THE ARAB PIRATES.

(From Morier's Travels in Persia.)

THE Arabs in every age, have been alike distinguished for a spirit of commerce and of plunder: and were early and great navigators, both as merchants and as pirates. In the time of Mahomed there existed a predatory tribe, whose chief is described in the Koran, according to Ebn Haukal, as "the King, who forcibly seized every sound ship." This empire is said to have been founded prior to the time of Moses; and if the continuance of the same occupations on the spot be a proof of the identity of the people, it may be traced to the Arabs of the present day.

The Portuguese power was often violated by these pirates; and in the same age the English interests in the East were so much endangered by them, that one of the agents in Persia (who had all indeed successively made representations on the necessity of sending an armed force to destroy them) declared, that " they were likely to becomeas great plagues in India,

as the Algerines were in Europe." Some of these ships had from 30 to 50 guns: and one of their fleets, consisting of five ships, carried between them one thousand five

hundred men. Within the last few years, their attacks have been almost indiscriminate; nor had they learnt to respect even English colours, as the instance in the text, and the subsequent capture of the Minerva, Capt. Hopgood, proved too well. The British government, however, knowing the intimate connection of these pirates on the coast with the Wahabee, proceeded in the suppression of the evil with cautious judgment; and when, by the extension of these outrages to themselves, they were driven to vindicate the honour of their flag, and to extirpate their enemies, they regarded all the ports, which had not actually included the British within their depredations, as still neutral; and endeavoured to confine their warfare to reprisals, for specific acts of violence, rather than to commit themselves generally against the Wahabee, by extending the attack to those of that alliance who, amid all their piracies, had yet not violated the commerce of England.

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We might indeed thus separate the Joassmee tribe from the Wahabee, for we had already, in a formal treaty, recognized them as an independent power; though perhaps for all other purposes, they might be considered as identified. The strength, however, of the Joassmees alone was very consider able. The ports in their possession contained, according to a wellauthenticated calculation, in the middle of the year 1809, 63 large vessels, and 810 of smaller sizes; together manned by near 19,000 men. This force was increasing; the pirates, in a fleet of 55 ships, of various sizes, containing altogether 5,000 men, had, after a fight of two days, taken the Minerva, and murdered almost all the crew in the next month a fleet of 70 sail of vessels (navigated severally by numbers rising from 80 to 150 and 200 men) were cruizing about the Gulph and threatening Bushire: and the chief of Ras al Khyma, whose harbour was almost the exclusive resort of the larger vessels, had dared to demand a tribute from the British government, that their ships might navigate the Persian Gulph in safety. Our forbearance was now exhausted, and an expedition was sent from Bombay, under Captain Wainwright, and Lieut.-Colonel Smith, of his Majesty's sea and land forces, to attack the pirates in their ports. The first object was Ras al Khyma. The arma ment, after a short siege, carried the place by storm, destroyed all the naval equipments, and sparing the smaller vessels, burnt the 50 large ships which the harbour contained. They proceeded to the ports of the Arab pirates on the

Persian coast, and completed the destruction of all their means of annoyance. They then attacked Shinass, one of their harbours on the Indian ocean. The defence of this place was most heroical; and was conducted indeed for the Joassmees, as was subsequently learnt, by a favourite and confi dential general of Saood Ibn Abdool Uzzeer, the chief of the Wahabee. When on the third day of the siege, the few survivors were called upon to surrender, they replied, that they preferred death to submission; and when the towers were falling round them, they returned upon their assailants the hand-grenades and fire-balls before they could burst. Twice Lieut.Colonel Smith ceased firing, to endeavour to spare the unavailing effusion of their blood; till at length, when they were assured of being protected from the fury of the troops of our ally the Imaun of Muscat, which had co-operated with us, they surrendered to the English.

The expedition then scoured all the coast a second time, to destroy any fragments of that pirate power, against which it was directed; and extirpated in every quarter all the means of annoyance which the Joassmees possessed. There was indeed another force of another tribe, which might eventually grow up into a formidable enemy; but this was distinctly under the protection of the Wahabee, who had invested its chief with the title of Sheik al Behr, or "Lord of the Sea ;" and till it marked its hostility to us by joining in the attacks upon our commerce, it was judged expedient not to confound it in one indiscriminate warfare;

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nion, that they are necessary to the prosperity of the country. During my stay at La Guayra, a vessel arrived from the coast of Africa, with negroes: but as she had sailed previously to the passing of the prohibitory law, they were allowed to be landed, and were sold immediately, at more than three hundred dollars each, upon an average.

