on
Smith, _Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia_ (Cambridge); E. Reclus,
_Les Arabes_ (Brussels, 1898); Lady Anne Blunt, _A Pilgrimage to Nejd_
(2 vols., Lond., 1881); C.M. Doughty, _Arabia Deserta_ (2 vols.,
1888); Rev. S.M. Zwemer, _Arabia: the Cradle of Islam_ (1900);
Albrecht Zehme, _Arabien und die Araber, seit hundert Jahren_ (1875).

ARACAJU, a city and seaport of Brazil, capital of the state of Sergipe,
170 m. N.N.E. of Bahia, on the river Cotinguiba, or Cotindiba, 6 m. from
the coast. The municipality, of which it forms a part, had a population
in 1890 of 16,336, about two-thirds of whom lived in the city itself.
Aracaju is a badly built town on the right bank of the river at the base
of a ridge of low sand-hills and has the usual features of an
unprogressive provincial capital. Good limestone is quarried in its
vicinity, and the country tributary to this port produces large
quantities of sugar. Cotton is also grown, and the back country sends
down hides and skins for shipment. The anchorage is good, but a
dangerous bar at the mouth of the river prevents the entrance of vessels
drawing more than 12 ft. The port is visited, therefore, only by the
smaller steamers of the coastwise lines. The river is navigable as far
as the town of Maroim, about 10 m. beyond Aracaju. The city was founded
in 1855.

ARACATY, or ARACATI, a city and port of Brazil, in the state of Ceara,
75 m. S.E. of Fortaleza, on the river Jaguaribe, 8 m. from the sea. Pop.
of the municipality (1890) 20,182, of whom about 12,000 belonged to the
city. A dangerous bar at the mouth of the river permits the entrance
only of the smaller coasting steamers, but the port is an important
commercial centre, and exports considerable quantities of cotton, hides,
manicoba, rubber, fruit, and palm wax.

ARACHNE, in Greek mythology, the daughter of Idmon of Colophon in Lydia,
a dyer in purple. She had acquired such skill in the art of weaving that
she ventured to challenge Athena. While the goddess took as subjects her
quarrel with Poseidon as to the naming and possession of Attica, and the
warning examples of those who ventured to pit themselves against the
immortals, Arachne depicted the metamorphoses of the gods and their
amorous adventures. Her work was so perfect that Athena, enraged at
being unable to find any blemish in it, tore it to pieces. Arachne
hanged herself in despair; but the goddess out of pity loosened the
rope, wh