stranger to the luxuries of life, he is content to live on the milk of his camels, and thanks God daily for his continual mercies. The Arab considers himself both in intellect and acquired knowledge, much above the christian captives; he is not however cruel to prisoners unless he considers them obstinate, always gives them a small share of what he has himself to subsist on.

Marriages among the Arabs are frequent, and are performed as follows: When a young man sees a girl that pleases him, he asks her of her father, and she becomes his wife without ceremony. Polygamy is allowed, but the Arabs of the desert have seldom more than one wife, except the rich ones who have need of servants, when they take another wife.

The children of the Arabs are early taught to read and write; for this purpose a smooth piece of board of from one foot square to two feet long and about an inch thick by fifteen inches wide⚫, are possessed by each family, on which the children learn to write with a piece of pointed reed; their ink is of their own manufacture, which is of a beautiful black; boys who have been circumcised, of from eight to eighteen years old, are taught to read and to write verses from the Koran, which is kept in manuscript by every family on skins: they write their characters from right to left; are very particular in the formation of them, and make their lines very straight; all the children attend from choice or amusement--The teacher seldom punishes but amuses his scholars