Of this large proportion of the human race, scattered over the extensive regions of Asia, few enjoy the bles sings of freedom and civilization. Despotism stretches its iron hand, with little interruption, from one extremity of this vast continent to the other ; and, arrested by its benumbing influence, the knowledge and arts of civilized life have not expanded into that full perfection to which they have attained in regions cheered by the more genial rays of freedom. On the condition of society in Asia, its religions too have shed the most baneful in fluence. To these, perhaps, more than to any other causes, are to be attributed the retardation of improve ment, and the debasement of the human character, in this quarter of the globe. From that same source, alas ! from which we draw our highest hopes, has often like wise flowed the deepest degradation of our race. Dur ing the last century, and more especially of late years, various attempts have been made, in different parts of this continent, to withdraw the inhabitants from the pre vailing superstitions, by acquainting them with the purer doctrines and institutions of Christianity. In no instance, however, owing in a great measure, it is proba ble, to the unfitness of the persons employed, have these attempts as yet been crowned with any remarkable suc cess. We know that a period is fixed in the councils of Heaven, when " the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." Whether this period be near, or whether it be distant ; whether it shall be brought round by the efforts of Christians, or by the unaided interposition of Providence, is not for us to determine. But when it shall come, we may look forward to it as the xra of a happy revolution in the condition of Asiatic society ; as the 2era whence the stagnating current of its civilization shall again begin to flow, and its fettered energies be set free from their confinement. For the experience of its effects in other regions permits us not to doubt, that, along with the religion of Jesus, in this quarter of the world also shall he sown the seeds of civil liberty, and be laid the founda tions of progressive improvement.
In all those useful arts in which the superiority of civilized nations consists, and which depend on the im provement of science, and the extension of knowledge, the Asiatics have been left far behind by the more en lightened European nations. In some manufactures, which require chiefly patience of application, neatness of workmanship, and long duration of labour to the same objects, they are allowed to excel. The porcelain and colours of china, the varnish of Japan, the muslin of India, the shawls of Cashmir, the silks and carpets of Persia and Turkey, &c. have been long in request among the nations of the West. But many even of these are now carried to almost equal perfection in Europe ; or if still inferior, it is to be attributed more to tip_ sup:, tority of the materials than the artists of Asia. From this in tercourse with Europeans, the arts and manufactures of the Asiatics might have derived the most important improvements ; such improvements, indeed, as would have more than compensated the wrongs they have received. But a bigotted and insuperable attachment to their own customs, and a sovereign contempt for every thing foreign, has hitherto shut their eyes against the most obvious advantages. If they have advanced be yond that rude state of society which gazes with stupid admiration on all the arts of civilized life, they are yet far removed from that enlightened stage of their pro gress which willingly receives instruction from all who can impart it.
Throughout the whole extent of Asia, if we except the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean, there is not to be found a single maritime state. An extensive foreign commerce indicates a much more improved state of society than any where here exists. The foreign trade of Asia is wholly in the hands of European nations. Whatever shipping the native states possess, ventures not on more distant voyages than from one harbour to another on the same coast.
The trade of Asia is chiefly internal ; and in this way is carried on to a very great extent by the natives them selves : And if we except China, where the benefit of inland navigation is so extensively possessed, it is con ducted mostly by land carriage. This they are enabled to effect by means of the camel ; the most useful of all the animals over which the inhabitants of this vast con tinent have acquired dominion, and without which their trade must have been exceedingly limited. Some of
its most fertile districts are separated from each other by such extensive tracts of barren sands, the scats of desolation and drought, as seem to exclude the possibi lity of communication between them. But as the ocean, which appears at first view to be placed as an insuper able barrier between different regions of the earth, has been rendered, by navigation, subservient to their mu tual intercourse ; so by means of the camel, which has been denominated the ship of the desert, the most dreary wastes are traversed, and the nations they disjoin are enabled to trade with one another. Those painful jour nies, impracticable by any other animal, the camel per forms with wonderful dispatch. Under heavy burdens of six, seven, and eight hundred weight, they can con tinue their march during ,a long period of time, with little food or rest, and sometimes without tasting lvater for eight or nine days. By means of this useful beast of burden (which the wise economy of Providence seems to have formed on purpose for the extensive deserts of Asia and Africa, where it abounds, and where alone it exists,) has the trade of Asia been carried on from the remotest period of authentic history, (Gen. xxxvii. 25.) and its valuable commodities conveyed even to Africa and Europe.
For the purposes of mutual defence, &c. the merchants trading towards the same quarter assemble from the sur rounding countries at an appointed time and place, and in one great body proceed to the place of their destina tion. These collections of merchants and travellers are denominated caravans, and consist sometimes of above 50,000 persons, besides a still greater number of camels. They are the fleets of Asia, by which its commerce is carried on, and its merchandise circulated through every part of its wide extent. These caravans are not, however, wholly commercial. Some of them originate in pious motives ; and in this respect has the Mahom medan religion contributed to the increase of commer cial intercourse, and given it new vigour, by directing it to a common centre. Mahomet enjoined all his fol lowers to visit, once in their lifetime, the Caaba, a square building in the temple of Mecca, the immemorial ob ject of veneration among his countrymen ; and, accord ing to their tradition, the first spot on this earth which was consecrated to the worship of God. In obedience to this precept, solemnly enjoined, and sedulously inculcat ed, numerous caravans of pilgrims annually assemble in every country where the Mahommedan faith is establish ed. From the shores of the Atlantic on the one hand, and from the most remote regions of the East on the other, the votaries of the prophet advance to Mecca. Commercial ideas and objects likewise mingle with those of devotion. The numerous camels of each cara van are loaded with those commodities of every country which are of easiest carriage, and most ready sale. The holy city is crowded, not only with zealous devotees, but with opulent merchants. During the few days they re main there, the fair of Mecca is the greatest perhaps on the face of the earth ; and, on their return, they dissemi nate, through every part of Asia, the productions and manufactures they have here purchased. Besides these caravans, formed partly by a respect for a religious pre cept, there are others, and these not inconsiderable, com posed entirely of merchants who have no object but trade. To estimate their number, and trace their various routes, would form an interesting subject of geographi cal research, as well as a valuable addition to commercial history. Those which are subservient to the purposes of devotion, and which regularly direct their course to Mecca, are both the largest, and likewise those which have been most minutely described. Of these, the most celebrated are the caravans which annually depart from Cairo in Egypt, and Damascus in Syria : the former, composed of pilgrims from every part of Egypt, the Mahommedan states on the African coast of the Medi terranean, the empire of Morocco, and even from the Negro kingdoms on the Atlantic ; and the latter, from almost every province of the Turkish empire. Besides these two great caravans, there are others which, with the same object, proceed to this centre of Mahommedan Veneration, from the extensive dominions of Persia, from every province of Hindostan, and the countries beyond it, from Abyssinia, from various states on the southern coast of Africa, and from all parts of Arabia. When the whole are assembled, the number of pilgrims in Mec ca often amount to above two hundred thousand.