THE RAZZIA.

The most frequent and almost daily incident of Arab life is therazzia. Glory is a fine ting, no doubt, and in the Sahara hearts are as open to its fascination as elsewhere. But there, the idea of glory is to injure the enemy and destroy his resources, and at the same time augment one's own. Glory is not smoke, but plunder. The thirst for revenge is also a motive; but what vengeance is sweeter than to enrich oneself with the spoils of one's enemy? This threefold craving for glory, revenge, and plunder, could not possibly be gratified more promptly or efficaciously than by therazzia—the invasion by force or stratagem of the ground occupied by the foe, which contains all that is dear to him, his family and his fortune.

In the desert, there are three kinds ofrazzia. First of all there is thetehha["the falling," from the verbtahh, "it is fallen"], which takes place at thefedjeur, or dawn of day. In atehha, the object is not pillage, but massacre: no thought is given to riches, but all to vengeance. The next is thekhrotefa, which comes off atel aasseur, or two or three in the afternoon, and means nothingbut rapine. And lastly, theterbigue, which is neither war, nor an affair of brigandage, but, at most, a thievish operation. Theterbigueis attempted atnous el leïl, or midnight. When a razzia is determined upon, those who propose to take part in it say to one anotherRana akeud, "we are a knot." The enterprise is arranged, the association formed, and a compact concluded—compact of life and death.

THE TEHHA.

When atehhais contemplated, the sheikh issues orders to shoe the horses, to prepare food, and to provide a supply of barley for five or six days, more or less. These provisions are put into asemmât, or wallet, each taking his own. Previous to setting out, two or three mounted scouts are sent forward to reconnoitre the position of the enemy they propose to attack. The scouts are men of intelligence, well mounted, acquainted with the country, and circumspect. They take every precaution and make a great circuit, so that in the event of a surprise, they will appear from a quarter whence those whom they intend to assail are accustomed to see only friends appear. On arriving near to their destination, they place themselves in ambush, and one of them, separating from the band, penetrates on foot to the very heart of thedouar, without exciting the slightest suspicion. As soon as they have obtained the necessary information respecting the numbers and disposition of the enemy, they retrace their steps and rejoin thegoum, who await them at a spot previously agreed upon. Like the scouts they, too, have followed a path little calculated to inspire withapprehension those whom they propose to surprise. All necessary intelligence having been obtained, and the foe being now near at hand, it is arranged to fall upon him at the dawn of day, because at that hour they will find

The wife without her girdle,And the mare without her bridle.

The wife without her girdle,

And the mare without her bridle.

Before dashing into themêlée, the leaders address to their followers a few impassioned words: "Listen. Let no one think of despoiling the women, driving off the horses, entering the tents, or alighting for purposes of plunder, before taking many lives. Bear in mind that we have to do with 'children of sin,' who will defend themselves vigourously. These people have butchered our brethren. No mercy! Kill! Kill! if you desire at the same time to take revenge and the goods of your enemies. I tell you again they will not give these up to you without a struggle." Thegoumthen breaks up into three or four bands, with a view to strike terror into the assailed from several different quarters at the same time. As soon as they are within range they open fire, but not a cry is uttered until their fire-arms have made themselves heard.

Theserazziasare for the most part frightful scenes of carnage. The men, taken off their guard, are nearly all put to the sword, but the women are merely stripped of their clothing and jewels. If time permit, the victors carry off with them the tents, the negroes, the horses, and the flocks, leaving the women and the children, for in the desert no one ever burdens himself with prisoners. On their return the flocks are committed to the custody of a few horsemen, while the others form themselves intoa strong rearguard to cover the retreat. On reaching thedouar, the combatants divide among themselves the flocks and the booty captured without personal risk, and give to the sheikh, over and above his share, thirty or forty ewes, or three or four camels, as the case may be, besides bestowing a special gratuity on the horsemen who were sent forward as scouts.

Previous to attempting an enterprise of this kind each tribe places itself under the protection of a particular marabout to whom it is in the habit of applying in difficult circumstances. In the eyes of the Saharene, to plunder an enemy, though an incident of no uncommon occurrence, is an affair by no means devoid of solemnity. It is thus that the tribe of the Arbâa regard as their regular and accredited marabout Sidi-Hamed-ben-Salem-Ould-Tedjiny. A successfulrazziais celebrated by great rejoicings. In each tent anouadâa, or feast, is prepared in honour of the marabouts, to which are invited the poor, thetolbas, or men of letters, the widows, the farriers, and the free negroes.

