f§ LITERATURE OF THE ARABS. 



guishedforhis " Geographical Amusements," which 

 he wrote and dedicated to that monarch. Of this, 

 however, only an abridgment has appeared in print, 

 published by the Maronites under the absurd title 

 of " Geographia Nubiensis." The Saracens of Spain 

 were at great pains to cultivate this science by actual 

 surveys ; and Casiri has described not less than 

 eighteen Voyages or Itineraries of learned men, who 

 travelled for the express purpose of acquiring and 

 diffusi'ng a knowledge of geography. Ibn Raschid, 

 one of them, journeyed through Africa, Egypt, and 

 Syria, hearing and conversing with the most emi- 

 nent scholars in those countries ; of whom, as well 

 as of their most remarkable libraries and academies, 

 he has given some account in his travels. 



Statistics and political economy, though of slow 

 growth among the Arabs, did not escape their atten 

 tion. The ambition of conquest was succeeded by 

 a spirit of inquiry into the wealth and resources of 

 the countries that had yielded to their arms. So 

 early as the reign of Omar II., Assam ibn Malec 

 his viceroy in Spain, transplanted into that country 

 much of the wisdom of the East as respects the 

 improvements of productive industry. In the sta- 

 tistical survey which he composed for the caliph's 

 information, he described not only the different prov- 

 inces and cities, together with their respective rivers, 

 ports, and harbours, but also the nature of the cli- 

 .mate and different soils of Spain, its mountains, 

 .plants, and minerals ; giving an exact account of its 

 imports, and of the manner in which its various pro- 

 ductions, natural or artificial, might be manufactured 

 and applied to the best advantage. 



In the speculative sciences the Arabs excelled a? 

 much as they did in polite literature. Their acute 

 temperament of mind was well adapted to the study 

 of philosophy and metaphysics, and on these ac 

 quirements is founded the reputation of many inge 

 nious and celebrated men, whose names are still 

 revered in Europe. Gazali applied the doctrines of 



