193 The Caaba

Mecca.

of Mahomet himself was devoted by a rash vow, and Arabia. hardly ranfomed for the equivalent of 100 camels. The Arabs, like the Jews and Egyptians, abstained from the tafte of fwine's flefh; and they circumcifed their children at the age of puberty: the fame cuftoms, without the cenfure or the precept of the Koran, have been filently tranfmitted to their pofterity and profelytes; and it has been fagaciously conjectured, that the artful legislator indulged the stubborn prejudices of his countrymen.

Arabia. well as to the language, of Mecca. The genuine antiquity of the Caaba extends beyond the Christian æra: in defcribing the coast of the Red Sea, the Greek hior temple of ftorian Diodorus has remarked, between the Thamaudites and the Sabæans, a famous temple, whofe fuperior fanctity was revered by all the Arabians: the li nen or filken veil, which is annually renewed by the Turkish emperor, was first offered by a pious king of the Homerites, who reigned 700 years before the time of Mahomet. A tent or a cavern might fuffice for the worship of the favages, but an edifice of stone and clay has been erected in its place; and the art and power of the monarchs of the Eaft have been confined to the fimplicity of the original model. A fpacious portico inclofes the quadrangle of the Caaba; a square chapel, 24 cubits long, 23 broad, and 27 high: a door and a window admit the light; the double roof is supported by three pillars of wood; a fpout (now of gold) discharges the rain water, and the well Zemzem is protected by a dome from accidental pollution. The tribe of Koreifh, by fraud or force, had acquired the cuftody of the Caaba the facerdotal office devolved through four lineal descents to the grandfather of Mahomet; and the family of the Hashemites, from whence he sprung, was the most respectable and facred in the eyes of their country. The precincts of Mecca enjoyed the rights of fanctuary; and, in the last month of each year, the city and the temple were crowded with a long train of pilgrims, who prefented their vows and offer ings in the house of God. The fame rites which are now accomplished by the faithful Mufulman were invented and practifed by the fuperftition of the idolaters. At an awful diftance they caft away their garments: feven times, with hafty fteps, they encircled the Caaba, and kiffed the black ftone : feven times they visited and adored the adjacent mountains: feven times they threw stones into the valley of Mina; and the pilgrimage was atchieved, as at the prefent hour, by a facrifice of fheep and camels, and the burial of their hair and nails in the confecrated ground. Each tribe either found or introduced in the Caaba their domeftic worship the temple was adorned, or defiled, with 360 idols of men, eagles, lions, and antelopes; and most confpicuous was the ftatue of Hebal, of red agate, holding in his hand feven arrows, without heads or feathers, the inftruments and fymbols of profane divination. But this ftatue was a monument of Syrian arts: the devotion of the ruder ages was content with a pillar or a tablet; and the rocks of the defart were hewn into gods or altars, in imitation of the black ftone of Mecca, which is deeply tainted with the reproach of an idolatrous origin. From Japan to Peru, Sacrifices the ufe of facrifice has univerfally prevailed; and the votary has expreffed his gratitude or fear by deftroying or confuming, in honour of the gods, the dearest and moft precious of their gifts. The life of a man is the moft precious oblation to deprecate a public calamity: the altars of Phoenicia and Egypt, of Rome and Carthage, have been polluted with human gore: the cruel practice was long preferved among the Arabs; in the third century, a boy was annually facrificed by the tribe of the Dumatians; and a royal captive was pioufly flaughtered by the prince of the Saracens, the ally and foldier of the emperor Juftinian. The father

191

and rites.

No 25.

:

6

195

Sabians.

