The Whole Country, From Kanneytra (Exclusive) To The Zerka, Is At
Present In The Government Of The Aga Of Tabaria; But This Can Only
Happen When The Pasha Of Acre Is At The Same Time Pasha Of Damascus.
REMARKS ON THE INHABITANTS OF THE HAOURAN.
[P.291]
Remarks on the Inhabitants of the Haouran.
The Haouran is inhabited by Turks, Druses, Christians, and Arabs, and is
visited in spring and summer by several Arab tribes from the desert. The
whole country is under the government of the Pasha of Damascus, who
generally sends a governor to Mezareib, intituled Agat el Haouran.
The Pasha appoints also the Sheikh of every village, who collects the
Miri from both Turks and Christians. The Druses are not under the
control of the Agat el Haouran, but correspond directly with the Pasha.
They have a head Sheikh, whose office, though subject to the
confirmation of the Pasha, has been hereditary from a remote period, in
the family of Hamdan. The head Sheikh of the Druses nominates the Sheikh
of each village, and of these upwards of eight are his own relations:
the others are members of the great Druse families. The Pasha constantly
maintains a force in the Haouran of between five and six hundred men;
three hundred and fifty or four hundred of whom are at Boszra, and the
remainder at Mezareib, or patrolling the country. The Moggrebyns are
generally employed in this service. I compute the population of the
Haouran, exclusive of the Arabs who frequent the plain, the mountain
(Djebel Haouran), and the Ledja, at about fifty or sixty thousand, of
whom six or seven thousand are Druses; and about three thousand
Christians. The Turks and Christians have exactly the same modes of
life; but the Druses are distinguished from them in many respects. The
two former very nearly resemble the Arabs in their customs and manners;
their ordinary dress is precisely that of the Arabs; a coarse white
cotton stuff forms their Kombaz or gown, the Keffie round the head is
tied with a rope of camel's hair, they wear the Abba over the shoulder,
and have the breast and feet naked; they have also adopted, for the
greater
[p.292]part, the Bedouin dialect, gestures, and phraseology; according
to which most articles of housebold furniture have names different from
those in the towns; it requires little experience however to distinguish
the adults of the two nations from one another. The Arabs are generally
of short stature, with thin visage, scanty beard, and brilliant black
eyes; while the Fellahs are taller and stouter, with a strong beard, and
a less piercing look; but the difference seems chiefly to arise from
their mode of life; for the youth of both nations, to the age of
sixteen, have precisely the same appearance. The Turks and Christians of
the Haouran live and dress alike, and religion seems to occasion very
little difference in their respective conditions. When quarrels happen
the Christian fears not to strike the Turk, or to execrate his religion,
a liberty which in every town of Syria would expose the Christian to the
penalty of death, or to a very heavy pecuniary fine. Common sufferings
and dangers in the defence of their property may have given rise to the
toleration which the Christians enjoy from the Turks in the Haouran; and
which is further strengthened by the Druses, who shew equal respect to
both religions. Of the Christians four-fifths are Greeks; and the only
religious animosities which I witnessed during my tour, were between
them and the Catholics.
Among the Fellahs of the Haouran, the richest lives like the poorest,
and displays his superior wealth only on the arrival of strangers. The
ancient buildings afford spacious and convenient dwellings to many of
the modern inhabitants, and those who occupy them may have three or four
rooms for each family; but in newly built villages, the whole family,
with all its household furniture, cooking utensils, and provision
chests, is commonly huddled together in one apartment. Here also they
keep their wheat and barley in reservoirs formed of clay, called Kawara
[Arabic], which are about five feet high and two feet in diameter. The
chief articles
[p.293]of furniture are, a handmill, which is used in summer, when there
is no water in the Wadys to drive the mills; some copper kettles; and a
few mats; in the richer houses some woollen Lebaet are met with, which
are coarse woollen stuffs used for carpets, and in winter for horse-
cloths: real carpets or mattrasses are seldom seen, unless it be upon
the arrival of strangers of consequence. Their goat's hair sacks, and
horse and camel equipments, are of the same kind as those used by the
Bedouins, and are known by the same names. Each family has a large
earthen jar, of the manufacture of Rasheiat el Fukhar, which is filled
every morning by the females, from the Birket or spring, with water for
the day's consumption. In every house there is a room for the reception
of strangers, called from this circumstance Medhafe; it is usually that
in which the male part of the family sleeps; in the midst of it is a
fire place to boil coffee.
The most common dishes of these people are Burgoul and Keshk; in summer
they supply the place of the latter by milk, Leben, and fresh butter. Of
the Burgoul I have spoken on other occasions; there are two kinds of
Keshk, Keshk-hammer and Keskh-leben; the first is prepared by putting
leaven into the Burgoul, and pouring water over it; it is then left
until almost putrid, and afterwards spread out in the sun, to dry; after
which it is pounded, and when called for, served up mixed with oil, or
butter. The Keskh-leben is prepared by putting Leben into the Burgoul,
instead of leaven; in other respects the process is the same. Keskh and
bread are the common breakfast, and towards sunset a plate of Burgoul,
or some Arab dish, forms the dinner; in honour of strangers, it is usual
to serve up at breakfast melted butter and bread, or fried eggs, and in
the evening a fowl boiled in Burgoul, or a kid or lamb; but this does
not very often happen.
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