254 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



represented on the Pharaonic monuments, on the bodies of certain 

 foreigners. A cane which I obtained at Suez, having the oblique 

 monumental handle, was recognised as being made after the pattern 

 of Western Arabia ; while the fashion of the rounded hook, was refer- 

 red to the cane of Muscat. 



The unusual fondness for cats, manifested by the Mocha Arabs, 

 brought to mind Herodotus's account of the ancient Egyptians : and 

 in further illustration of the permanency of manners and institutions, 

 the governor during a portion of the day, was usually to be seen sit- 

 ting at the receipt of customs. The interpreter, although in general 

 he appeared to be well-informed, knew nothing of Yoktan, Abraham, 

 or even of Ishmael. 



An Arab was pointed out to me, as the brother of a powerful chief, 

 who, some forty years ago, plundered a Salem vessel. Of those on 

 board, a lad (of whom I had heard at home) was alone spared; and he 

 was subsequently educated and married in Arabia, where he remained 

 until his recent death. Pirates were said to be still numerous about 

 the Persian Gulf ; but since the proceedings of the English at Berbera, 

 they had disappeared from the Red Sea. The affair of the United 

 States frigate Potomac on the Coast of Sumatra, was well known at 

 Mocha ; the relations with that island being rather intimate. 



I saw at Mocha an English lad, who had deserted from a tradinof 

 vessel and had turned Muslim ; but the gulf between him and our- 

 selves, proved to be impassable. The arrival of an Italian adventurer 

 on his way to India, the probable presence of a Maltese, and the cir- 

 culation of German crowns (or Venetian dollars), were the only tokens 

 of a direct communication with Europe. 



The few Bedouins pointed out to me, were hardly distinguishable 

 from the lower class of town Arabs, except, by the absence of a 

 turban. They were all young men, having uniformly the Malay- 

 brown complexion, and the hair curling in ringlets all over the head. 

 A powerful tribe of Bedouins, who sometimes rob and kill people 

 even within a few hours of Mocha, interrupted the land-route to 

 Aden. Couriers, however, are occasionally despatched, and we trans- 

 mitted letters by one of them. 



" About eleven years prior to our visit. Mocha was seized by the 

 Turks (as the Egyptian forces were here called), who left a garrison 

 of some five hundred men." This state of things, afforded a pretext 

 to the Bedouins of the vicinity, to pillage the place. " Assembling to 

 the number of some thousands, they approached the town regardless 



