A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill].
- Aaron Hill
- Date:
- 1710
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![CHAP. XLIX. Of the Arabians, their (government, and way of Living. TH E Arabs are Defcended, as is commonly believ’d, from Iflj- Tiie Defcent mael, duelling w, as anciently they did, in Tents, and open Pla-of the Aral,Sm ces, nothing differing from what they were, when the Infpir'd Hiforians of the Holy Scriptures writ their Character, and handed down the Nature of thofe Barbarous People to the Knowledge of Poflerity. THEY are diftinguifh’d likewife by the Name of Saracens, from the The Arabian Etymology of Saara-Saaken, which in Englijb, fignifles as much, as an Je°nsy oi Inhabitant of Defart Countries. THEY are generally Men of Middle Stature, frvift and darings very Defcriptlon Lean, and Wonderfully Bony, Tawny to a ftrange Degree, by the perpetualof the Arabs' Influence of an unfhadow’d Sun, which burns ’em in the Defarts : They are flirill of Voicej beyond mofl: Women, and inclin’d by Nature to the Cruel Practices of an unlimited Barbarity. THEIR Pride exceeds mofl; other Nations> for they fcorn Dependance, Their Pride, and rejett all Notions of a Lawful Government : They boafl Antiquity, and not unjuftly, Glorying in that they have, in the continued Courfe of fuch a mighty Number of fucceffive Ages, kept themfelves unmix*d with other Nati¬ ons, and obtain’d an undifputed Claim, to not alone the Ancient efit but Purefi Titles of Nobility, now extant in the Vniverje, by an obftinate Contempt of all Mechanical Employments, and depending folely on their Arms and Cou¬ rage, for the Means of their Subffame. HENCE they Ravage all, they meet with, live in Plunder, and infefl: Their way of the Defarts, with a Lawlejs Multitude of Great and Little Parties, Robbing LlvlllS- and Deftroying all they Conquer, if they prefume to make Refiftance; after which, they luddenly retire behind fuch endlefs Trafts of unknown Sand, that none can follow them with Force, fufficientto repel their Numbers. ’TIS efteem’d impoffible to Conquer throughly thefe ungovernable Peo- Why ’tis im- ple ; for they ride on Horfes of peculiar Skill, in tracing out the Paffages ofPoffibie to ^ the unflable Defarts, and can live on very fmall and poor Provifions, and by CoN']l,:'1 'm-1 frequenting conftantly thofe Barren Places, know the Ground fo very well, that no great Number can attempt purfuing them, but they mull perifh by the want of Food and Water, e’er they can with Reafon, hope to And the Pri¬ vate Lurking Corners of their Nimble Enemies, who never fail to watch the Moment of lome favourable Opportunity, to fall upon ’em under Covert of the Night, with bloody Execution. THEY little underfand, and lefs efeem the Ufe of Fire-Arms ; all rheir Arm-., their Weapons are, a kind of Spears, not much unlike an Officer's Half-Pike in England, headed with a Cap of Steel, fharp-pointed, and of admirable Temper, which they Poize with an extended Arm, and either hurl at diftance, or can ufe in clofe Fight with an Enemy, as they may fee Occafion. SECOND-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30450895_0389.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
