THE ARABIAN FAMILY. 21 



ism and a Bedouin governmentj in which the great chief is hoth the political and 

 religious leader of the nation, exercising his authority in the same manner as the 

 followers of Mohammed did over his converted countrymen."* Yet their chief 

 sectarian distinction appears to be their hostility to the domes of the mosques, and 

 to ornamented tombs, which they uniformly destroy with fanatical zeal. In their 

 moral character the Wahabys are no better than the other Bedouins. 



The Bedouins claim lineal descent from Ishmael. They are not only spread 

 over nearly all Arabia to the confines of Persia, but across the entire continent of 

 Africa to the Atlantic ocean. They skirt the Mediterranean on the north, and 

 thence rove almost to the centre of the African continent. Even the territory of 

 Houssa is said to derive its social character from the numerous Arabs who inhabit 

 it. Change of locality and the lapse of time have effected no change in the habits 

 of this people, who, in the time of Diodorus, were forbidden by their laws "to 

 sow corn, to plant fruit trees, to make use of wine, or to inhabit houses," in order 

 that there might be nothing to tempt the avarice of an enemy. They who 

 plundered all nations, provided against a like calamity to themselves. 



The Jews or Hebrews were in their origin a pastoral nation, but in progress 

 of time they established themselves in the cities of Palestine. Their physiognomy 

 is familiar in the receding forehead, the elongated face, and the large and aquiline 

 nose. Their high attainments in literature are fully attested by the sacred 

 writings; and their zealous attachment to their religion, and their patient endur- 

 ance of adversity, are among the most striking traits of their character. Dispersed 

 by a divine judgment, they are to be found almost every where on the habitable 

 earth, recognised by the same features, and the same undeviating form of worship. 



Travellers describe a colony of black Jews at Cochin and Cranganore, in 

 Malabar : they, however, are not Jews by nation, but only by conversion. The 

 date of their original apostacy is very ancient : they are, in fact, Hindoos in all 

 respects but their religion ; and Mr. Wolff informs us that " even at this time 

 many of the Hindoos become converts to Judaism."! 



The Hebrews are supposed to be derived from the Chaldeans, an elder 

 branch of this race, whose capitol, Babylon, is among the proverbial wonders of 

 antiquity. Belonging to the same stock, were the Idumeans, or EdomiteSjJ 

 renowned for their dwellings excavated from the solid rock, and other architec- 

 tural remains in the recently revealed city of Petra. 



* BuRKHARDT, Bedouins and Wahabys, p. 274. t Missionary Researches, p. 308. 



J Called also the Nabathean Arabs. 

 6 



