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gravest offences. He had long wished to purchase the
mare of a Sheikh of the Shahmanny trihe, hut all his
offers were rejected. A Sheikh of the Kahtans, however,
having been sentenced to lose his hairy honors, when the
barber appeared, exclaimed, " 0 Saoud, take the mare of
the Shahmanny as a ransom for my Beard !" The offer
was accepted, and a bargain struck with the owner of the
mare for 2,500 dollars, which he declared he would not
have taken, nor any other sum, had it not been to save
the Beard of a noble Kahtan.
Even when disease or accident renders necessary the
removal of the whole or part of the Beard, it is only at
the last extremity that an Arab will yield; and then he
lives secluded, or if obliged to go out, wears a thick black
veil, until his chin can reappear "with all its pristine
honours blushing thick upon it."
Almost every Mahomedan carries a comb with him for
the sole purpose of arranging his Beard: this is often
done, especially after prayers; when the devotee usually
remains sitting on his heels and industriously using the
^""comb. The hairs wbich fall are carefully collected, to be
either buried with the owner, or deposited previously in
his tomb, after having been first separately broken in order
\ to release the guardian angels.
To perfume and fumigate the Beard with incense is a
common eastern custom.
