owner of each boat engages a number of divers, who work for him, and he
sells his pearls to the Indian markets. The diver seldom goes down to a
greater depth than seven fathoms, and remains at most fifty seconds
under water. He has wax in his ears, his nose is closed by a clip, and
with a stone at his feet and a rope round his waist he jumps overboard
and disappears into the depths. When he reaches the bottom of the sea he
gathers into a basket tied in front of him as many shells as he can get
hold of, and at a given signal is hauled up by the rope to the surface
again. Then the owner of the boat opens the shells and takes out the
costly pearls, which are of different values, according to their size
and other qualities.

ARABIA

Between the Persian Gulf on the north-east and the Red Sea on the
south-west, the Mediterranean on the north-west and the Indian Ocean on
the south-east, lies the long, bulky peninsula which is called Arabia,
and is as large as a third of Europe. Most of the coast-land is subject
to the Sultan of Turkey, but the people in the interior are practically
independent. They are a wild and warlike pastoral people, called
Beduins. Only certain parts of the country are inhabited, the rest being
occupied by terrible deserts and wastes, where even now no European has
set his foot.

Near the coast of the Red Sea are two Arab towns which are as holy and
full of memories to Mohammedans all over the world as Jerusalem and Rome
to Christians. At Mecca the prophet Mohammed was born in the year
A.D. 570, and at Medina he died and was buried in 632. He was
the founder of the Mohammedan religion, and his doctrine, Islamism,
which he proclaimed to the Arabs, has since spread over so many
countries in the Old World that its adherents now number 217 millions.

To all the followers of Islam a pilgrimage to Mecca is a most desirable
undertaking. Whoever has once been there may die in peace, and in his
lifetime he may attach the honourable title of Hajji to his name. From
distant countries in Africa and from the innermost parts of Asia
innumerable pilgrims flock annually to the holy towns.

Adjoining Arabia on the north-east lies the country called Mesopotamia,
through which flow the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. An English steamer
carried me from Bushire up the turbid waters of the Tigris, and from the
deck I could see copper-brown, half-naked Arabs riding barebacked on
handsome horses. They feed their flocks of s