THE ARABIAN RACE. 



255 



of the artillery, and scaled the walls with ladders. They afterwards 

 robbed every house, and left the inhabitants almost literally naked." 

 Mocha, since that event, has been ruled by a Bedouin. Among other 

 results of the affair, it was found that Egyptian money, which had 

 been in use during the short accession of Turkish power, gave place 

 to the former currency. 



I sometimes heard references to the palmy days when " Mocha be- 

 longed to the king of Sanaa," when her staple was more in demand, 

 and especially when it was paid for in dollars. The recent death of 

 the last-named potentate, had added to the usual disturbances of the 

 country; and a battle was daily anticipated, in consequence of "the 

 revolt of some of the villages belonging to his soldiers." 



On the 31st of May, we sailed from Mocha; and after stopping at 

 Aden until the 13th of June, we continued our voyage notwithstand- 

 ing the adverse monsoon, and reached Zmizihar on the 20th of July. 

 I have already spoken of the Soahili inhabiting this Arab colony : but 

 Zanzibar seems further to be the most favourable spot for meeting 

 with persons from all parts of Arabia ; and more especially from the 

 Seheery, or the coast fronting on the Indian Ocean. One individual 

 attracted my attention, on account of his long braided side-lock, and the 

 striking similarity in his whole appearance to the Rebo of the Pharaonic 

 monuments. I did not learn his history; but his complexion was unu- 

 sually light; and the incident called to mind, the existence of a class of 

 people very little known to Europeans, the Arabian mountaineers. 



Bedouins, are often seen at Zanzibar; a circumstance the more 

 unexpected, as I had ascertained that they do not visit Singapore. 

 Besides the individual adventurers at Zanzibar, the Imaum sometimes 

 imports bodies of Bedouins, to serve as soldiers in his military cam- 

 paigns. 



On the 3d of October, I left Zanzibar in the barque Wm. Schroeder, 

 Captain Jackson, of Salem ; and after making an unsuccessful at- 

 tempt to land at Mombas, we arrived on the 18th, at Muscat. The 

 people of this part of Arabia, like those of the Hedjaz, have long 

 beards; and they may be recognised by the checkered and banded 

 turban, which I first saw at Zanzibar. Some individuals were found 

 to be more polished and liberal-minded than any other Arabs I have 

 met with ; and a more advanced tone of society, pervaded their prin- 

 cipal town. 



