Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Gaelic Maundeville (Author: John Maundeville)
paragraph 49
Of the Desert between the Mount of Saint Catherine and Jerusalem
After leaving the mount of Saint Catherine to go to Jerusalem, you come to a monastery of monks, which bestows victuals on the pilgrims who pass through the desert of Suria a journey of thirteen days; and in that desert are tribes full of every evil condition and named Bedouins and Asgoloperdes. They never have any houses except a kind of tents made of
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the skins of camels and other animals which they eat, and they never dwell save near cold water, and it is hard to find water in that desert. And they make no habitation nor husbandry, and they eat no bread unless one of them dwell near a town of another country. They roast their fish and their flesh on stones against the sun, and they are bold and strong, and they do not (any) work on earth for their livelihood save hunting, and they never willingly settle down. They earn no thanks from Soldan or Prince, whatever be his strength, and they have no arms save shields and spears, and (they wrap) abundance of linen cloth round their heads and their necks.