252 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



besides making two subsequent visits. Egress was here prohibited to 

 the new comers; but the people of the country were often seen, bring- 

 ing upon camels articles of produce for the supply of the market. A 

 body of these Arabs, hired by the English authorities, were at work 

 on the road ; and a few, had become permanent residents. In some 

 individuals, the complexion was yet darker than I had seen it among 

 the fellahs of the Thebaid ; while in other respects, the affinity with 

 the White race was hardly distinguishable. I remarked nothing pe- 

 culiar in the costume ; except on one occasion, in the instance of three 

 Arabs wearing caps, which were not padded like those of the Banians, 

 but which equally resembled in outline the common monumental 

 pattern of Egypt. 



On the 22d of April, I left Aden in the brig Cherokee, Captain 

 Mansfield, of Salem; and we arrived at Mocha on the following day. 

 A boat soon came off to the anchorage, bringing the interpreter; who, 

 with three other persons employed in the intercourse with American 

 vessels, were the only natives of the place who could speak a Euro- 

 pean language. The interpreter stated, that " Mocha had now a good 

 governor, and that all was right;" and he proceeded to descant with 

 great simplicity upon the manifold advantages of good government. 



On landing, we visited the governor ; who was called a Bedouin, 

 but who resembled in personal appearance the other principal Arabs 

 of the place. These seemed to be a superior set of men to the Mus- 

 lims of Cairo. Many of them were tall and of large stature ; and al- 

 though their physical race would anywhere be recognised, I thought 

 I could distinguish a local cast of countenance, independent of the 

 unusual shortness and scantiness of beard. Indeed, the only long 

 beards I saw among the native population of Mocha, were those of 

 the Jews. 



The common Arabs of the town, varied more than the upper classes 

 from the usual aspect of the White race. Their average stature 

 was decidedly inferior; the beard was yet more scanty, and in- 

 stances occurred of its entire absence, in combination too with the 

 deep Malay-brown complexion. Polygamy seemed hardly to exist 

 among the mass of the population, notwithstanding the frequency 

 of unfruitful marriages; neither did I hear of any undue facility 

 of divorce. I remarked many other points of difference from 

 the Egyptian Arabs ; as in the costume, (the head-dress usually 

 consisting of a blue turban more or less covering the ears) ; in 



