Identifier: worldsinhabitant00bett (find matches)
Title: The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas), 1850-1891
Subjects: Civilization Culture
Publisher: London Ward, Lock
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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e The settledKoreysh, it is true, are widely spread, and rank everywhere as Arabs,a nobility, with the title of shereef, and often act as governors. Sheiksexist in every village ; emirs predominate over considerable districts ;while the title of sultan is assumed by the rulers of Nejd, Oman, andsome other tracts. Owing to much intermixture of population, theNorthern Arabs and Eastern Arabs show considerable affinities to Per-sians and Hindus, the southern to the African negroes. Slavesare very common, and sheiks often marry negro slaves. Verymany slaves are emancipated at the end of seven years, if they adoptMahometanism ; and, once free, there is no prejudice against their risingto almost any position of which they are capable—sheik, kadi, or judge,or even emir. The unruffled demeanour and serious behaviour of the Arabs havealways excited remark. It is noteworthy how slight a hold games orplayfulness of any kind have on them. Politeness is truly natural to I IHE INHABITANTS OF ASIA
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AltAB I.A1>Y OF HAfiDAD. THE ARABS. 505 I tliem, but it often cloaks an extortionate and passionate spirit. Verygreat variety of complexion prevails among tliem, from nearly black, ormulatto in many parts, to a merely Italian swartliiness in the mountainsof Yemen, The majority are a good deal taller than the Bedouins, andbetter made, although ophthalmia, due to the heat and the sandy soil, isfrequent. From their abstemious habits they often reach extreme oldage in good health. Hospitality is a general virtue, though the central regions excel thecoast provinces. Coffee, always roasted, pounded, and boiled freshly oneach occasion, is invariably offered to a visitor in the settledparts, and indeed is drunk very frequently in the day, withoutmilk or sugar. Wine is rare, but tobacco-smoking is universal, exceptwhere the Wahhabees rule, Arab cookery is very simple, the women nothaving much skill as cooks. Boiled meat (a luxury), millet-cakes, thinwheaten cakes, dates, and fruits are the

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