In the animal kingdom, an African character prevails generally. Sheep, goats, and oxen satisfy the immediate domestic and personal necessities of the inhabitants, to whom the camel and horse are trusty companions in their far wanderings. Gazelles and ostriches frequent the oases of the deserts, where the lion, panther, hyena, and jackal hunt their prey. Monkeys, pheasants, and doves are found in the fertile districts, where flights of locusts often make sad devastation. Fish and turtle abound on the coast. The noble breed of Arabian horses has been cultivated for several thousand years; but the most characteristic of all animals in the peninsula is the camel, which has been both poetically and justly styled "the ship of the desert." It may be regarded as an Arabian animal, for it seems to be proved that it is not a native of Africa, but has migrated from the peninsula with its master. The camel is not found among the figures of animals in the ancient Egyptian paintings on walls, nor does it appear to have been known to the Carthaginians. The breed of Oman is celebrated for its beauty and swiftness. Among the minerals of A. may be mentioned iron, copper, lead, coal, basalt, and asphaltum, and the precious stones emerald, carnelian, agate, and onyx. Pearls are found in the Persian gulf.
But the most interesting i features of the peninsula are found in its ancient and pecu liar population. The Arab is of medium stature, muscular make, and brown complexion. Earnestness and lofty pride look out of his glowing eyes; by nature he is quick, sharp witted, lively, and passionately fond of poetry. Courage, temperance, hospitality, and good faith are his leading virtues; but these are often marred by a spirit of sanguinary revenge and rapacity. His wife keeps the house and educates the children. The Arab cannot conceive a higher felicity than the birth of a camel or a foal, or that his verses should be honored with the applause of his tribe.
Arabian life is either nomadic or settled. The wandering tribes, or Bedouins, are well known to entertain very loose notions of the rights of property. The located tribes, styled Hadesi and Pelham, are despised by the Bedouin, who scorns to be tied down to the soil, even where such bondage might make him wealthy. As Ritter in his Coin. parative Geography observes—Arabia "is the anti-industrial central point in the world;" for on every side, branching out to the e. or w., we find industry making progress, while here centuries pass away without any improvement save what has been introduced, almost compulsorilY, by foreigners. The trade carried On by exports of coffee, dates, figs, spices, and drugs, thqugh still considerable, is said to be only a shadow of the old commerce which existed before the circumnavigation of Africa, or when Aden was in its prime and the Red sea was the great commercial route. A. has few manufactures,
but carries on a transit-trade in foreign fabrics, besides importing these to some extent for its own necessities. Few nations have approached so near as the Arabs to the con dition of standing still in a moral and social point of view. Considering how little progress has been made, it is remarkable that a greater degeneracy has not taken place. Even in the desert the children are taught to read, write, and calculate; and in the towns, education to a certain degree is general. The division of the people into so many tribes is a barrier to everything like a great national improvement; indeed, the word national can hardly be properly applied to the Arabs. It would require a series of extraordinary events to develop afresh that terrible unity which Mohammed gave A. for a time. The government is patriarchal, and the chief men of the various tribes have the title of emir, sheik, or imaum. Their function appears limited to leading the troops in the time of war, to levying tribute, and to the administration of justice. A spirit of liberty in the people moderates the authority of their chieftains; but instances of extreme despotism have not been unfrequent both in early and modern times.
To number all the distinct states of A. would be impossible in the present state of our knowledge; but the seven great divisions are those which we have enumerated. Of these the most important at present is Nedjed, a state which, while under Wahabite fanaticism it rose rapidly into leading power, and seemed for a time to wane, yet since 1849 has asserted its pre-eminence in central Arabia, and brought even Oman under its influence. See WAnAnts. Yemen possesses two very important commercial towns, Mocha and Loheia, situated on the coast of the Red sea ; Oman has made considerable advances in civilization. It forms to some extent an exception to the general lack of manufacturing activity exhibited by the Arabians, having manufactures of silk and cotton turbans, sashes, canvas, arms, gunpowder, etc. The imaum of Muscat formerly claimed authority over the whole of Oman, the islands in the Persian gulf, a portion of the Persian coast; and a vast extent of territory on the c. coast of Africa, including some valuable islands. See MUSCAT and ZANZIBAR. Rostak is another large t. inland from Muscat. The district or division of Hedjaz contains the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, with their seaports, Jiddah (q.v.) and Yembo.