BOTANY. 365 



It was customan' with the Arabian physicians, during the 

 highest era of Saracen learning, to administer precious stones 

 in the way of medicine, as remedies for certain diseases ; but 

 their miraculous properties have been long since exploded. 

 It is now generally admitted, as has been already observed, 

 that the greater part of the gems, jewels, and precious metals, 

 with which the ancient Hamyarites embellished their cities, 

 temples, and palaces, were obtained from the Indians, Per- 

 sians, and Romans, in exchange for the spices and perfumes 

 wh.ich they imported from the Happy Arabia. 



SECTION HI. BOTANY. 



Throughout the greater part of Arabia neither the soil nor 

 the climate is favourable to vegetation ; the botany of such a 

 country cannot therefore be either varied or extensive. The 

 heat of the sun is so intense that the flowers no sooner blow 

 than they are withered ; so that the naturalist is not only 

 circumscribed as to the number of plants, but limited as to 

 the proper time for observation ; and if he miss the particular 

 moment in examining certain species when they are in bloom, 

 he can have no subsequent opportunity until another season. 

 Besides these physical inconveniences there are others aris^ 

 ing from the character of the inhabitants. The Arabs, who 

 are an ignorant, jealous, and avaricious people, cannot com- 

 prehend how foreigners should be prompted by mere curiosity, 

 or a love of science, to expose themselves to so much danger 

 and fatigue ; hence the idea prevalent among them is, that 

 Europeans are attracted by motives of interest and the desire 

 of discovering hidden treasures, either in their mountains or 

 among the ruins of ancient cities. This belief operates 

 stronorly against scientific investigations ; as travellers are 

 exposed to the risk of being plundered or murdered, on ac- 

 count of the imaginary wealth which they are supposed to 



canes there are found certaine stones, one of which stones who- 

 soever carryeth about with him cannot be wounded with any 

 yron ; and by the vertue of these stones, the people aforesaid doe 

 for the most part triumph both on sea and land." — Odoricus in 

 Hakluyt. This evidently refers to the Tabasheer, a siliceous 

 substance found in the joints of the bamboo, and to which great 

 virtues are attributed in India. 



Hh2 