"Arabia was free: From the adjacent kingdoms, Introduc which were fhaken by the ftorms of conqueft and ty- tion of the ranny, the perfecuted fects fled to the happy land where they might profefs what they thought, and practise what they profeffed; and the religions of the Sabians and Magians, of the Jews and Chriftians, were disseminated from the Perfian Gulf to the Red Sea. In a remote period of antiquity, Sabianifm was diffused over Afia by the fcience of the Chaldæans and the arms of the Affyrians. From the observations of 2000 years, the priests and aftronomers of Babylon deduced the eternal laws of nature and providence. They adored the feven gods or angels who directed the course of the seven planets, and shed their irrefiftible influence on the earth. The attributes of the feven planets, with the twelve figns of the zodiac, and the twentyfour conftellations of the northern and southern hemifphere, were reprefented by images and talifmans; the feven days of the week were dedicated to their refpective deities; the Sabians prayed thrice each day; and the temple of the moon at Haran was the term of their pilgrimage. But the flexible genius of their faith was always ready either to teach or to learn. The al196 tars of Babylon were overturned by the Magians; but The Magi the injuries of the Sabians were revenged by the fword ans. of Alexander; Perfia groaned above 500 years under a foreign yoke; and the pureft difciples of Zoroafter efcaped from the contagion of idolatry, and breathed. with their adverfaries the freedom of the defart. Seven hundred years before the death of Mahomet the The Jews. Jews were fettled in Arabia: and a far greater multitude was expelled from the holy land in the wars of Titus and Hadrian. The induftrious exiles afpired to liberty and power: they erected fynagogues in the cities and caftles in the wilderness; and their Gentile converts were confounded with the children of Ifrael, whom they refembled in the outward mark of circumcifion. The Chriftian miffionaries were ftill more ac- The Chritive and fuccefsful: the Catholics afferted their univer- ftians. fal reigh; the fects whom they oppreffed fucceffively retired beyond the limits of the Roman empire; the Marcionites and Manichæans difperfed their phantaftic opinions and apocryphal gofpels; the churches of Yemen, and the princes of Hira and Gaffan, were inftructed in a purer creed by the Jacobite and Neftorian bithops." Such was the ftate of religion in Arabia previous to the appearance of Mahomet. See no 22. fupra.

As the Arabs are one of the moft ancient nations in the world, having inhabited the country they at prefent poffefs almoft from the deluge, without intermixing with other nations, or being fubjugated by any foreign power, their language muft have been formed foon after, if not at, the confufion of Babel. The two princi

pal

197

198

many years before Mahomet, was the inventor of the Arabia. prefent Arabic character, which Bafhar the Kendian, who married the filter of Abu Sofian, is faid to have learned from the houfe of Anbar, and to have introduced at Mecca but a little time before the inftitution of Mahometifm. Moramer's alphabet the Oriental authors agree to have been very different from the ancient one of the Hamyarites, fince they diftinguish the Hamyaritic and Arabic pens. In Mahomet's time, the Morameric alphabet had made fo fmall a progrefs, that no one in Yaman could either write or read it; nay, Mahomet himself was incapable of doing either; for which reafon he was called the illiterate prophet. The letters of this alphabet were very rude; being either the fame with, or very much like, the Cufic; which character is ftill found in infcriptions and the titles of ancient books; nay, for many years it was the only one used by the Arabs, the Koran itfelf being at firft written therein. In order to perpetuate the memory of Moramer's invention, fome authors call the Arabic letters al Moramer, i. e. the progeny of Moramer. The most remarkable fpecimens of the Cuf character (fo denominated from Cufa, a city of Irak, where fome of the first copies of the Koran were written) are the following: Part of that book in it on vellum, brought from Egypt by Mr Greaves; fome other fragments of the fame book in it published by Sir John Chardin; certain paffagea of a MS. in the Bodleian library; the legends on feve ral Saracenic coins dug up not many years ago on the coaft of the Baltic, not far from Dantzick; and, according to Mr Profeffor Hunt, thofe noble remains of it that are, or were lately, to be feen in Mr Jofeph Ames's valuable collection of antique curiofities. As to the true origin of the ancient and modern Arabic alphabets, we mult own ourselves pretty much in the dark. See ALPHABET.