In general, the owners of slaves are little anxious how they are supported, provided they perform the usual offices, and make their appearance on certain occasions of ceremony. This is a great source of dishonesty. Whenever a slave can by any means make up the sum of three hundred dollars to his owner, he is free. He is not even obliged to give this sum at once, but may pay it in single dollars, or half dollars, until the amount be complete. A slave has also the liberty of seeking a new master, and may go about to sell himself. These, and other regulations, tend, in some measure, to alleviate the evils of slavery, and still more to evince, by their beneficial effects, how much preferable would be its complete abolition.

Almost the whole commerce of the country is carried on by European Spaniards, and by Islenos, or Islanders, from the Canaries. They buy and sell, are the merchants and the shopkeepers, in all the towns. A spirit of union, and frequently an impenetrable provincial dialect, binds them together, and gives them great advantages in all their transactions. The European, who expects to see a number of purchasers in competition, is frequently surprised to find only one or two, until the bargain VOL. LIV.

being completed, the whole who were interested in it, appear. The natives of the country, so far from considering this transaction of their affairs by strangers as a reproach to their indolence, turn it into a source of national pride. "The Americans," say they, "have no need to go to Europe; but it plainly appears, that Europeans have need of us. We are not, like them, obliged to hawk our commodities over half the globe. Our rich and abundant products draw them hither, and convert them into our servants." In this manner reason the Chinese, vain of their supposed superiority over all mankind. And in this manner might argue the savages of the South Seas, who behold Europeans visiting them, but who never visit Europe.

The manners of the towns, and in the interior, differ greatly, or rather they belong to different periods in the progress of society. After passing the great chain of mountains which borders all this coast, from the gulph of Venezuela to that of Paria we come to immense plains, devoid of trees, known by the general name of Las Llanos, or the Plains. Beyond them are other ridges of high mountains, which the traveller beholds rising gradually above the horizon, like land when first discovered at sea. These plains afford pasturage to innumerable cattle, the proprietors of which reside in the great towns, leaving them to the care of slaves, or people of colour. Hence a population is rapidly forming of a character wholly different from that of the immediate descendants of Europeans, or the natives of the coast.

A bold and lawless race, accustomed to be always on horseback and living nearly in a state of nature, wanders over these plains. Among them are many professed robbers, who render travelling dangerous, and are already beginning to form into small bands. They live almost entirely on the flesh of cattle, without regarding to whom they belong; killing an animal at every meal, and after satisfying their hunger, leaving the remainder of the carcase to the birds of prey and the wild animals of the desert. These men are well known, and frequently pointed out in the villages, but the inefficacy of the laws leaves them at liberty, until some act of uncommon atrocity excites the attention of the magistrates. Even after being seized, they frequently make their escape, either through the carelessness of their keepers, or the delays of justice; and return with increased avidity to their former mode of life. In the villages and small towns thinly scattered over these plains, great dissoluteness of morals prevails. The mixture of races is

source of endless corruption, to which are joined a climate inducing indolence and voluptuousness, and the total absence of all refined methods of passing time away. The highest delight both to women and men is, to swing about in their hammocks, and smoke çigars. Gambling to excess, and tormenting of bulls, are their principal amusements. Religion has no beneficial effect upon their morals; if they commit sins, they confess them and are forgiven. To all this is joined an apathy which is astonishing. Liveliness forms no part of their character;

on the contrary, they generally speak in a mild and drawling tone, which gives the highest idea of indifference, and almost of a disinclination to the trouble of opening their mouths. When a little animated, however, this softness in the voice of the women, it must be confessed, is not unpleasing, until its monotony becomes tiresome to the ear of an European.

I have not entered into a detail of the various races which people this country, as they are composed of the same materials which exist in all the Spanish colonies of South America; and have been frequently and accurately described. Over all, as is well known, until very lately, the European was considered as pre-eminent, frequently without any just cause. Next in rank were the Creoles, or descendants of European parents, and then a long succession of the various shades of mixture with Indian or African blood. The late revolutions in this country have abolished some of these distinctions, and seem likely in time to destroy still more; the probable consequences of which are worthy of serious attention.

THE SICILIAN Character.

From Galt's Voyages and Travels.

Our knowledge of the characters of nations is derived from history; but there are moral features among every people which history never describes. In estimating the character of the Sicilians, this consideration ought to be particalarly borne in mind. The island has been so long connected with Naples, that the two countries, in opinion,