serta, between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
It is by far the most considerable part, and though
the centre is occupied by very dry deserts, there
are many rich provinces on the coasts, producing
a variety of fruits, honey, wax, cinnamon, cassia,
manna, spikenard, frankincense, myrrh, and cof-
fee, of which latter great quantities are exported
from Moka. The Arabs are of a middle stature and

brown complexion, and have always a grave and
melancholy air. Thev derive their subsistence
from their flocks, from hunting, and from what
they acquire by plunder of the caravans which
pass from Aleppo to Bassora. and from Bassora
to .Mecca. Thev acknowledge no sovereign but
the emirs of their tribes, who are their natural

Erinces, and to whom they pay obedience. They
ave also sheiks, or chiefs of an advanced age,
whom they often consult, and whose advice they
follow. The dress of the Arabs consists of a
white robe, bound round with a broad leather gir-
dle, fastened by a strong buckle or large clasp.
Their drawers are made of linen, and descend to
the lower part of the leg. They wear a kind of
red cap on the head; and sometimes they wear
slippers, after the manner of the Turks, but are
generally in half boots that they may be ready to
get on horseback. Winter and summer they wear
a large cloak, striped black and white, made of
the hair of goats or some other animal. Their
emirs dress in the same manner, except tfiat their
cloaks are for the most part all black. The
Arabs in the deserts live in tents, and remove
from place to place, partly for the sake of pasture,
and partly to lie in wait for the caravans. The
famous Mahomet was a native of this country ;
and his followers, soon after his death, conquered
a great part of Asia, Africa, and Europe, establish-
ing their religion wherever they came. The in-
terior of this vast territory is very little known,
but it seems nearly destitute of water, as but very
few rivers are found round its coast for near 2,500
miles. Medina, Mecca, and Moka, all on the
coast of the Red Sea, are the chief towns.

Araran. or Rcccan, a maritime and fertile coun-
try of Asia, on the east coast of the bay of Ben-
gal, bounded on the east by Birmah. The rainy
season continues from April to October, and the
rest of the year is called summer. The inhabitants
are idolaters. The women are tolerably fair, but
the longest ears are reckoned the most beautiful,
and in these they wear many rings. They are a
dastardly race of people, and have only courage to
attack defenceless merchants and boatmen. There
are such numbers of elephants, buffaloes, and
tigers, that but few places are inhabited, on ac-
count of the ravages made hy these animals
The chief productions of commerce, are salt, ele
phants’ teeth, bees’ wax, and rice; but its trade
was never very considerable. Aracan was long
an independent nation, governed by a king; but
it was subdued by the Birmans in 1783, and is
now a province of that empire.

Aracan, the capital of the country of the same
name, with an extensive fort. It is situate at the
head of an inlet of the sea, which forms one of
the finest and most capacious harbours for ship-
ping in the world. The river Aracan runs through
the city, and waters the streets by means of seve-
ral arms or canals, into which it is divided. The
inhabitants are about 100,000. It was taken by
the Birmans in 1783. It is 200 m. S. S. E. of
Islamabad, and 230 W. S. W. of Ava. Long. 93.
10. E. lat. 20. 38. N.

Arad, an interior county of Upper Hungary,
population about 155,000. There are two towns
of the same name, the Old, which is the capital
of the county, on the north, and the New town
on the south side of the Marosch river. The old
town is a great mart for cattle, and is about 24 m
N. N. E. of Temeswar.

Arafat, or Gebel Orphat, a mountain of Arabia,
about 150 ft. in height, 15 m. S. S. E. of Mecca.
Its name implies the Mountain of Knowledge,
and as such is an object of adoration with the
devotees of Mahomet; in 1807, upward of 80,000
pilgrims, including 45,000 mounted Wahabees,
were assembled about it.

Araguaya, a river of South America, which
rises in the lat. of about 19. S. near to the Parana,
which runs from north to south, whilst the Ara-
guaya runs through the heart of Brazil from south
to north, to the lat. of about 7. S. where it is join-
ed by the Tocantins, and about 5 deg. further it
diverges into two branches, one falling into the
Amazon, and the other forming a separate chan-
nel into the Atlantic, called Para, in the lat. of

0. 20. S. and 48. 20. W. long.

Aral, a lake of Independent Tartary, 120 miles
east of the Caspian Sea. It is 200 miles in length,
and in some places 70 in breadth, intersected by'
xe2x80xa2the lines of 45. N. lat. and (50. W. long. The
water is salt, and there are many small saline
lakes in the vicinity, but it has no visible commu-
nication -with the sea.

Aranjuez, a town of Spain, in New Castile,
with broad streets intersecting each other at right
angles. The great square is surrounded by porti-
coes, and has a fountain that supplies the town
with water. Here are three churches, and a thea-
tre for bull-fights; but the glory of Aranjuez is
the royal palace and gardens, situate on an island
formed by the Tagus, the Xarama, and a cartal.
This palace justly ranks among the finest and
most agreeable residences in Europe; it was in it
the supreme junta of government of the king-
dom, on the declaration in favour of Ferdinand

VII. were installed, and held their first meeting,
Sept. 25th, 1808. Aranjuez is seated on the Tajo,
20 m. S. of Madrid.

Ararat, a mountain of Armenia, distinguished
in Mosaic history. See Gen. viii. 4. Its height
is about 9,500 ft. above the level of the sea. 1

Ararat, a mountain in N. Carolina, 10 m from
Bethany in Stokes Co.    J

Arassi, a maritime town of the territory of Ge
noa, 5 m. S. W. of Albenga.

Arau, a town of Switzerland, capital of the
department of Lower Argo, canton of Berne,
with manufactures of cotton, printed linen, and