Arabia. pal dialects of it were, that spoken by the Hamyarites and other genuine Arabs, and that of the Koreifh, in which Mahomet wrote the Koran. The firft is ftyled by the Oriental writers the Arabic of Hamyar, and the other the pure or defecated. As Yarab, grandfather of Hamyar, is fuppofed by the Oriental writers to have been the first whofe tongue deviated from the Syriac to the Arabic, the Hamyaritic dialect, according to them, muft have approached nearer to the purity of the Syriac; and confequently have been more remote from the true genius of the Arabic than that of any other tribe. The dialect of the Koreifh, termed by the Koran the perfpicuous and clear Arabic, is referred to Ifhmael as its author; who, fay the above mentioned writers, firft fpoke it; and, as Dr Pocock believes, after he had contracted an alliance with the family of Jorham by marriage, formed it of their language and the original Hebrew. As, therefore, the Hamyaritic dialect partook principally of the Syriac, fo that of the Koreifh was fuppofed to confift chiefly of the Hebrew. But, according to Jallalo'dain, the politenefs and elegance of the dialect of the Koreifh ought rather to be attributed to their having, from the remoteft antiquity, the cuftody of the Caaba, and dwelling in Mecca the centre of Arabia. The Arabs are full of the commendations of their language, which is very harmonious, expreffive; and, as they fay, fo immenfely copious, that no man uninspired can be a perfect mafter of it in its utmost extent. How much, in this laft article, it is fuperior to the Greek and Latin tongues, in fome meafure appears from hence, that fometimes a bare enumeration of the Arabic names of one particular thing, and an explication of them, will make a confiderable volume. Notwithstanding this, the Arabs believe the greateft part of their language to be loft; which will not feem improbable, when we confider how late the art of writing became generally practifed among them. For though it was known to Job their countryman, to the Edomites, as well as the other Arabian nations bordering upon Egypt and Phoenicia, and to the Hamyarites many centuries before Mahomet, as appears from fome ancient monuments faid to be remaining in their character; yet the other Arabs, and thofe of Mecca in particular, unlefs fuch of them as were either Jews or Chriftians, were to the time of Moramer perfectly ignorant of it. It was the ancient A-, rabic language preceding the reign of Juftinian, which fo nearly refembled the Ethiopic; for fince that time, and especially fince the age of Mahomet, all the Arabie dialects have been not a little corrupted. This is how the learned language of the Mahometans, who ftudy it as the European Chriflians do the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

199 Letters.

The character used by them, the most ancient of any peculiar to the Arabs, wherein the letters were not diftinetly feparate, went by the appellation of Al Mofnad, from the mutual dependency of its letters or parts upon one another. This was neither publicly taught, nor fuffered to be ufed, without permiffion firft obtained. Could we depend upon what Al Firauzabadius relates from Ebn Hafhem, this character must have been of a very high antiquity; fince an infeription in it, according to the laft author, was found in Yaman, as old as the time of Jofeph. Be that as it will, Moramer Ebn Morra of Anbar, a city of Irak, who lived not VOL. II. Part I.

200

Аа

and

&c.

Arabia. and to the schools which they founded in feveral parts of Spain and Italy. And in the 12th century, the inquifitive of different countries frequented the fchools of the Saracens in Spain, and diffeminated the knowledge which they obtained there after their return. At this time, many of the learned productions of the Arabians were tranflated into Latin, which facilitated the general progrefs of fcience.

201

Mechanical

arts.

The philofophy of the Arabians, before Mahomet, was Sabian, and included the fyftem and ceremonies of that fect of idolaters. This it was that Mahomet fet himself to decry; and he is even faid by fome to have carried his oppofition fo far, as to prohibit, if not punish, all study of philofophy. But his followers, by degrees, got over this reftraint; the love of learning increafed; till, under the memorable caliphate of AlMamon, Ariftotle's philofophy was introduced and eftablished among them; and from them propogated, with their conquefts, through Egypt, Africa, Spain, and other parts. As they chofe Ariftotle for their mafter, they chiefly applied themselves to that part of philofophy called logic, and thus became proficients in the knowledge of words rather than things. Whence they have been fometimes denominated, Mafters of the wisdom of words; fometimes the Talking fect. Their philofophy was involved in quaint arbitrary terms and notions, and their demonftrations drawn from thence as from certain principles, &c. Walch Hift. Log. lib. ii. fec. 2. § 1.

