125 
of iron, the other end being also armed with a small 
point, which the bearer sticks perpendicularly in the 
ground when he alights.* 
I saw some Arabs of Yemen armed with a sword 
and shield: the former was straight and broad; the lat- 
ter of metal, hard wood, or the skin of the hippopota- 
mus, {those of the latter substance were the best); and 
all were ornamented with carvings. They were about 
a foot broad. 
The aridity of the country is such, that there is 
hardly a plant to be seen near the city, or upon the 
neighbouring mountains. I have already said that the 
vegetables came from afar. The four or five species of 
plants that I met with form a part of my collection. 
Perhaps at other seasons of the year there are other 
kinds; but we must not expect to find at Mecca any 
thing like a meadow, or still less a garden,. Nature is 
prodigal here; but that prodigality consists in stones 
and sand. They do not sow any grain; for the too 
ungrateful soil would not produce any plant to the 
cultivator. The earth refuses to yield even spontane- 
ous productions, of which it is so liberal elsewhere. 
In short, there are but three or four trees upon the 
spot where formerly stood the house of Abutaleb, the 
uncle of the Prophet; and six or eight others, scattered 
here and there. These trees are prickly, and produce 
a small fruit similar to the jujube, which is called neb- 
bak by the Arabs. Near a house which the Scherif 
possesses, a short distance from the city towards the 
north, is a sort of garden, planted with palm and date 
trees. 
The people of the country assured me, that the cere- 
* For all these arms see Plate. 
