HORSES OF ANCIENT ARABIA 187 



even been supposed that the ancient Egyptians were 

 indebted to the Arabs for their civiHzation, and 

 Professor Sayce has stated that he believes inscrip- 

 tions may be discovered to show that Southern 

 Arabia was in a high state of civilization 5,000 years 

 before Christ. 



We Europeans are indebted to them for our 

 numerals and our algebra, and we got Euclid 

 through the medium of the Arabic language. 



They built the Alhambra, which has been termed 

 the ' Queen of all Architecture.' 



From the very earliest age they sent out colonies 

 to Asia, Africa, and even Europe. Their language 

 is one of the richest in the world. It was the 

 language of science and philosophy for centuries 

 when Europe was barbarian, and the race is a fight- 

 ing race second in power and bravery to none of the 

 sons of men. 



Mr. Steevens, in his book ' With Kitchener to 

 Khartoum,' writes of the Dervishes at Omdurman 

 (largely of Arab blood) : ' The honour of the fight 

 must still go with the men who died. Our men were 

 perfect, but the Dervishes were superb — beyond 

 perfection.' In fact, according to this, the Dervishes, 

 man for man, were as superior to our men as 

 Napoleon said those other African Arabs, the Mame- 

 lukes, man for man, were superior to the French 

 horsemen ; and the horses of the Dervishes as 

 superior to our weeds — for those had to be left 

 behind at Cairo — as Napoleon confessed the Arab 