Their phyfic fucceeded the Grecian; and their phyficians handed down the art to us, having made confiderable improvements, chiefly in the pharmaceutical and chemical parts.

It is certain we owe to them most of our fpices and aromatics, as nutmegs, cloves, mace, and other matters of the produce of India. We may add, that most of the gentler purgatives were unknown to the Greeks, and first introduced by the Arabs, as manna, fenna, rhubarb, tamarinds, caffia, &c. They likewife brought fugar into ufe in phyfic, where, before, only honey was used. They alfo found the art of preparing waters and oils, of divers fimples, by diftillation and fublimation. The first notice of the small-pox and the measles is likewise owing to them. Laftly, the reftoration of phyfic in Europe took its rife from their writings. M. Le Clerc has given a sketch, and Dr Freind an ample hiftory, of the Arabian phyfic. We have also a notitia of all the Arabian phyficians by Fa

bricius.

Their poetry may be divided into two ages. The ancient, according to Voffius, was no other than rhim ing; was a ftranger to all measure and rule; the verfes loofe and irregular, confined to no feet, number of fyllables, or any thing elfe, fo that they rhimed at the end; oftentimes all the verfes in the poem ended with the fame rhime. It is in fuch verfe that the alcoran is faid to be written.

The modern Arabian poetry takes its date from the caliphate of Al Rafchid, who lived toward the clofe of the eighth century. Under him poetry became an art, and laws of profody were laid down. Their comparifons, in which they abound, are taken, with little choice, from tents, camels, hunting, and the ancient manners of the Arabs.

That fome of the Arabs had a good degree of know

ledge in feveral mechanical arts, appears from Strabo, Arabia. who informs us, that the people of Tamna and the adjacent provinces had magnificent temples, and elegant houfes, built in the Egyptian tafte. The fame author likewife relates, that in Arabia Felix, besides the hufbandmen, there were many artificers; and, amongst others, thofe which made palm-wine, which, he intimates, was much ufed by the Arabs. As for the exercife of arms and horfemanfhip, they looked upon this as one of their principal accomplishments, being obliged to practife and encourage it by reafon of the independency of their tribes, whofe frequent jarring made wars almoft continual amongst them, which for the most part ended in field-battles. Hence it became an ufual. faying amongst them, that God had bestowed four peculiar things on the Arabs, viz. turbans instead of dia-· dems, tents instead of walls and houses, fwords inftead of intrenchments, and poems inftead of written laws. The principal arms ufed by the ancient Arabs were bows and arrows, darts or javelins, and broad fwords or fcymitars. The bows and arrows were the most ancient of thefe; being ufed by Ifhmael himself, according to Scripture. It is probable alfo, that some of them were acquainted with every branch of the military art culti vated by their neighbours the Egyptians, Syrians, and Phoenicians.

202

Before the Portuguefe interrupted the navigation of Commer the Red fea, the Arabs were the factors of all the trade that paffed thro' that channel. Aden, which is fituated at the most fouthern extremity of Arabia upon the Indian ocean, was the mart in these parts. The fituation of its harbour, which opened an eafy communication with Egypt, Ethiopia, India, and Perfia, had rendered it, for many ages, one of the most flourishing factories in Afia. Fifteen years after it had repulfed the great Albuquerque, who attempted to demolish it in 1513, it fubmitted to the Turks, who did not long remain mafters of it. The king of Yemen, who poffefsed the only diftrict in Arabia that merits the title of Happy, drove them from thence, and removed the trade to Mocha, a place in his dominions which till then was only a village.

This trade was at firft inconfiderable; confifting principally in myrrh, incenfe, aloes, balm of Mecca, fome aromatics, and medicinal drugs. Thefe articles, the exportation of which is continually retarded by exorbitant impofts, and does not exceed at prefent 30,625 1. were at that time more in repute than they have been fince: but must have been always of little confequence. Soon after a great change enfued from the introduction of coffee.

