" This was the fruit of Hussein's spirited conduct. While he was near the walls of the convent, to which be had repaired with his fusil slung over his shoulder, some of the Arabs set off to detain him. They had seized his arms ; hut Hussein, after a long dispute, succeeded in getting up behind one of the Bedouins, and being conveyed to the place where the whole troop was, " Arabs !" said lie, addressing himself to the chiefs, " you have stripped a man confided to my protection, and for whom I have pledged my own bead ; a man with whom I have eaten, who has slept under my tent, and who is become my brother. I can 'never again enter that tent ; I dare not shew my face again in the camp ; I must renounce the pleasure of ever more embracing my wife and children. Arabs, take away my life, or restore all that belongs to my brother." This speech, which was accompanied with a look of firmness and a tone of resolution, made some impression on the minds of the Bedouins. Hus sein had snatched his fusil out of the hands of him who held it, and, while waiting till they had taken their resolution, presented it to the chief commander of the robbers, determined to shoot him in case of a and thus expose himself to be massacred, ra ther than consent to our suffering the least injury. Our conductor was well known ; they were aware, that his resolute character would lead him to carry his threats into execution ; thus, partly through fear, partly through deference, the black chief consented to restore all that was taken from me ; and this was done with truly admirable fidelity. It is true, every thing that appeared valuable in the eyes of him who had taken it, required to be particularly claimed ; but when the chief insisted upon it, it was produced ; and this discipline among people, and in a place where we could not have expected to find an instance of it, appeared to me highly astonishing. The chief came to ask me what was missing still ; on my naming an article, lie mounted on a little eminence, and cried, " Arabs, such a' thing is not restored ; let it be brought." If the person who had it was not prompt in his obedience, he added, " Come, Arabs, no de lay ;" and it was delivered to me immediately. The chief then mentioned an other article that had been stolen, and it was restored to me in the same manner.
hours were thus spent before the inventory of my effects was through. Every thing was restored to me except my money, of which I received only a small part. This, however, was not the fault of the two scheiks. Hussein, in particular, insisted ou my counting in his presence the, sequins that had been returned. The Arabs, to whom my purse ap peared a good prize, and who had shared the chief part of its contents, waited till I had finished count ing them with some uneasiness, which was quickly removed on my declaring that I had all my money. Thinking myself happy to come off so well, I had voluntarily sacrificed two-thirds of what I possessed, that I might not incur the hatred of the honest rob bers that surrounded me, and expose myself to their vengeance. These banditti thought it not sufficient to appear just, they would also be polite. The chief brought me his horse, and insisted on my mounting it, to ride the little distance from the place we were to the monastery, while he attended me on foot. Some others of the Arabs paid die same respect to my companions, each of them walking, in like manner, by the side of his horse. When we came near the walls, we saw some baskets of bread, and wooden dishes of lentils, let down by ropes.
Seating ourselves on the ground, in a circle, we ate up this pro'vision with people who just before were our enemies. After our repast was finished, some of them came up to me with frankness, and even with a sort of cordiality, thanking heaven that no injury had befallen me ; with a tone of concern for my temerity in travelling throtigh a desert, which, by their own confession, was the resort only of thieves and robbers. Above all, they did not forget to say their prayers with great devotion, after they had rubbed their arms and legs with sand, for want of water, to perform the ablutions prescribed by their law. Mahomet, an Arab himself, was aware of the circumstances to which his followers would frequently find themselves in the desert, and accordingly directed them to make use of sand instead of water.
" I learned afterwards, that these Arabs had been informed of our journey, and that they had watched our steps from its commencement. They had been under the walls df the monastery ever since three o'clock in the morning, and had acquainted the monks, that they would have a visit from some Franks in the course of the day. To the very moment when ' they perceived us, they had been concerting the man ner in which they might attack us with least risk ; for they were not without apprehensions, as they ,knew that we were well armed." See Sonini's Tra B E E.
a very numerous genus of insects, on which ' we have already made some general remarks under the article Arcs, the generic name. Here we shall confine our observations chiefly to the honey bee, (Apis MellUica,) treating, in the first place, of its na ture and properties ; and, secondly, laying down those 'rules which must guide the cultivator in his views to convert the labours of the animal to his own advan tage. It is indispensibic, however, that he should previously become acquainted with the natural histo ry of the bee, otherwise he will often find his object fail without being able to assign a reason ; and if he does render himself master of it, he will remedy many unexpected disasters by simple and unerring expe dients.
Bees have attracted an uncommon share of atten tion in all countries, and in every age. Their mi nuteness, numbers, habits, and the luxuries we derive from their united industry, have, from periods of the most remote antiquity, been the fertile source of ad miration. Hence have resulted innumerable inquiries, as well for the elucidation of science, as for personal gratification and pecuniary advantage. But, unlike those subjects on which long and patient investigation are bestowed, the obscurities attending the nature of bees seemed to increase in proportion to the ob server's anxiety to unveil them, and, at the end of many years, few indisputable facts have been ascer tained by individuals. Errors have thence accumula ted on errors ; imagination has magnified deceitful appearances into certainties, by which even expe rienced naturalists have been deluded ; and most of the treatises published, under the pretence of instruct ing, serve only to lead the unskilful into the belief of absurd and fallacious doctrines. Nevertheless there arc some good authors, who have seen without preju. dice, and have related without exaggeration, such as Swammerdam, Maraldi, Rcaumur, Bonnet, Schirach, and Huber. We shall avail ourselves of their obser vations, and endeavour, from these, and our own practical remarks, to select what has been fixed by experiments, rejecting the fabulous accounts of others.