Transcriber’s Notes Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. The structure of some tables has been modified to improve legibility within page width. Footnotes are located at the end of the book. Italics are represented thus _italic_, and bold thus =bold=. Arabia: The Cradle of Islam [Illustration: A TYPICAL ARAB OF YEMEN] Arabia: The Cradle of Islam Studies in the Geography, People and Politics of the Peninsula with an account of Islam and Mission-work. REV. S. M. ZWEMER, F.R.G.S. INTRODUCTION BY REV. JAMES S. DENNIS, D.D. EDINBURGH AND LONDON Oliphant Anderson and Ferrier 1900 Printed by THE CAXTON PRESS 171-173 Macdougal St. New York, U.S.A. DEDICATED TO _The “Student Volunteers” of America_ IN MEMORY OF THE TWO AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR ARABIA PETER J. ZWEMER AND GEORGE E. STONE And Jesus said unto him: This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.—LUKE xix. 9, 10. Introductory Note The author of this instructive volume is in the direct line of missionary pioneers to the Moslem world. He follows Raymond Lull, Henry Martyn, Ion Keith-Falconer, and Bishop French, and, with his friend and comrade the Rev. James Cantine, now stands in the shining line of succession at the close of a decade of patient and brave service at that lonely outpost on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Others have followed in their footsteps, until the Arabian Mission, the adopted child of the Reformed Church in America, is at present a compact and resolute group of men and women at the gates of Arabia, waiting on God’s will, and intent first of all upon fulfilling in the spirit of obedience to the Master the duty assigned them.