity,
five and a half inches.
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