Blows rather
than bring their differences before the court of justice at Damascus.
Among the Turks litigations are, in the last extremity, decided by the
Kadhi of Damascus, or by the Pasha in person. The Christians often bring
their differences before the tribunal of priests or that of the
Patriarch of Damascus, and before the Kadhi in times when it is known
that Christians can obtain justice, which is not the case under every
governor.
The Bedouins of the Haouran are of two classes; those who are resident,
and those who visit it in the spring and summer only. The resident Arabs
are the Fehily [Arabic], Serdie [Arabic], Beni Szakher [Arabic], Serhhan
[Arabic]; the Arabs of the mountain Haouran, or Ahl el Djebel [Arabic],
and those of the Ledja [Arabic]. By resident, I do not mean a fixed
residence in villages, but that their wanderings are confined to the
Haouran, or to some particular districts of it. Thus the four first
mentioned move through every part of the country from Zerka up to the
plains of Ard
[p.307]Zeikal, according to their relations with other tribes, their own
affairs, and the state of pasturage in the different districts. The Beni
Szakher generally encamp at the foot of the western mountains of Belka
and the Heish, the Serhhan near them, and the Fehily and Serdie in the
midst of the cultivated districts, or at a short distance from them,
according to the terms they are upon with the Pasha.[When I was in the
Haouran the Fehliy were encamped near the Szaffa, the Beni Szakher near
Fedhein, the Serhhan at the foot of the Belka, and the Serdie near Om
Eddjemal.] The Ahl el Djebel move about in the mountain; those of the
Ledja seldom venture to encamp beyond their usual limits in that
district. But I have spoken more largely of these tribes and their
mutual interests in another place. The Fehily and Serdie are called Ahl
el Dyrel, or national Arabs, and pay tribute to the Pasha, who, however,
is often at war with them for withholding it, or for plundering his
troops or the Fellahs.
If the Pasha happens to be at war with other tribes, they are bound to
join his troops; but in this they are guided entirely by the advantage
which they are likely to derive from the contest. They receive Khone
from all the villages of the Haouran, the Djolan, and many of those in
the Djebel Adjeloun.
The Ahl el Djebel and the Arabs el Ledja are kept in more strict
dependence upon the Pasha than the other tribes; both are subject to an
annual tribute, which is levied on each tent according to the wealth of
its owner; this is collected from the Arabs el Ledja by the Sheikh of
the Fellahs, and ascends from ten to sixty piastres for each tent.
