ANCIENT KINGS OF ARABIA. 101 



The history of these ancient kings is little else 

 than a mere register of names. On the death of 

 Hamyar, the family of his brother Cahlan disputed 

 the throne, and divided the monarchy ; one branch 

 continuing to reign at Saba, and the other at Dhafar 

 in Hadramaut. After a lapse of fifteen generations, 

 these were united in the person of Hareth, surnamed 

 Alrayish, or the Enricher, from the abundance of 

 spoils he collected in his various expeditions. Hav- 

 ing recovered the entire sovereignty of Yemen, he 

 assumed the title of Tobbaa, or Successor. Dul- 

 karnain, who has been erroneously identified with 

 Alexander of Macedon, is a celebrated personage in 

 oriental story. He pushed his conquests to the re- 

 motest regions of the earth, vanquished nations of 

 colossal stature, and subdued towns whose walls and 

 towers were of brass and copper, so brilliant that 

 the inhabitants were obliged to wear masks to pro- 

 tect them from total blindness. This apociyphal 

 prince is mentioned in the Koran (chap, xviii.), but it 

 seems doubtful to what character in real history his 

 achievements are to be ascribed. They certainly 

 bear some resemblance to the romantic exploits of 

 the all-subduing son of Philip. Dulmenaar, his suc- 

 cessor, carried his arms westward into the unex- 

 plored regions of Nigritia, where he is said to have 

 constructed a chain of lighthouses over the desert 

 to guide his march ; hence his name, which means 

 Lord of the Watchtowers. His son extended his 

 conquests as far as Tangier, and is said to have given 

 his name to Africa, Duladsaar, or the Lord of Ter- 

 ror, is renowned as the conqueror of the Blemmyes 

 or Pigmies, a nation of monsters without heads 

 (Acephali), and having eyes and mouths in their 

 breasts, whom Herodotus and Mela placed in Abys- 

 sinia and Southern Africa. His subjects threw off 

 their allegiance, and raised Shaerhabil, a descend- 

 ant of Wathel, to the throne, who, after several 



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