Page 461 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

432 SOUTHERN ARA.BIA. [CH.

with chiu&m. To what absurdities does not
the caprice of fashion lead mankind! We
have here an instance of the savage inhabit­
ant of a barbarous coast acknowledging its
sway with the same earnest devotion as the
polished and refined native of civilised Eu­

rope ! The Sumalis profess to admire the
English, but hate and contemn the Arabs.
But a few years since, it was by no means
uncommon for the natives of these towns to
seize and plunder boats and vessels passing
along their shores, but the present constant
communication renders such depredations
impracticable. From being pirates, there­

fore their attention is now chiefly directed to
commercial pursuits; and it is remarkable that,
although disposed to pilfer from strangers,
amidst themselves grave offences of a like
character rarely occur; property being
openly exposed in a manner that excites
surprise in those accustomed to Indian and
European towns. Offenders detected in theft
have their heads shaved, and are paraded
through the town to their prison mounted on
asses. In cases of an aggravated nature,
the offender is made to run the gauntlet