Though this article is generally ufed in the Arabian entertainments, none but the rich citizens have the pleasure of tafting the berry itself. The generality are obliged to content themselves with the hell and the hufk of this valuable production. These remains, fo much defpifed, make a liquor of a pretty clear colour, which has a taste of coffee without its bitterness and ftrength. These articles may be had at a low price at Betelfagui, which is the general market for them. Here likewife is fold all the coffee which comes out of the country by land. The rest is carried to Mocha, which is 35 leagues diftant, or to the nearer ports of Lohia or Hodeida, from whence it is tranfported in small veffels to Jodda. The Egyptians fetch it from

the

Arabia. the laft mentioned place, and all other nations from the former.

The quantity of coffee exported may be eftimated at twelve millions five hundred and fifty thoufand weight. The European companies take off a million and a half; the Perfians three millions and a half; the fleet from Suez fix millions and a half; Indoftan, the Maldives, and the Arabian colonies on the coast of Africa, fifty thoufand; and the caravans a million.

As the coffee which is bought up by the caravans and the Europeans is the best that can be procured, it cofts about 8d. a pound. The Perfians, who content themselves with that of an inferior quality, pay no more than about 6d. a pound. The Egyptians purchase it at the rate of about 8d; their cargoes being compofed partly of good and partly of bad coffee. If we estimate coffee at about 73d. a pound, which is the mean price, the profits accruing to Arabia from its annual exportation will amount to 384,3431. 15 s. This money does not go into their coffers; but it enables them to purchase the commodities brought from the foreign markets to their ports of Jodda and Mocha. Mocha receives from Abyffinia, fheep, elephants teeth, mufk, and flaves. It is fupplied from the eaftern coast of Africa with gold, flaves, amber, and ivory; from the Perfian gulf, with dates, tobacco, and corn; from Surat, with a vast quantity of coarfe, and a few fine, linens; from Bombay and Pondicherry, with iron, lead, and copper, which are carried thither from Europe; from Malabar, with rice, ginger, pepper, Indian faffron, with coire, cardamom, and alfo with planks; from the Maldives, with gum, benzoin, alveswood, and pepper, which thefe iflands take in exchange; from Coromandel, with 400 or 500 bales of cottons, chiefly blue. The greatest part of these commodities, which may fetch 262,500l. are confumed in the interior part of the country. The reft, particular ly the cottons, are difpofed of in Abyffinia, Socotora, and the eastern coast of Africa.

None of the branches of bufinefs which are managed at Mocha, as well as throughout all the country of Yaman, or even at Sanaa the capital, are in the hands of the natives. The extortions with which they are perpetually threatened by the government deter them from interfering in them. All the warehoufes are occupied by the Banians of Surat or Guzaret, who make a point of returning to their own country as foon as they have made their fortunes. They then refign their fettlements to merchants of their own nation, who retire in their turn, and are fucceeded by others.

The European companies, who enjoy the exclufive privilege of trading beyond the Cape of Good Hope, formerly maintained agents at Mocha. Notwithftanding it was ftipulated by a folemn capitulation, that the impofts demanded fhould be rate at two and a quarter per cent. they were fubject to frequent extortions: the governor of the place infifting on their making him prefents, which enabled him to purchase the favour of the courtiers, or even of the prince himself. However, the profits they obtained by the fale of European goods, particularly clothes, made them fubmit to thefe repeated humiliations. When thefe feveral articles were furnished by Grand Cairo, it was then impoffible to withftand the competition, and the fixed fettlements were therefore given up.

Arabici.

