He supported himself at Mekka by singing,
during the night, before the houses of wealthy pilgrims, some verses in
honour of the propbet and of the pilgrimage.
His route was as follows: -
El Tayf - Beni Sad, Arabs - Naszera, Arabs - Begyle (or Bedjele), a market-
place - Rebah, a market-place - El Mandak, in the Zohran country - El Bekaa,
in the Zohran country - Raghdan, in the district of the Ghamed Arabs -
Ghamed, Arabs - Sollebat, inhabited by Ghamed Arabs and those called
Khotham, a very ancient tribe that flourished in the beginning of Islam -
Shomran, Arabs - Bel Korn - Ibn Dohman, an Arab tribe so called - Ibn el
Ahmar, another Arab tribe - Ibn el Asmar, an Arab tribe - The country here
is called after the inhabitants, which my informer had not forgotten,
although he did not always recollect the names of the villages through
which he passed in the districts of each tribe - Asyr; this tribe is now
united with the three former under one head - The Asyr chief, El Tamy,
proved the steadiest antagonist of Mohammed Aly: his principal residence
was the strong castle of El Tor, situated upon a high level surrounded
by mountains; he
[p.450] had also a smaller castle, called El Tobab, with a town, from
four to five days' journey distant from Gonfode on the sea-coast.
In the Asyr district, the pilgrim passed the villages called Shekrateyn,
Ed-dahye, Shohata, and Ed-djof. So far the road had always been on the
very summit of the mountain: the traveller henceforward continuing along
the valleys composing the lower chain of hills that intersect the
Eastern plain.
Refeydha, Arabs - Abyda, Arabs - Harradja, a town in the district of the
Senhan Arabs; which also contains the fertile wady called Raha - Homra, a
place inhabited by the Senhan Arabs: at one day's journey eastward is
Wady Nedjran, belonging to the tribe of Yam-Thohran, inhabited by the
Wadaa tribe: this place is high in the mountain, but the Wadaa occupy
also the low valleys - Bagem, a tribe of Arabs: eastward of them resides
the powerful tribe of Kholan Arabs - Dohhyan, of the Sahhar tribe-Sada:
from Sada the most usual stages to Sanaa are Beit Medjahed - Djorf - Kheywan
and Houth, two places in the district of the Hashed tribe - Zybein, - Omran-
Sanaa-Seven days from Sada to Sanaa.
No. IV.
Notices respecting the Country south of Mekka.
I HAVE already described the road from Mekka to Tayf. Four hours distant
from Tayf, in a S.E. direction, is Lye, a wady with a rivulet, fine
gardens, and many houses on the borders of the stream. About two hours
S. of Lye, in the mountain, stands the celebrated castle of Byssel,
built by the late chief of all the Hedjaz Arabs, Othman el Medhayfe, who
was taken prisoner near it in autumn 1812. Here Mohammed Aly Pasha, in
January 1815, fought his decisive battle with the united Wababy forces.
From Lye the road leads over mountains for about two hours, and then
descends into the great Eastern plain, where, at a distance of seven or
eight hours from Lye, and twelve from Tayf, lies the small town of
Kolakh: here were the head-quarters of the Turkish army for several
months in 1814. It is an open place, without trees or enclosures, with
many water-pits. It lies from Tayf in the direction of E.S.E. About Lye
and Kolakh, live the Arabs of the Ossama tribe, who form part of the
great Ateybe tribe. Between Kolakh and Taraba, off the straight road,
lies Abyla, once the residence of the great chief Medhayfe. By Kolakh
passes the most frequented road from Nedjed to Zohran, and from thence
to the sea-ports of Yemen. Continuing over the plain from Kolakh in a
more southern direction for about eighteen hours, we come to the town of
Taraba, as the people of Tayf and Mekka call it, or Toroba according
[p.451] to the Bedouin pronunciation. A soldier who possessed a watch
told me that he had counted three hours on the march between Tayf and
Taraba. This is a considerable town, as large as Tayf, and remarkable
for its plantations, that furnish all the surrounding country with
dates; and famous for its resistance against the Turkish forces of
Mohammed Aly, until January 1815, when its inhabitants were compelled to
submit. Taraba is environed with palm-groves and gardens, watered by
numerous rivulets; near it are some inconsiderable hills, at the foot of
which the Arabs cultivate durra and barley: the inhabitants are of the
Begoum tribe, and their Sheikh is Ibn Korshan. One Ghalye, the widow of
a deceased Sheikh, had immortalised her name by devoting her property to
the defence of the town, and taking an active part in the council of the
chiefs. The country about Taraba, and thence to Kolakh, is inhabited by
the Ateybe Arabs, the most numerous of the Hedjaz tribes. The Begoums
had enclosed Taraba with a wall, and constructed some towers: at present
a Turkish garrison is stationed here, this being a principal position
and the grand thoroughfare between Nedjed and Yemen.
Pursuing the road from Taraba southwards to the east of the great chain
of mountains, over an uneven ground intersected by many wadys, we come,
at two days from Taraba, to the town of Ranye, inhabited by the Arab
tribe of Sabya, whose Sheikh is Ibn Katnan, a personage distinguished
for his bravery in the campaign against the Pasha's Turkish troops.
Three or four days from Ranye is the town of Beishe, the intermediate
space being peopled by the Beni Oklob tribe. Beishe, the most important
position between Tayf and Sanaa, is a very fertile district, extremely
rich in date-trees. The Turkish army of Mohammed Aly, with its followers
and allied Bedouins, amounting in all to ten or twelve thousand men,
found here sufficient provisions for a fortnight's halt, and for a
supply on their march of several days towards the south.
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