The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-10

A38&AUxW8 ~ BA0UMAIs - MAso1UooDs -
cosdine a - tsadit0n from his contemporaries,
was d middle Stature, squass built ana sinswy.
with large hands and feet In his youth he was
uncommonly strong and vigorous; in the latter
part Of his life he inclined to corpulencs. His
head was capacious; well shaped, and well set
ON neck which rose like pillar from his ample
chest His forehead was high, broad at the
temples, and crossed by veins extending down
to the eyebrows, which sweled whenever he
was angry or excited He had an oval face,
marked for expressive features, an acquiIine
nose, black eyes, arched eyebrows, which nearly
met a mouth large and flexible, indicative Of
el0quence, very white teeth, somewhat parted
and irregular; black hair, VII c, waved, without
curl, on1 his shoulders, and long and very
full heard.
His department, in general, was calm and
equitable; he sometimes INDUCED in pleasantly ;
bat more commonly was grave and dignifed,
though he is said to have possessed smile Of
captivating sweetness. His complexion was
more ruddy than is usual with Arabs, and in his
excited and enthusiastic moments there was a
glow and radience iQ his countenance which his
disciples magnifed into the supernatural light
of prophecy.
His intellectual qualities were undoubtedly of
an extraordinary kind. He had quick appre-
hension, retcntive memory, vivid imagina-
ton, and an inventive genius. Owing hut little
to education, he had quickcned and informed his
mind by close observation, and had stored it
with great variety Of knowledge, concerning
the systems of religion current in this day, or
handed down by tradition from antiquity. His
ordinary discourse was grave and sententous,
Astounding with those aphorisms and apologies
SO popular among the Arabs: at times he was
excited and eloquent and his eloquence was
aided by voice musical and sonorons.
He was sober and abstemious in his diet, and
rigorous observer Of flsts. He INDUCED in no
magnifcence Of apparel, the ostentation Of a
petty mind, neither was his simplicity in dress
affected-but the result Of real Disregard of dis
tincton from so trivial source His garments
were sometimes Of wool, sometimes Of the
striped cotton Of Yemen, and were often patched.
He wore turban. for he said turbans were worn
by the angels; and in arranging it, he let one
end hang down between his shoulders, which,
he said, was the way they wore il. He forbade
the wearing Of clothes entirely Of silk, but per-
mitted mixture of thread and silk. He for
blde, also, red clothes and the Of gold rings.
He wore seal ring Of silver, the engraved part
under his finger, close to the palm of his hand
bearing the inscription; 1Mahomet, the messen-
ger Of God"
He was scrupul0us as to personal cleanness,
and observed frequent additions. In some re-
spects he was u voluptuary. "There are two
things in this world" he would say, switch de-
light me--women and perfumes. These two
things rejoice NY eyes, and render me more fer
vent in devotion"
From his extreme cleanliness, and the use OF
perfumes and Of sweet-scen,ed oil for his hair,
probably arose that sweetness and fragrance of
person which his disciples considered innate and
miraculous. His passion for the sex had an in
fiuence over all his affairs 1t is said that, when
in the presence of beautiful female, he was
continually smoothing his brow and adjusting
his hair, as if anxious to appear to advantage.
The number of his wives is uncertain. Abul-
feda, who writes with more caution than any
other Arabian historian limits it to fifteen, though
come make it rs much as twenty-five. At the
time of lis death, he had nine each in separate
dwellings, and all in the vicinity of the mosque
at Medina. The plea nlledged for his indulging
in greater number. of wives than he permitted
his followers, was a desire to beget a race of
prophets for his people. If such indeed were
his desires, it was disappointed. Of all his chill
dren, Ba'ima, the wife of Ali, alone survived
him, and she died within short time after his
death. OF her descendants none, excepting her
eldest son, Hassen, ever sat on the throne of the
Caliphs
In his private dealings he was just. He
treated frierds and strangers, the rich and poor.
the powerful and the week, with equality; and
was beloved by the common people for the affa-
bility with which he received them, and listened
to their complaints.
He was naturally irritable, but had brought
his temper under great control, 50 that even in
the selfindulyent intercourse Of domestic life,
he was kind and tolerant served him from
the time was eight years DID," said his servant
Amos, and he never scolded me for any thing,
though things were spoiled by me- Washing
TON Irring.