414 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARABIA. 



ever, trees are either absolutely unknown, or at least dif- 

 ferent from those of the same genera and species in 

 Europe. As the interior has been little explored by tra- 

 vellers, it is not surprising that we should remain compa- 

 ratively ignorant of its indigenous productions. But from 

 what Forskal accomplished in his hasty excursion, it 

 would appear that Yemen possesses a great variety of trees, 

 as these alone comprehend more than half of the new 

 genera proposed by that naturalist. He likewise enume- 

 rates eighteen others which he saw, but whose genus he 

 had no opportunity of ascertaining. Of most of these he 

 merely learned the Arabic names and a few of their pro- 

 perties. Noeman, a native of the Coffee Mountains, is 

 often confounded with the cassia-tree. Bceha and anas 

 are common in the hills ; their juice is narcotic and poi- 

 sonous. Schamama bears a fruit that tastes and smells 

 like a lemon ; gharib el bceke abounds in Abu-Arish, and 

 distils an agreeable substance, of which the birds appear- 

 ed to be particularly fond. Segleg, in the same district, 

 bears leaves, the sap of which when expressed is esteem- 

 ed an excellent remedy in cases of weak sight. In Ye- 

 men Forskal saw two trees, one of which resembled the 

 lemon, and the other the apple-tree; but the inhabit- 

 ants knew neither their names nor their qualities. The 

 sym el horat (or poison of fishes) is the fruit of an un- 

 known tree in Southern Arabia, and exported in con- 

 siderable quantities. Fishes swallow it eagerly, after 

 which they float in a state of seeming intoxication on the 

 surface of the water, and are easily taken. Among the 

 new genera described by the Danish traveller, and con- 

 sidered peculiar to Arabia, are the katha, el kaya, keura, 

 and onkoba. The katha, which is improvable by culti- 

 vation, is commonly planted on the hills among the coffee- 

 shrubs. The natives constantly chew the buds of this 

 tree, which they call kaad, and to which they ascribe the 

 virtues of assisting digestion, and of fortifying the consti- 

 tution against infectious distempers. The taste, accord- 

 ing to Niebuhr, is insipid, and the only effects he expe- 

 rienced from eating them was the interruption of sleep. 

 The kuera and el kaya are celebrated for their perfume. 

 The former bears some resemblance to the palm, and pro- 

 duces flowers of a rich and delicious odour. They are 

 scarce, and draw a high price ; but a small quantity, if 

 preserved in a cool place, will continue for a long time to 