Thetehhais usually achieved with five or six hundred horses, and not unfrequently foot-soldiers accompany the expedition, mounted on camels. Sometimes the tribe that is to be attacked has received timely warning, and been able to adopt measures for defence. The horses are saddled, the arms ready to the hand. A combat takes place, instead of a massacre, and many fall on both sides. The assailants, however, have usually the advantage, as they are not embarrassed with women and children like their adversaries; and it rarely happens that they return home without booty.

Perhaps I cannot do better than reproduce in this placeone of those popular chaunts which so well depict the rage and the varying fortune of these bloody struggles, that generally originate in love or jealousy.

My horse is whiter than snow,Whiter than the winding-sheet of men;He will bound like a gazelle,And will bear me to the tent of thy father.O Yamina, fools are they who foster thy pride,Greater fools they who tell me to forget thee!Would that I were the pin[70]of thyhaïk;A lock of thy black hair,Themeroueud[71]that blackens thy eyes,Or, still better, the carpet thou tramplest under foot.I watered my horse at the fountain-head,Then lightly leaped on his back.Mychabirare glued to his flanks,And I have faith in my arms as I have faith in my own heartThey betrayed me for the moon of my soul,But time shall betray them also.By Allah, O ye vultures!Why hover ye in the air?I ask of Allah to grant us one of those bloody combats,In which every one can die in health and not of disease.You will pass days and nights in gorging yourselves!Our lives and those of our horses,Do they not belong to our maidens?Away, strangers, away!Leave the flowers of our plainsTo the bees of the country.Away, strangers, away!O the generous One! Behold, then, the nightIn which ourgoumsshall burn powderClose to the verydouarof Yamina,While the women are yet without their girdles,

My horse is whiter than snow,

Whiter than the winding-sheet of men;

He will bound like a gazelle,

And will bear me to the tent of thy father.

O Yamina, fools are they who foster thy pride,

Greater fools they who tell me to forget thee!

Would that I were the pin[70]of thyhaïk;

A lock of thy black hair,

Themeroueud[71]that blackens thy eyes,

Or, still better, the carpet thou tramplest under foot.

I watered my horse at the fountain-head,

Then lightly leaped on his back.

Mychabirare glued to his flanks,

And I have faith in my arms as I have faith in my own heart

They betrayed me for the moon of my soul,

But time shall betray them also.

By Allah, O ye vultures!

Why hover ye in the air?

I ask of Allah to grant us one of those bloody combats,

In which every one can die in health and not of disease.

You will pass days and nights in gorging yourselves!

Our lives and those of our horses,

Do they not belong to our maidens?

Away, strangers, away!

Leave the flowers of our plains

To the bees of the country.

Away, strangers, away!

O the generous One! Behold, then, the night

In which ourgoumsshall burn powder

Close to the verydouarof Yamina,

While the women are yet without their girdles,

And the horses have iron fastenings on their feet,Before theaâtatouche[72]has been placed on the backs ofcamels,And the horsemen have drawn on theirtemag.Grant that I may receive seven balls in my burnous,Seven balls in my steed,And that I may place seven[73]in the body of my rival.The best of all loves is that which causes gnashing of teeth.Strike out, young men, strike out![74]The bullets do not slay;It is fate alone that takes life.Strike out, young men, strike out!The horse of Kaddour is dead, the horse of Kaddour is dead!Publish it through your tribes, for they will rejoice at it;But, if you are not Jews,Add that, bleeding and wounded,He was able to save his master and bear him out of themêlée.He was not one to be false to his ancestors,Never had he been trained to flee,He knew only how to throw himself on the foe.Merouan is dead for Yamina—his days were counted!O my heart! why art thou so bentTo make the waters flow back to the mountains?Thou art the madman who giveth chace to the sun!Believe me; cease to love a womanWho will never say to thee, Yes.The seed sown in asebkha[75]Will never produce ears of corn.

And the horses have iron fastenings on their feet,

Before theaâtatouche[72]has been placed on the backs of

camels,

And the horsemen have drawn on theirtemag.

Grant that I may receive seven balls in my burnous,

Seven balls in my steed,

And that I may place seven[73]in the body of my rival.

The best of all loves is that which causes gnashing of teeth.

Strike out, young men, strike out![74]

The bullets do not slay;

It is fate alone that takes life.

Strike out, young men, strike out!

The horse of Kaddour is dead, the horse of Kaddour is dead!

Publish it through your tribes, for they will rejoice at it;

But, if you are not Jews,

Add that, bleeding and wounded,

He was able to save his master and bear him out of themêlée.

He was not one to be false to his ancestors,

Never had he been trained to flee,

He knew only how to throw himself on the foe.

Merouan is dead for Yamina—his days were counted!

O my heart! why art thou so bent

To make the waters flow back to the mountains?

Thou art the madman who giveth chace to the sun!

Believe me; cease to love a woman

Who will never say to thee, Yes.

