Proc. R.G.S._ and _Geogr. Journal_. For geology
see H.J. Carter, "Memoir on the Geology of the South-East Coast of
Arabia," _Journ. Bombay Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc._ vol. iv. pp. 21-96
(1852); Doughty's _Arabia Deserta_; W.F. Hume, _The Rift Valleys and
Geology of Eastern Sinai_ (London, 1901). For ancient geography of
Arabia:--A. Sprenger, _Alte Geographie Arabiens_ (Berne, 1875); E.H.
Bunbury, _History of Ancient Geography_ (London, 1883); D.H. Muller,
_Hamdani's Geographie_ (Leiden, 1884); E. Glaser, _Geschichte und
Geographie Arabiens_ (Berlin, 1890). (R. A. W.)

LITERATURE

The literature of Arabia has its origin in the songs, improvisations,
recitations and stories of the pre-Mahommedan Arabs. Of written
literature in those days there was, so far as we know, none. But where
books failed memory was strong and the power of retaining things heard
was not confined to a professional class. At every festive meeting many
could contribute a poem or a story, many could even improvise the one or
the other. When members of different tribes met in peace (as at the fair
of 'Ukaz) the most skilful reciters strove to maintain the honour of
their own people, and a ready improviser was held in high esteem. The
smartest epigrams, the fairest similes, the keenest satires, spoken or
sung on such occasions, were treasured in the memory of the hearers and
carried by them to their homes. But the experience of all peoples in
that memory requires to be helped by form. Sentences became balanced and
were made clear by some sort of definite ending. The simplest form of
this in Arabian literature is the _saj'_ or rhymed prose, in which the
sentences are usually (though not always) short and end in a rhyme or
assonance. Mahomet used this form in many parts of the Koran (e.g.
_Sura_, 81). The next step was the introduction of metre into the body
of the sentence and the restriction of the passages to a definite
length. This in its simplest form gave rise to the _rajaz_ verses, where
each half-line ends in the same rhyme and consists of three feet of the
measure /u - u -. Other metres were introduced later until sixteen
altogether were recognized. In all forms the rhyme is the same
throughout the poem, and is confined to the second half of the line
except in the first line where the two halves rhyme. While, however,
these measures were in early use, they were not systematically analysed
or their rules enunciated until the tim