LIFE WITH BEDOUINS IN THE DESERT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 290, 5 September 1942, Page 4

LIFE WITH BEDOUINS IN THE DESERT

New Zealand Soldier NATIVES’ FRIENDSHIP FOR BRITISH

Owen Miles, at one time a North Otago school teacher, Uy letter from Syria to his parents, described the daily lives of the Bedouins, lie gave an interesting account and told of the friendship that these nomads have for British soldiers.

“I’ve been out on a job with the section for a couple of weeks, ” he wrote. "We were detached from the unit, and were practically on our own, though actually working for a Tomiiny officer. The job was most interesting—a rather unique experience. We bad to carry foodstuffs out to the Bedouin tribes living far out in the Syrian deserts. These people raise stock for a living—sheep, goats, and camels. As a result of an exceptionally hard winter they lost a great many beasts, so the British and French Governments aro helping them out with this present of wheat and dates. The tribes made a great fuss of us, and entertained us as guests wherever we went. Thus we got a great insight into their mode of life. They are nomadic people, living in long black tents, open at the ends aud right along one side. They rarely remain more than two or three months in the one place. Like gypsies, they move on. The tents are divided in two by a screen—one end for the women and the other for the men. The floors are covered with rich looking rugs, on which heaps of beautiful mattresses and cushions are arranged in a great circle. The men seem to spend most of their time squatting about in solemn conversation. We did likewise during our stay and while awaiting the unloading of the trucks. “The Bedouins have their own special code of hospitality. Immediately on arrival, one is offered coffee, very strong, hot, and black —two or three cups—but there is only about a thimbleful in each cup. It is very thirst-quenching. While this is being served sheep are being killed just outside the tfeht for the meal. So if you go visiting Bedouins don’t arrive hungry, or you will be famished by the lime the joint is cooked. We had to wait three hours for our first meal with them. During this time they regaled us with endless cups of coffee, as above, and also cups of hot, very sweet, tea, without milk. At last the meal arrived, carried by six strong men, who struggled under the weight of it. It consisted of a pile of rice about 2ft. high on a plate 3ft. in diameter. The meat was buried in the rice, and tastefully arranged about the pile. This dish was placed in the middle of our social circle, and round it, bv our knees, were thrown 30 or 40 pieces of bread. This is quite unlike ours—rather more like a very thin unsweetened pancake, about a foot in diameter.”

’ Art Of Eatiiig. Continuing, Mr. Miles wrote: “The art of eating has to be mastered, as there are no tools supplied—fingers were made before knives. The idea was to crouch shoulder to shoulder in a circle —I counted 18 on one occasion—and, reaching in, break off a portion of meat, roll it into a ball with rice till it is about the size of an egg, and then with a deft action of the thumb shoot it into the mouth. A very stern-looking sheik beside me on my first attempt took pity on my ballrolling efforts, which were not very successful owing to the sticky nature of the rice, and he rolled a perfect ball for me. His mouth must have been much bigger than mine, for I had to make two mouthfuls of it. He kept picking out choice pieces for me aud the other lads. Water was served, but not in glasses. It was in one big silver bowl, which was passed round the circle. There was also usually a bowl of goat’s milk, which was not as palatable, though very thirst-quench-ing. At the end of the meal we were given soap, and water was poured over our hands from a silver jug. More tea and coffee completed the repast. I have described the first and most pretentious meal at which we assisted,” concluded the letter. "Fortunately they were not all so substantial or we should not have finished the job yet. Time is no object with the Bedouins, but we managed to explain that it was with us, for we had a lot of travelling over rough country to do. One tribe was 80 miles from the town where we were loading. Moreover, the small dishes were often more tasty. I don’t know what some of it was, but once there was houey. Another seemed to consist of sugar and ground nuts, while another was rather like our syrup. The technique iu eating these was to tear off a piece of br&id and dip it in the bowl. “I got a good deal of practice in French on this trip, for our guide spoke only Arabic and French, and for the second week we were billeted at a French barracks. We were about the only English-speaking people in the town. We had to spend one or two evenings with the Bedouins. On these occasions they prepared a special lent for us; laid it out with rugs, and would have given us mattresses if I had not insisted that we had all our bedding with us. They are certainly most hospitable.” • . . [Mr. Miles was later killed in action.]