350 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARABIA. 



that we are indebted almost exclusively for whatever is 

 known in Europe of its minerals, animals, and- plants. 



That literary ex]3edition, which owed its foniiation to the 

 patronage of Frederick V. and his minister Count Bemstorff, 

 sailed from Copenhagen in January, 1761, and, after a short 

 stay at Constantinople, reached the coast of Yemen, by way 

 of Egj'pt, in December, 1762. Each of the academicians who 

 composed it had his particular task assigned him. Professor 

 Von Haven was appointed linguist ; Mons. Baurenfiend acted 

 as draughtsman ; Dr. Cramer had the office of physician ; 

 Mons. Forskal was charged with the department of natural 

 history ; and Niebuhr with that of geography. The novelty 

 of the undertaking excited a lively interest among the learned 

 associations of Europe. A series of questions, embracing 

 many intricate points both physical and philological, was pro- 

 posed for solution by Michaehs, professor of theology at Got- 

 tingen. A similar list was drawn up and addressed to these 

 accomplished travellers by M. de Brequigny of the Royal 

 Academy of Inscriptions at Paris, with a view to obtain au- 

 thentic information respecting the antiquities, chronology, 

 government, religion, and language of Yemen. Of the his- 

 torical treasures brought to light in the answers to these 

 interrogatoreis we have not failed to avail ourselves in the 

 preceding chapters of our work. 



It is to be regretted, however, that from a concurrence of 

 unfavourable circumstances, the hopes of the scientific world 

 were in a great measure frustrated. Von Haven died at 

 Mocha within five months after their arrival. Forskal sur- 

 vived him but a few weeks, having expired at Jerim on the 

 11th of July ; but not before he had visited Sanaa, and made 

 various professional excursions among the Coffee Mountains 

 near Taas. In the course of the following year Niebuhr lost 

 his two remaining companions : Baurenfiend died at sea near 

 the island of Socotra, and Cramer ended his days at Bom- 

 bay. By this melancholy catastrophe, numerous valuable 

 discoveries were doubtless left unaccomplished ; yet it is 

 truly surprising how much was effected in so short a time by 

 the ardent zeal and indefatigable industry of M. Forskal. He 

 collected and gave descriptions of more than 300 species in 

 the animal kingdom, and upwards of 800 in the vegetable ;' 

 and this number might have been considerably increased had 

 he not scrupulously adhered to the resolution of admitting 



