34* FRAGMENTS afterwards become a man of substance, his creditors can claim the amount of their debts, deducting what they have ah-eady received.

Dances.

The dances of the Arabs are pecuHar to them--selves. The youths dance without females, and the females without youths. On all marriages and rejoicings, music and dancing continue till the dawn of day. Among the encampments of Arabs, in the summer season, the whole country at night, is in a blaze of light. The kettle-drumj the triangle, the shepherd's pipe, and the erheh an instrument resembling the fiddle, with two strings, form the band of music The youths form a double row of six or eight in each, and carry themselves erect, with their arms hanging down close to their side ; moving obliquely to the right, then to the left, without taking their feet from the ground, but moving their heels, then their toes on the ground, advancing or gliding slowly along ; keeping exact time with the music : they then vault in the air, perform somersets and various feats of agility.

They sing also with great taste and judgment, and some of them have excellent voices, being selected for the purpose of affording entertainment to the spectators. The ladies dance also in a similar manner, but without the vaulting and somersets. They have a very elegant shawldance, which some of them dance with great taste, and with much graceful movement* 18