be called the Christopher Columbus of Bahrein tailors?




IX

THE CHILDREN OF THE DESERT


About one-third of Topsy-turvy Land is desert and is the home of those
Arabs that wander about from place to place and are called nomads or
_Bedouin_. The word Bedouin means a desert-dweller. But you must not think
that a desert is a flat country covered with a deep layer of sand without
trees or shrubs. Oh no! There are such deserts in Arabia too, but the
greater part of what is called desert is much more attractive and is only
_desert_ because it has no settled population and no villages. The soil is
often very good and in springtime after the rains the whole of northern
Arabia (where most of the nomads pitch their tents) is one vast prairie of
wild flowers and green grass. The Arabs of the North are rich in flocks
and herds. I am sure you can still find some who, like Job, have seven
thousand sheep and three thousand camels and a very great household. They
all live in tents and the tents of Arabia are not white and round like
circus tents but jet black and square or oblong. You remember the Bible
always speaks of the _black_ tents of Kedar. They are black because they
are woven from goat's hair which is used also for their garments and is
almost as good a waterproof covering as india rubber. But when you have to
spend a long hot day under such a roof as I have done you feel sorry for
the Arabs that they have no better protection against the blazing sun.
Everything is home-made and clumsy, but shall I tell you what I have