Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-01-12
TFFom Wells Travels 10 the City ofihs CAliphsl
ARAB CUSTOMS-D DESE RTION or
THE OLD--CRIMEs7- + SEER

1HE 4 OLD--CRlMkS7-I IhANSFElt
ssOF CHlLDREN4--WlLLS, &c.
One intensely hot day ] was strOIling
along the beach, when my attention was
arrested by Perceiving something lying
there, whichsn Arab was just leavIng,--
twas an old man stretched npoH bis
back, in a hollow scooped out OF the
sand nothing bat Z tattered thin piece Of
cloth protected him from The fiery heat
Of the sul,sraysi before him we're some
grain and frSgments Of halEbrsiled 6Sh;
but be was evidently in The last stage Of
existence. His companion told me that
when q man OF woman became unable TO-
work, il was customary thus TO expose
then; food, however, being brought M
Ill they expire, when little earth thrown
OYer them completes, their half.formed
Frata. Such IL custom! Yet even this,
barbarons @ il Is, is an improvement on
that which was formerly Praclised. An
old dwFiler, speaking Of the Inhabitants Of
Socotra, says that "they generally bury
their sick before they breathe their last,
making no dislinction between . dying
and dead person, They esteem L
duty to put ths patient as soon As possible
out Of PAIN, and make this request 70
thsir friends when they are on sick
bed, which, In ell acute disorders, may
be called their death bad. When the e.
thaT Of family finds himsslflhus circum.
Stancsd, and has reason 70 believe bic
dissolution il approaching, hs assemblies
HE children round bin, WhstheF natu-
raj OF adopted, his parents, wives, ser.
wants, and all his acquaintances, whom
be strongly exhorts 10 compliance with
the following articles Of his last will:
"neVer to admit any alterations In The
cust0ms or doctrines Of their ancestors,
never to intermarTy with foreigHers; new.
eF TO permit an sfFont done to them or
their predecessors, or beast stolen from
either of them 10 20 uhpuhiShed and,
lastly, never to suffer friend TO Icy ID
pain, when they can relieve him ny deslh."
They commonly perform the last request
ofthe dying man By means Of white
liquor, Of . strong poisonous quality,
which OOzes from tree peculiar 10 this
island. Hence Il is that legal murders
are more common here than In any other
country ID the world; ior. besides The
inhnman custom last mentioned, the 9th.
or requests Of the dying man produce
numbefless quarrels, and, b. taking re-
venRe Of the injuries done 10 their ahces.
tOfs, sniail family fsuds and blOOdshed |
upon thsir pOsterity fona long series Of
years. They have preserved The femem.
brance1of singulSF trial By ordeal, for |
merIy praclicod. An iudlVidual supposed
to haze been guilty Of any hsinOui crime,
was placed, bound hand and foot, on the
summit Of sons eminance, and there
compelled 70 remain three days. If rain
fell during that period on or near him, he
was eonsidsFad guilty, and punished By
being stoned 10 death; bat il the weather,
on the contrary, eontlnued fair, he was
acquitted. They aFeiinIhe more remote |
parts Of ne Island, said % still retain The |
cusvom Of transferring their own progeny
10, unosher person. II 4 lsft At the win |
Gfthsmother, that the hlhsE may give
the ielfild away as soon q i makes ils
sppesgance in thsWpgld. Il her consent
-is bpblaIped, hgs . lighted before ths
door Of shsir care, % denote bic iptep,
don, and lhs child, as econ as i 4 born,
i sent a snolheE family, q which 4 Il
bsoughtup viihsvery tenderness spdsi-
I tepfipRs Childrsn reared under this sia,
glilar custom, reiain through liia he iillet
efschildren 81 smoke, II Il c0mmon ioF
s fasheF Nho thus exposes hIs own, to e.
81 IS asimiltf n,anss ne oiIsurfI
oEsbdshar.of. BE ifibe. Bdrckhapat teIIS
~ lhtl she selleTillis q he Hsdiaz have |
: neagl similar eaaleth AlseE tka 6Fstl
fvs y six Iayy, shS child, is bog. a |
e. "a q Iioshsrifbs. .and lhe non. |
nes " aislSa again to'see bin u.
IL e liaIng to nan eslate. a gkis
manner MahOmot thsiE pFpeheb vas
z sssfsd. Ecss cths populaf traditions
segb gelaled @ 10 !, as they sp1 1saEed 30
itlIs peculiar a q istlc, e Icalce-I
70 v hoEsh lsknSetibsloh. ~. y IVY ,.s' .,'
~ na~aas -, ~. al4ns..s