THE ARAB AND THE RED MAN. 79 



exactions of blackmail, and deeds of violence upon 

 caravans of travelling merchants and other wayfarers. 

 These men have been for centuries the terror of the 

 oriental trader, and so continue still over large areas 

 of South Western Asia. 



The characters and modes of warfare of almost all 

 these plainsmen bear a strong family resemblance, 

 though they consist of manifestly different races. These 

 points of resemblance are especially notable with regard 

 to the Red Indians and the Arabs many of their 

 noblest characteristics are held in common, as also 

 many of their faults and vices. 



We have, however, already given some account of 

 Arab life, which shows the many noble qualities with 

 which this people is endowed; and it must be said 

 that they have never been known to disgrace their 

 name and creed by the grosser cruelties which we 

 shall presently have to recount in the case of the 

 American savage. 



But in attempting to give an impartial sketch of 

 Red Indian character and prowess it must be remem- 

 bered that one treads upon somewhat thorny ground, 

 because in America violent prejudices still exist upon 

 this subject. As painted by some of the dwellers 

 in the eastern cities, who have perhaps never seen a 

 specimen of a really wild Indian, the red man is 

 represented as a model of manly dignity and virtue- 

 all his faults, if he has any, being represented as the 

 results of ill-treatment by the whites. While the 

 causes of frontier wars are in the same way set down 

 to non-performance of treaties by the United States 

 Government. 



On the other hand, the same ideal red man, as 