The seed sown in asebkha[75]

Will never produce ears of corn.

THE KHROTEFA.

The object of therazziacalledkhrotefais to carry off a flock of camels grazing at a distance of seven or eightleagues from the tribe. From a hundred and fifty to two hundred horsemen join together as "a knot" and set out on the expedition. The reconnaissance is conducted in the same manner as for thetehha, only the arrangements are made with a view to arrive at the appointed spot towardsel aasseur—three or four in the afternoon—and not at thefedjeur, or dawn of day.

When therazziahas been accomplished, and four, five, or sixybal—or flocks of one hundred camels each—have been driven off, they divide into two parties. The one, consisting of the weakest horses, goes forward with the booty, while the other forms a sort of rearguard whose duty it is, if necessary, to make head against the enemy. After appointing a rendez-vous for the morrow, the parties separate; but, in order to throw out the pursuers, those who are to check the enemy follow a different path to that taken by the drivers of the flocks.

In these forays the shepherds are usually spared; nor do they, indeed, take much trouble to defend property that does not belong to them. But the noise and shouting soon give the alarm. Every one saddles his horse and gallops forward; then they halt and rally, and finally appear in force upon the ground. Here again the assailants have every chance in their favour. They are on the look-out, and ready to receive the enemy. Their horses have had time to rest, while those of the tribe that has been plundered are exhausted and blown. Musket shots are nevertheless exchanged, but night supervenes; and, as soon as the darkness has thickened so that "the eye begins to grow black," the plunderers decamp and go off at full gallop to rejoin their comrades, whom they overtake at sunrise. The pursuit lasts but ashort time. The conviction that the camels cannot be recovered, and the fear of falling into an ambuscade, soon induce the plundered tribe to return to their tents.

Although the actual fighting incidental to this kind of expedition is devoid of animation and soon interrupted by nightfall, they who take part in it do not the less run considerable risk. A horseman may receive a wound sufficiently severe to disable him from continuing his march. In that case he is lost, unless he happen to be a personage of distinction, for then he is certain not to be deserted. Some strong, vigourous fellow takes charge of him, lifts him up, places him across his saddle, and carries him home dead or alive. As for slight wounds, with the Arab saddle they do not give much trouble, nor do they prevent the return to thegoum. On rejoining the tribe, the spoils are divided among those who shared in thekhrotefa.

THE TERBIGUE.

In aterbiguenot more than fifteen to twenty horsemen make "a knot," and propose to drive off the flocks from the very middle of adouar. They send some of their party to reconnoitre the tribe, and arrive close to the tents on one of the darkest nights. An isolateddouaris selected, to which they approach as near as two or three hundred paces. Three of them dismount and stop, while one goes round to the opposite side, and makes a noise to attract the attention of the dogs. The people of the tribe fancy it is a passing hyæna, or a jackal, and take no notice of it. In the meanwhile the two other robbers penetrate into the interior of thedouar, loosen thefastenings of ten, fifteen, or twenty camels, according as fortune favours them, and knock their shoes together, to frighten the liberated animals and cause them to run away. They then make off as quickly as they can, rejoin their horses, and all assist in collecting the scattered camels. After that they separate into two bands, one of which conducts the captured animals, while the others, lagging a little behind, allow themselves to be pursued in a different direction. If by chance they have succeeded in letting loose thefaâle, or stallion, their success is certain, for all the females strive to follow him.

Since, in these operations, the secret is generally well kept, they seldom fail, nor are accidents at all common. Should thedouarbe on its guard, the attacking party at once retires. They who venture upon such enterprises are usually well mounted, and speedily escape from a pursuit that is rendered almost impossible by the obscurity which effaces all traces and inspires dread of ambush. For arazziaof this sort, they do not hesitate to go thirty or forty leagues.

Sometimes incidents of a grotesque nature characterise theterbigue. When a party of horsemen does not care to leave a reserve to fight the enemy, they conceal themselves in an ambuscade seven or eight hundred steps from thedouar; while the most experienced robber of the band strips himself naked, and, taking only his sword with him and tying his shoes to his head to look like enormous ears, penetrates into thedouar. He carries in his hand an old saddle-bow, which he shakes in all directions, every now and striking the earth. To this dull sound he joins cries of alarm and terror: "Thegoum! thegoum! up! up! We are betrayed!" The clamour, the jumping about, the strange aspect of the individual, and the noise of the saddle which he keeps on shaking, strike terror into the animals. Horses, sheep, and camels rush pell-mell out of thedouar, and are caught by the concealed horsemen. The others rush out of their tents, snatch up their guns, and spring into the saddle; but flocks and plunderers are already far away, fleeing at full speed, and protected by the night.

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