12 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER III. 



PRIMITIVE INHABITANTS OF ARABIA. 



Obscurity of Arabian Antiquities- Want of written Records 

 — Aboriemal Tribes— The old extinct Arabs— The pure 

 Arabs— The mixed or naturalized Arabs— Their Attention to 

 their Genealogies— Birth and Expulsion of Ishmael— Build- 

 ine of the Kaaba or Temple at Mecca— Death of Ishmael— 

 Genealogy of Mohammed-The Koreish-Refiections on the 

 National Descent of the Arabs 



- CHAPTER IV. 



ANCIENT KINGS OF ARABIA. 



Subdivision of Arabian H.story-Want of Written Records- 

 Defective Information of the Greeks and Romans— Contused 

 Chronology of the Arabs-The Kings of Yemen, or Dynasty 

 of the Hamyarites-The Flood of El Arem, and Destruction 

 of Mareb-Exploits of Abucarb-Revolution under Dunowas 

 -Persecution of the Christians-Invasion and Conquest ot 

 Yemen by the Abyssinians-Expedmon of Abraha-War of 

 the Elephant-Persians seize the Government of iemen- 

 The Kmgdom of Hira or Irak-Kingdom of Gassan-The 

 NabathLan or Ishmaelite Arabs-Their Wars with the Jews 

 and Romans-Expedition of ^lius Gallus-Perpeual Inde- 

 pendence of the Arabs-Reflections on Gibbon's Skepticisin 

 Scent Discovery of Petra-Descnption of its Magnificent 

 Ruins 



CHAPTER© 



CHAFACTER, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS OF THE ANCIENT ARABS 



Two Classes of Arabs-The Bedouins^ or Pastoral Tribes- 

 Their Mode of Life-Their Love of Freedom-The Agricul- 

 7ura and Mercantile Classes-Commerce of the Ancient 

 Arabs-Their early Intercourse with India-Wealth and 

 toy of he SabaBans-Exaggerated Accounts of the 

 Greeks^ and Romans-Neither Gold nor Silver Mines in 

 A abia-Principal Articles of Trade-Ij^nkinces^^^ 

 icoffee-Vmes-Sugar-Chief Marts on the t^oast-Cara- 

 vans-PropensV of the Arabs for Robbery and War-Their 

 Quarrels a?id Re'venge-Their sacrecl Months-Their Hosp^ 

 tality-Fire-signals-Liberahty of Hatim Tai-FOT^^^^^ 

 the Bedouins for Eloquence and Poetry— 1 he MoaUaKat, or 

 SevFn Poems of the Kaaba-Origm and Copiousness ol the 

 Sic Language-Learning and Morals ollhe Ancient Aiabs 