The trade was carried on by fhips that failed from Arabia Europe with iron, lead, copper, and filver, fufficient to pay for the coffee they intended to buy. The fupercargoes, who had the care of these transactions, fettled the accounts every time they returned. These voyages, which at first were pretty numerous and advantageous, have been fucceffively laid aside. The plantations of coffee, made by the European nations in their colonies, have equally leffened the confumption and the price of that which comes from Arabia. In procefs of time, these voyages did not yield a fufficient profit to answer the high charges of undertaking them on purpofe. The companies of England and France then refolved, one of them to fend fhips from Bombay, and the other from Pondichery, to Mocha, with the merchandise of Europe and India. They even frequently had recourse to a method that was lefs expenfive. The English and French vifit the Red fea every year. Tho' they difpofe of their merchandise there to good advantage, they can never take in cargoes from thence for their return. They carry, for a moderate freight, the coffee belonging to the companies who lade the veffels with it, which they dispatch from Malabar and Coromandel to Europe. The Dutch company, who prohibit their fervants from fitting out fhips, and who fend no veffels themselves, to the gulph of Arabia, are deprived of the fhare they might take in this branch of commerce. They have alfo given up a much more lucrative branch, that of Jodda.

Jodda is a port fituated near the middle of the gulph of Arabia, 20 leagues from Mecca. The government there is of a mixed kind: the grand Signior and the Xeriff of Mecca fhare the authority and the revenue of the customs between them. Thefe impofts are levied upon the Europeans at the rate of 8 per cent. and upon other nations at 13. They are always paid in merchandife, which the managers oblige the merchants of the country to buy at a very dear rate. The Turks, who have been driven from Aden, Mccha, and every part of the Yaman, would long ago have been expelled from Jodda, if there had not been room to apprehend that they might revenge themselves in fuch a manner as to put an end to their pilgrimages and commerce.

203

The coins, which are current at Mocha, the principal port of the Red Sea, are dollars of all kinds; but Coins, they abate five per cent. on the pillar dollars, because they are reckoned not to be the pureft filver, and the dollar weight with them is 17 drams 14 grains. All their coins are taken by weight, and valued according to their purenefs. The gold coins current here are ducats of Venice, Germany, Turky, Egypt, &c. The comaffes are a fmall coin, which are taken at such a price as the government fets on them; and they keep their accounts in an imaginary coin, called cabeers, of which 80 go to a dollar. For an account of the ancient coins called dinars and dirhems, see these two articles. Gum ARABIC. See GUM.

ARABICI, a fect who fprung up in Arabia, about the year 207, whofe diltinguishing tenet was, that the foul died with the body, and alfo rofe again with it.

Eufebius, lib. vi. c. 38. relates, that a council was called to ftop the progrefs of this rifing fect; and that Origen affifted at it; and convinced them fo thoroughly of their error that they abjured it. A a 2

ARABIS,

ARABIS, BASTARD TOWER-MUSTARD: A genus of the filiquofa order, belonging to the tetradynamia clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 39th order, Siliquofa The generic mark confifts in 4 netiferous glands which lie on the infide of each leaf of the calyx. There are 8 fpecies; but none of them remarkable for their beauty or other properties. Only one of thefe, the thaliana or moufe-ear, is a native of Britain. It is a low plant, feldom rifing more than four or five inches high, branching on every fide, having fmall white flowers growing alternately, which have each four petals in form of a cross, that are fucceeded by long flender pods filled with small round feeds. It grows naturally on fandy ground or old walls. Sheep are not fond of it, and fwine refufe it.

ARABISM, ARABISMUS, an idiom or manner of fpeaking peculiar to the Arabs or the Arabic language.

ARABIST, a perfon curious of, and fkilled in, the learning and languages of the Arabians: fuch were Erpenius and Golius. The furgeons of the 13th century are called Arabifts by Severinus.

ARABLE LANDS, thofe which are fit for tillage, or which have been formerly tilled.

