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640 JIDDAH JOACHIM tion. It is surrounded by walls, with fortified towers at intervals, and a ditch, and has nine gates, six facing the sea. The sea is gradually receding from the town, owing to the constant growth of the coral reefs. The harbor, which is the best on the Red sea, has a depth of from 3 to 17 fathoms ; it is difficult of entrance, be- ing shut in by ranges of reefs. The streets are straight and regular, and cleaner than those of most eastern towns, and the houses of the better class are built of stone or madrepore; but the suburbs are extremely filthy, and the dwellings little more than hovels. The princi- pal buildings are the governor's residence, the custom house, several mosques of little archi- tectural pretension, some large and handsome khans, and the British and French consulates. A rude stone structure outside the walls is ven- erated as the tomb of Eve. The climate is very trying to Europeans, the thermometer ranging from 76" to 107 F., and sometimes rising to Jiddah. 132 during the simoom. Intermittent fevers are prevalent, and they generally attack Euro- peans on arrival. During the months of pil- grimage the population is increased to 40,000, and sometimes to 60,000, about 120,000 pilgrims for Mecca and Medina passing through it annu- ally. Of the ordinary population, about 1,000 are British-Indian subjects, a number of whom are wealthy merchants. There are also many Egyptians and a few Greeks, and several Eng- lish and French merchants. The industry of the natives consists of fishing, diving for black coral, which is found for only a short distance along the coast, the manufacturing it into beads and mouth-pieces for pipes and cigars, and the dyeing of English cotton cloths. The trade of Jiddah, which is very large, is carried on chiefly by square-rigged British vessels, the ves- sels of the Mejidie steam company, and native coasting vessels averaging about 80 tons bur- den. The exports are coffee, gum, spices, balm, incense, essences, senna, cassia, ivory, mother-of-pearl, pearls, tortoise shell, ostrich feathers, coral, dates, cutlery, hardware, and leather. The imports are provisions, including grain, from Egypt; metals, glass, bottles for essences, cutlery, soaps, cloths, silks, and cot- tons, from Europe; rice, sugar, timber, nan- keens, muslin for turbans, and girdles, from In- dia ; elephants' teeth, ostrich feathers, musk, mules, and slaves, from Africa. A brisk trade is still carried on in slaves, the most of whom are Abyssinians ; they are landed at night along the shore, and carried into the city in the morning with the connivance of the Turkish authorities, with whom the firman of the sul- tan for the suppression of the traffic is a dead letter. Jiddah was bombarded in 1858 by the British in retaliation for the massacre of the British consul and a number of Christians. JIIIOON. See Oxus. JOAB, a Hebrew warrior, "captain of the host" (generalissimo* of the army) during the greater part of David's reign, died about 1015 B. C. In the reign of Saul he accompanied David on his wander- ings in the southern part of Palestine and its vicinity, and after Saul's death he defeat- ed the troops of Abner, who supported Ishbo- sheth, the son of that king, as successor, and whom he assassinated after he became recon- ciled to David. His valor in the assault on the fortress of Zion, held by the Jebusites, gained him the chief command of the army of all Israel, and he had the principal merit in the conquests of his mas- ter. He adhered faithfully to the king during the revolt of Absalom. "When, in order to con- ciliate the powerful rebellious party, the com- mand of the host was given to Amasa, who had been Absalom's general, Joab soon rid him- self of this rival by murdering him. David was obliged to overlook the murders of Abner and Amasa, but before dying gave strict direc- tions to his son Solomon to put Joab to death. Shortly before the death of David he partici- pated in the unsuccessful demonstration in fa- vor of the natural heir Adonijah, and afterward fled for refuge to the altar, where he was put to death by command of the new king. His brothers Abishai and Asahel were also con- spicuous as military leaders in the earlier part of the history of David. JOACHIM, king of Naples. See MUKAT. JOACHIM, Joseph, a German violinist, born of Jewish parents at Kittsee, near Presburg,