244 PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



religious subjects, and were brought by the refugees" who found an 

 asylum in India. 



THE ARAB COUNTRIES. 



a. Aral) Colofiists. 



Numerous adventurers from Arabia, are scattered around the shores 

 of the Indian Ocean, and among the East India islands ; seeking often 

 a permanent residence in countries more desirable in every respect 

 than their own. The Exploring Expedition first met with an Arab at 

 Sooloo ; who has been already noticed while speaking of the Malayan 

 race. 



At Singapo7'e, various individuals of dissimilar personal appearance, 

 and even differing in physical race, laid claim to the title of Arabs. 

 Moreover, we were here introduced to the extraordinary diversity of 

 aspect, which, independently of mixtures of race, prevails in the south- 

 ern Arab countries. 



I well remember my first interview at Singapore with an Oriental 

 whose brown complexion and prominent profile perplexed me. With 

 my subsequent experience, I should at once have recognised this man's 

 affinity ; though even now, I would not undertake in all instances to 

 point out the physical White. 



Once about sunset, I visited the principal mosque. And on inquir- 

 ing if there was an Arab present, an elderly man of meagre form came 

 forward ; whose thin lips, arched nose, and fair European complexion, 

 would anywhere have vindicated his purity of race. With his white 

 robes and peculiar turban, he made a picturesque appearance amid 

 the motley group of Muslims, from various and distant lands; who 

 had assembled to testify a sense of dependence on Divine power. 



The self-styled Arab, spoke such bad Malay, that my interpreter 

 could make nothing of it ; until the Babylonian interposed as already 

 mentioned. His history was told in the following words : " Mogreb," 

 the West ; " a year's journey with camels beyond Mecca ; Arifat, Is- 

 kander (Alexandria), Tunis;" and something was said about "eight 

 or nine days journey beyond Tunis." Here then, at the furthest limit 

 of the wanderings of tlie Orientals, was a man who had travelled from 

 as far west as England, and chiefly by land ! A circumstance that 