ARACAN, the capital of a small kingdom to the north-east of the bay of Bengal, fituated in E. Long.、 93.0. N. Lat. 20. 30. It has the conveniency of a spacious river, and a harbour large enough to hold all the fhips in Europe. It is faid by Schouten to be as large as Amfterdam; but the houses are flight, being made with palm-trees and bamboo-canes, and covered with leaves of trees. They are feldom above fix feet high, but have many windows or air-holes. But the people of the highest rank are much better accommodated. They have no kitchens, chimneys, or cellars, which oblige the women to drefs the victuals out of doors. Some of the streets are on the ridges of rocks, wherein are a great many fhops. Their orchards and gardens contain all the fruit common to the Indies, and their trees are green all the year. Their common drink is toddy; which is the fap of the cocoa-tree, and when new will intoxicate like wine, but foon grows four. Elephants and buffaloes are very numerous here, and are made ufe of inftead of horses. They have plenty of provifions, and but little trade: for when Mr Channoch was here in 1686, with fix large fhips, there was nothing to be had in the way of commerce; and yet the country produces lead, tin, ftick-lac, and elephants teeth. The Mogul's fubjects come here to purchafe thefe commodities; and fometimes meet with diamonds, rubies, and other precious ftones. They were formerly governed by a king of their own, called the king of the White Elephant; but this country has been conquered by the king of Pegu. They pay little or no regard to the chastity of their women, and the common failors take great liberties among them. Their religion is Paganism; and the idols, temples, and priefts are very numerous. The drefs of the better fort is very flight, for it confifts chiefly of a piece of white cotton over their arms, breast, and helly, with an apron before. The complexion of the women is tolerable; they wear thin flowered gauze over their breaft and fhoulders, and a piece of cotton, which they roll three or four times round their wait, and let it hang as low as their feet. They curl their hair, and put glafs rings

Arack.

in their ears, and stretch them of a monftrous length. Arachis On their arms and legs they have hoops of copper, ivory, filver, &c. The country produces great quanti ties of rice, and the water is good. Their flocks of fheep and herds of cattle are also numerous near Aracan; but what they fay of the towns and villages, with which the country is pretended to be overfpread, may be doubted. Captain Hamilton affirms, that there are but few places inhabited, on account of the great number of wild elephants and buffaloes, which would deftroy the fruits of the ground; and that the tigers would deftroy the tame animals. There are fome iflands near the fea, inhabited by a few miferable fishermen, who can just keep themselves from ftarving, tho' they are out of the reach of oppreffion. The rich burn the dead bodies; but the poor, who are not able to buy wood, throw them into the river.

ARACHIS, in botany: A genus of the diadelphia order, belonging to the decandria clafs of plants; and, in the natural method, ranking under the 32d or der, Papillionaca. There is only one fpecies, the hypogæa, an annual plant, and a native of Brafil and Peru. The stalks are long, trail upon the ground, and are furnished with winged leaves, compofed of four hairy lobes each. The flowers are produced fingly on long pedunculs; they are yellow, of the pea kind, and each contains ten awl-shaped ftamina, nine of which are tied together, and the upper one ftands off. In the centre is an awl-fhaped ftylus, crowned with a simple ftigma. The germen is oblong, and becomes an oval oblong pod, containing two or three oblong blunt feeds.

This plant is cultivated in all the American settlements for the feeds, which make a confiderable part of the food of the flaves. The manner of perfecting them is very fingular for as the flowers fall off, the young pods are forced into the ground by a natural motion of the ftalks, and there they are entirely buried, and not to be discovered without digging for them; whence they have taken the name of ground-nuts.

ÁRACHNE, in fabulous history, a young maid of Lydia, faid to have been the inventrefs of fpinning. She is fabled to have been fo fkilful in this art, as to challenge Minerva at it; who tore her work, and struck her; which difgrace driving her to despair, fhe hanged herself. Minerva, from compaffion, brought her to life, and transformed her into a spider, which still employs itself in spinning.

ARACHNOIDES, in anatomy, an appellation given to feveral membranes; as the tunic of the cryftalline humour of the eye, the external lamina of the pia mater, and one of the coverings of the spinal marrow.

ARACK, ARRACK, or RACK, a fpirituous liquor imported from the East Indies, used by way of dram and in punch.

The word arack, according to Mr Lockyer, is an Indian name for ftrong waters of all kinds; for they call our fpirits and brandy English arack. But what we understand by the name arack, he affirms is really no other than a spirit procured by diftillation from a vegetable juice called toddy, which flows by incifion out of the cocoa-nut tree, like the birch-juice procured among us. The toddy is a pleafant drink by itself, when new, and purges thofe who are not used to it; and, when ftale, it is heady, and makes good vinegar.

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