The modern inhabitants of Arabia are divided into two classes ; the genuine and adulterated Arabs. The first class are the Bedouins of the desert, who have pre served, in the greatest purity, the character and man ners of their ancestors : Attached to a pastoral life, and acknowledging no superior but the chief of their tribe, they pitch their tents where caprice or necessity dic tates, and have maintained in the desert, that freedom and independence which no subject can enjoy. Their chief occupation is the breeding of sheep and camels, which are their only treasures. They disdain hus bandry as an employment by which they would be de graded, and look upon those who inhabit cities, as hav ing forfeited, by their intercourse with strangers, and their indolent manner of life, all title to the dignified appellation of a descendant of Ishmael. Robbers by profession, " their hands are against every man ;" but right, not necessity, is the plea by which the Bedouins stop and pillage the traveller in the desert. For as Ishmael received no share of his father's panimony, but was driven into the wilderness to shift for himself, they consider themselves at liberty to regain, by force, that inheritance of which he was so unjustly deprived. Their robberies, however, are not attended with murder, or ill treatment, unless opposition is made to what they deem a lawful and reasonable demand. " Undress thyself," cries the robber, "thy aunt (my wife) is without a gar ment;" submission ensures safety; but resistance must be atoned for by the blood of the offender.
The life of the Bedouins is a life of danger and dis tress. Compelled to wander in search of a hard-earned subsistence, and knowing the wants and inconveniences of these desolate solitudes, their hearts are ever open to the calls of humanity. The sufferings and misfortunes of the stranger entitle him to their compassion ; and he who confides in their honour is sure of hospitality and protection. They inhabit a solitary desert, which affords them few of the comforts, and none of the luxuries, of life. Their poverty, however, is voluntary ; they pre fer liberty to wealth, and pastoral simplicity to a life of labour and constraint. If, at any time, by pillage or exchange, they may appropriate to themselves the fruits of industry, yet they can be of little advantage to them who know not their value. Articles of food and trap pings for their horses are the only riches they require ; so that the most precious commodities of a plundered caravan are often scattered in the desert as useless and insignificant. The Bedouins arc early trained to the exercise of arms and horsemanship, which the continual jarrings of the independent tribes render necessary for their protection and defence. The care of the flocks is abandoned to the women of the tribe, while the youth are ever on horseback and in the field, practising the use of the bow, the javelin, and the sword. It was a usual saying amongst them, that God had bestowed upon the Arabs turbans instead of diadems, swords in stead of entrenchments, tents instead of houses, and poems instead of written laws.
The inhabitants of the cities are more indolent and effeminate, and may be said to have lost, by their inter mixture with other nations, somewhat of their national character and manners; they are chiefly employed in merchandise, and in cultivating the land ; and are kept in constant poverty by the exorbitant taxes, levied to support the pomp and majesty of a despotic monarchy.
They have acquired a spirit of duplicity which is obser vable in all their intercourse with strangers; and they take every opportunity of cheating the Christians, and then drawing them into expense and trouble ; and these: effeminate citizens, by their living under an arbitrary government, seem to have lost, in a great measure, that generosity and probity for which their brethren in the desert arc so highly distinguished.
The Arabs, in their exterior demeanour, arc dignified and reserved seldom provoked to laughter. Sparing of words, they are offended at a repetition of questions; their speech is slow, weighty, and articulate; their ap prehension quick, with a spirit of independence appear ing in the countenance of the lowest of them. Their virtues and their vices are in a degree peculiar to them selves. They are the firmest friends and the most im placable enemies. Their hearts are open and sincere ; but they have a natural disposition to war, bloodshed, and rapine.
Hospitality seems to he the characteristic of the na tion. Throughout the territories of Yemen, every ac commodation is provided for the comfort and convenience of travellers. Reservoirs of fresh water are built by the side of the highway, and small vaulted houses to shel ter the traveller from the scorching heat of the sun, or when surprised by a sudden storm. Caravanseras are also established by wealthy individuals, where strangers are lodged and entertained free of any expense. Gene rosity and valour are the favourite themes of the Arabian poet; and their bitterest reproach against any tribe is, "that the men have not a heart to give, nor the women to deny." A singular instance of liberality is recorded by Sale, (Pref. Koran, p. 38 ;) a dispute having arisen in the court of the Caaba, who was the most generous among the Arabs, three persons, ?lbdallah, Kais, and ,irabah, were successively mentioned as entitled to the prize. These were accordingly deemed most worthy of the trial. Abdallah, with one foot in the stirrup, was mounting his camel for a distant journey, when he heard the voice of a suppliant, " son of the uncle of the apos tle of God, I am a traveller, and in distress." He in stantly alighted, and presented the pilgrim with his camel, her furniture, and 4000 pieces of gold. The servant of Kais answered, that his master was asleep, but supplied the pilgrim's necessity, by giving him a purse of 7000 pieces of gold, (all the money that was then in the house,) and an order for a camel and a slave. When Kais awoke, he praised and enfranchised his faithful servant, adding, at the same time, " if you had called me, I would have given him more." The aged Arabah was dim-sighted, and was proceeding to the mosque at the hour of prayer, leaning upon two slaves; as soon as the suppliant made known his circumstances, Arabah clasped his hands together, lamented his misfor tune in having no money, but presented him with the two slaves ; " these you may sell," says he ; " if you re fuse, I give them their liberty." Immediately pushing away the youths, he groped his way along by the wall.—Arabah was pronounced the most generous of the three.