All the friends
of both parties are called together for the wedding; pistols and
guns are fired off, if possessed. There is much feasting, and the
unfortunate bridegroom undergoes the ordeal of whipping by the
relations of his bride, in order to test his courage. Sometimes
this punishment is exceedingly severe, being inflicted with the
coorbatch or whip of hippopotamus hide, which is cracked
vigorously about his ribs and back. If the happy husband wishes
to be considered a man worth having, he must receive the
chastisement with an expression of enjoyment; in which case the
crowds of women again raise their thrilling cry in admiration.
After the rejoicings of the day are over, the bride is led in the
evening to the residence of her husband, while a beating of drums
and strumming of guitars (rhababas) are kept up for some hours
during the night, with the usual discordant idea of singing.
There is no divorce court among the Arabs. They are not
sufficiently advanced in civilization to accept a pecuniary fine
as the price of a wife's dishonour; but a stroke of the husband's
sword, or a stab with the knife, is generally the ready remedy
for infidelity. Although strictly Mahometans, the women are never
veiled; neither do they adopt the excessive reserve assumed by
the Turks and Egyptians.
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