with a certain number of lines down their length, will fetch, even in Arabia, from L7 to L8.  The modern and cheap ones cost about 10s.  Excellent weapons abound in this country, the reason being that there is a perpetual demand for them, and when once purchased, they become heir-looms in the family.  I have heard that when the Beni Bu Ali tribe, near Ras al-Khaymah, was defeated with slaughter by Sir Lionel Smith’s expedition, the victors found many valuable old European blades in the hands of the slain. [FN#14] The way of carrying off a camel in this country is to loosen him, and then to hang on heavily to his tail, which causes him to start at full gallop. [FN#15] The Arabic Misyal, Masyal, Masil, or Masilah, is the Indian Nullah and the Sicilian “Fiumara,” a hill water-course, which rolls a torrent during and after rain, and is either partially or wholly dry at other seasons,-the stream flowing slowly underground.  In England we want the feature, and therefore there is no single word to express it.  Our “River” is an imperfect way of conveying the idea. [FN#16] Generalisation is not the forte of the Arabic language.  “Al-Kulzum” (the Red Sea), for instance, will be unintelligible to the native of Jeddah; call it the Sea of Jeddah, and you at once explain yourself; so the Badawin will have names for each separate part, but no single one to express the whole.  This might be explained by their ignorance of anything but details.  The same thing is observable, however, in the writings of the Arabian geographers when they come to treat of the objects near home.

[FN#17] About the classic “Harrah,” I shall have more to say at a future time.  The word “Ria” in literary and in vulgar Arabic is almost synonymous with Akabah, a steep descent, a path between hills or a mountain road. [FN#18] Valleys may be divided into three kinds. 1.  Longitudinal, i.e. parallel to the axis of their ridges; 2.  Transversal or perpendicular to the same; and, 3.  Diagonal, which form an acute or an obtuse angle with the main chain of mountains. [FN#19] This act, by the bye, I afterwards learned to be a greater act of imprudence than the sleeping alone.  Nothing renders the Arab thief so active as the chance of stealing a good weapon. [FN#20] Probably, because water is usually found in such places.  In the wild parts of the country, wells are generally protected by some fortified building, for men consider themselves safe from an enemy until their supply of water is cut off. [FN#22] Near Al-Hamra, at the base of the Southern hills, within fire of the forts, there is a fine spring of sweet water.  All such fountains are much prized by the people, who call them “Rock-water,” and attribute to them tonic and digestive virtues. [FN#23] As far as I could discover, the reason of the ruinous state of the country at present is the effect of the old Wahhabi and Egyptian wars in the early part of the present century, and the misrule of the Turks.  In Arabia the depopulation of a village