D'Athanasi, Giovanni; Salt, Henry [Editor]: A brief account of the researches and discoveries in Upper Egypt: To which is added a detailed catalogue of Mr. Salts collection of Egyptian antiquities (London, 1836)

A MURDERER.

139

honour, would rise in a body, and not cease from
their attacks upon the offending village until they
had killed four of its inhabitants.

It should be added, however, that the relations
of the murderer are obliged to decamp, as well
as himself, for fear of being killed by the relations
of the slain. As these murders, however, are
very frequent, and as the villages would thereby
become deserted, if the relations of the murderer
were obliged to leave their native land for ever,
the following plan has been adopted to adjust
this difficulty, namely:—the murderer takes four
yards of linen, which is sufficient to make a ban-
dage, which the Arabs call Ilkefan; this he puts
on his head and enters the village, where he pre-
sents himself to the relations of him whom he
has just murdered, to whom he says, " I submit
myself as your slave; you may do with me what
ever you please." At these words, the relations
of the slain forgive him his life, and after having
used him for some time as a slave, restore him to
his liberty. The government of the viceroy has
tried in vain up to the present day, to eradicate
from them this mania of murdering one another
like brutes, and carrying off their daughters for