ARABS OF nEDJAS. HJ These Arabs have been known from oldest times as a brave and freedom-loving tribe, and even withstood the conquering arms of Bome, preserving their liberty. The mountains of their country (Hedjas) rise some short day's journey from the Red Sea, steep and high, so that almost two days' laborious travel is required to reach the plateau on which they dwell. The path up is steep and rocky, and gives even a good climber enough to do to ascend and yet these Arabs have trained their horses, and even their camels, to ascend it with heavy loads. If these latter come to a steeper or more dangerous place, they kneel down and crawl along on knees and belly. On the shore are coral reefs. The hills themselves are composed of granite, naked and rugged, to the sea ; but no sooner is the plateau or inhabited land reached, than one beholds the most luxuriant verdure, splendid though wild cypresses, oranges, peach, apricot, plum, and pear trees, and, above all, the most flourishing vines and date-palm trees. Hill streams pour their crystal waters from rock to rock, while from their banks rise the balmy perfumes of herbs of all kinds, balm, fennel, &c. &c. The fields, however, are poorly cultivated, as the constant feuds of the various families or clans among each other prevent any careful culture of the soil. Only during a short armistice for sowing and harvesting, do they live at peace and work together, nay, even visit one another ; for then, by ancient and inviolable custom, all feuds are at rest ; but hardly is the last seed buried in the earth, or the last ear gathered off it, when the old feuds again commence and continue as bitter as ever.

Blood-vengeance, which reigns there in full force, is usually the origin of these feuds, and ere long the whole clans on both sides are involved in the quarrel. From the ever-enduring feuds one sees none but armed men in this country, and their houses are converted into small fortaliccs, in which they can hold out and defend themselves ; these are built of stone, in a tower-like form, but with only one very low entrance, through which men can only pass by stooping much ; and the upper story of the house is used to contain the horse?, camels, cows, &c., all of which have been used from birth to creep in on tiieir bellies through such low «loorways, and the inside thus gained have airain to mount up a narrow, small stone staircase, at wiiicli they are all most expert, difficult