Page 191 - UAE Truncal States_Neat

Chap tar Five

largo group such as a whole subtribe or even a tribe can use one and
the same mark or wasm, which is branded onto the flank or chest of
the camel.
Some tribes specialise in certain breeds of animals, and some of the
hardiest though not the most beautiful camels of Eastern Arabia
were bred by the Rashid.2 The camels of the Iladhramaut-bascd fully
beduin families are among those which can endure the longest
journeys consuming very little water. On a journey such as crossing
stretches of waterless desert the beduin of Eastern Arabia travelled
as lightly as possible, carrying a rifle, and a dagger, a cooking-pot, a
coffee kettle, and as much water in goal-skins and as many dried
dates in rush bags as could be carried by the animals. The well-being
of the camels is always considered first; when arriving at a well they
were all watered before the people could lake their first sip. Camels
were allowed to stray and forage for small pieces of vegetation even if
the rider was in a great hurry; camels would be hand-fed on dates
when there was no other food for them. They would be given the last
drop of water from the skins, because the safe arrival of its rider
depended entirely on the strength of his mount. There is no hard and
fast rule as to how long a camel from south-eastern Arabia can go
without water, as this depends on many factors; the type of plant it
grazes on, the load it is required to carry, the speed of travelling, the
ground it walks on, and above all the time of year. A long and
arduous journey such as crossing the Rub' al Khali can only be
undertaken during the winter.
During the summer, beduin such as the Rashid went to wells
which were within relatively easy reach of sufficient grazing. They
split up into very small groups so that the vegetation would not be
depleted too quickly. The camel-herders would prefer the gravel
wadis to the sands because the occasional acacia tree gives shade to
animals and humans;3 but often these coveted areas were not safe for
beduin who might be at feud with another tribe, and therefore they
often decided to stay near a well in the sands. Sometimes the wells are
too bitter for human consumption, and although the camels, reluct-
an tly and with their nostrils closed by the owner’s hand, drink the
water, the people have to mix it with camel milk for their own con-
sumption. In the desert and the borderlands there are no ponds or
artesian wells, and the animals cannot be left to drink by themselves.4
The water in a well is usually found several feet down and has to be
drawn by skins attached to a rope and tied at the four corners to form

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