366 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARABIA. 



possess. In Yemen there is less of this prejudice, and con- 

 sequently less interruption, than in other provinces.* 



There are in Arabia a considerable number of vegetable 

 productions common to other regions, both of a colder and a 

 warmer climate. In the highlands plants grow which are 

 found in the northern parts of Europe ; while in the plains 

 and valleys may be seen species that are to be met with in 

 India and Africa, and which have probably been introduced 

 by settlers from these countries. Niebuhr has remarked, 

 however, that where there are in Europe various species of 

 any genus of plants, the Arabian species of the same genus 

 are almost all new ; while no such diversity is observed in 

 those which are common to Arabia with India. So little 

 known were the indigenous plants of Yemen, that Forskal 

 was obliged to form no less than thirty new genera, besides a 

 variety of doubtful species which he could hardly venture to 

 include under any generic arrangement. Of the 800 speci- 

 mens which he has described, it is unnecessar)- for our pur- 

 pose to do more than allude to a few that may be considered 

 remarkable for their novelty or their usefulness. 



Vegetables. — The Arabs cultivate several pot-herbs that 

 are common in our gardens, — s^ich as carrots, turnips, beans, 

 onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus, beet, spinach, lettuce, a very 

 delicate purslain with sharp leaves, a sort of radish of which 

 the leaves only are eaten, water-cresses, besides an immense 

 variety of gourds, cucumbers, pumpkins, and melons ; of the 

 two latter there is a sort that grows wild in the woods, and 

 serves for feeding camels. The proper melons are reared in 

 the fields, and in such abundance that the natives of all ranks 

 use them for some part of the year as their chief article of 

 food. ^f^Tien nearly ripe the fruit is pierced into the pulp ; 

 this aperture is then stopped with wax, and the melon left 

 upon the stalk. By means of this simple process, the pulp in 

 a few days is converted into a delicious liquor. Of Indian 

 vegetables naturalized in Arabia, Forskal enumerates a Sida 



* Much was anticipated from the talents and attainments of 

 Seetzen, who expected to make several discoveries in the min- 

 eral as well as in the animal and vegetable productions of the 

 country ; but the hopes of the scientific world were disappointed 

 by his premature death at Akaba (supposed by poison). A short 

 correspondence between him and M. de Zach of Saxe Gotha 

 was translated and printed in 1810 by the Palestine Association. 



