-10. What custom is there

9. What of punishments in China?respecting foreigners? Where do the wives of merchants reside? Why do not the Chinese wish foreigners to come among them? Which is the oldest empire in the world?-11. What of the cities of China? Manufactures? Do the people understand agriculture? -12. Where do we get our tea? What is the population of

China?

CHAPTER XXIX. ASIA continued.Origin of the Arabs. Rise of Mohammed.

1. THE Arabs are descended from Ishmael, a son of Abraham. It was foretold of him, that "his hand should be against every man, and every man's hand against him.” In all ages this prophecy has been fulfilled among his posterity; for they appear always to have been enemies to the rest of mankind, and mankind enemies to them.

2. Arabia consists of several separate states, or nations. The whole country is bounded on the north, by Palestine, Mesopotamia, &c.; on the east, by the Persian Gulf and

the Gulf of Ormuz; on the south, by the Indian Ocean; and on the west, by the Red Sea.

3. The Arabs have always been wandering tribes, and have dwelt in tents, amid the trackless deserts which cover a large portion of their country. Their early history is very imperfectly known. The first event that is worth recording, was the birth of Mohammed. This took place at Mecca, a city on the borders of the Red Sea, in the year 570 of the Christian era.

The Mohammedan Temple at Mecca.

4. Till the age of twenty-five, Mohammed was a cameldriver in the desert. He afterwards spent much of his time in solitude. His dwelling was a lonesome cave, where he pretended to be employed in prayer and meditation. When he was forty years old, he set up for a prophet.

1

5. He publicly proclaimed that God had sent him to convert the world to a new religion. The people of Mecca would not at first believe Mohammed. He was born among them, and they knew that he had been a camel-driver, and was no holier than themselves. Beside, he pretended that he had ridden up to heaven on an ass, in company with the angel Gabriel; and many of his stories were as ridiculous as this.

6. So the men of Mecca threatened to slay Mohammed and he was therefore forced to fly to Medina, another city of Arabia, on July 16, 622. This flight is called Hegira by the Mohammedans, and from it they date events, as Christians do from the birth of Christ. There, in the course of two or three years, he made a great number of converts. He told his disciples that they must compel others to adopt his religion by force, if they refused to do so from conviction.

7. This conduct brought on a war between the disciples of Mohammed and all the other Arabians. Mohammed won many victories, and soon made himself master of the whole country.

8. Mohammed was now not only a pretended prophet, but a real king. He was a very terrible man, even to his own followers; for, whenever he was angry, a vein between his eyebrows used to swell, and turn black. This gave him a grim and frightful aspect.

9. His power continued to increase; but he died suddenly, at the age of sixty-three. He was buried at Medina, where his tomb may still be seen. Many pilgrims go every year to visit the place.

10. The religion of Mohammed was speedily diffused over nearly all Asia and Africa, and is still believed by many millions of people. Its precepts are contained in a Mohammed affirmed that the

book called the Koran.

angel Gabriel brought him the doctrines contained in this

book from heaven.

G

What

QUESTIONS. From whom are the Arabs descended? was prophesied of Ishmael? Has the prophecy been fulfilled?. 2. Of what does Arabia consist? How is it bounded?- -3. How have the Arabs always lived? What of their early history? When and where was Mohammed born?-4. Of what profession was Mohammed? How did he live before he was forty years old?5. What did he then do? What of the people of Mecca? What did Mohammed pretend ?- -6. Why did Mohammed fly to Medina? What was the flight of Mohammed called by the Arabs? What means did he take to make converts in Medina ? -7. What was the effect of this conduct? What victories did Mohammed Where win?-8. Describe Mohammed. -9. When did he die? was he buried?- -10. Where is the religion of Mohammed followed? What is the Koran? What did Mohammed affirm? Where is Mecca? Medina ?

CHAPTER XXX. ASIA continued.

History of the Saracens.

-Sequel of the

1. THOSE of the Arabians who followed Mohammed were called Saracens. After their leader's death, they conquered the whole of Turkey in Asia, and many other countries. The capital of their empire was the city of Bagdad, on the river Tigris, which I have already mentioned.

2. One of the successors of Mohammed was Ali, his son-in-law, and he was opposed by Ayesha, Mohammed's widow. This woman was suspected of having murdered her husband.

3. She raised an army, and led them to battle against Ali, and during the conflict, Ayesha sat in a sort of cage or litter, on the back of a camel. The camel was surrounded by a strong guard, and seventy of Ali's soldiers had their hands cut off in attempting to seize its rein, in order to take her prisoner. Finally, Ali was victorious, and confirmed his sway over all the disciples of Mohammed, and over the countries which they had won.

4. The Saracen empire was thus established. The kings were called caliphs, and they reigned at Bagdad for the space of six hundred and twenty years. One of the most distinguished of them was Mahmud Gazni. He was a great conqueror, and added a part of India to his dominions.

5. A poor man once complained to Mahmud Gazni that a soldier had turned him and his family out of doors, and had kept possession of his house all night. When the caliph heard this, he suspected that the soldier was his "If he ill-treats you again, let me know,"

own son. said he.

6. Accordingly, a few nights afterwards, the poor man told the caliph that the same soldier had turned him out of his house again. The caliph took his scimitar and went