in citterns1. But this not being fufikient, feveral attempts were made
to bring water thither from other places by aqueducts | and particularly
about Mohammed's time, Zobair one of the principal men of the
S of Koreijh, endeavoured at a great expence to fupply the city
with water from mount Arafat, but without fuccefs; yet this was effected
not many years ago, being begun at the charge of a wife of
Solrndn the Turkijh Emperor % But long before this, another aque-
dud had b e e n made from a fpring ^ a confiderable d.ftance,
which was, after feveral years labour, fimlhed by the Khahf at Mok-
3 foil about Mecca is fo very barren as to produce no fruits but
what are common in the defarts, tho’ the prince or Sharif has a
garden well planted at his cattle of Marbaa about three miles weft-
ward from the city, where he ufually refides Having therefore no
corn or grain of their own growth, they are obliged to fetch it from
other places+; and Hajhem, Mohammed’s great-grandfather, then prince
of h s trTbe ’the more effeaually to fupply them with provifions, app
o in t two caravans to fet out yearly for that purpofe, the one in
f u l l e r , and the other in winter *: theft caravans of purveyors are
lummer The provifions brought by them were diftributed
alfo twice a year, viz. in the month of Rajeb, and at the
arriva of the pilgrims. They are fupply’d with dates in great plen-
! m the adjacent country, and with grapes from W , about fixtr
ty trom j growing at Mecca: The inhabitants of this
S J 3 S 2 S S r i l g co r f.d^ b l. « by the m
Sous concourfe of people of almoft all nations at the yearly pilgrimage
at which time there is a great fair or mart for all kinds of
merchandize. They have alfo great numbers of cattle, and particu-
w iv of camels- however the poorer fort cannot but live very indif-
S X piece where . l n J every „eceffitryof life muftbe pur-
chafed with money. Notwithftanding. this great ftenlity near Mecca,
vet you are no fooner out of its territory, than you meet on all lides
wkh pknty of good fprings and ftreams of running water, with a
g rT h rK S p gl S t f X ^ Uan r th e reputed holinefs of this territory,
" ' E r w h i c h a f E K e o e « .hither war called n ,M ,
is a walled city about half as big as Mecca7, built in a plain, fait in
, r „ l ad Alfrag qq. * lb- 3 Sharif al Edrifi ubi fupr. 4 Idem ib. I Poc. Spec. 51.
- Tld.ValgaGeogr.Nubienfl, 5.
HI ally
many places, yet tolerably fruitful, particularly in dates, but more
efpecially near the mountains, two of which, Ohod on the north, and
Tbabir on the fouth, are about two leagues diftant. Here lies Mohammed
interred 1 in a magnificent building, covered with a cupola,
and adjoining to the eaft fide of the great temple, which is built in
the midft of the city2.
The province of 7 ’ehdmci was fo narned. from the 'vehement heat or
its fandy foil, and is alfo called Gaur from its low fituation; it is bound- Tehama.
ed on the weft by the Red fea, and on the other fides by Hejdz and
Taman, extending almoft from Mecca to Aden i.
The province of Najd, which word fignifies a rifing country liesTh«pro-
between thofe of Yamama, Taman and Hejaz, and is bounded on Naj^
the eaft by Irak*. ■ . ... -
The province of Tamdma, alfo called Arud from its oblique fitua- The Pro-
tion, in refpedt of Taman, is furrounded by the provinces of M a jd ,™ ^
Tehama, Bahrein, Oman, Shihr, Hadramaut, and Saba. The chief
city is Tamdma, which gives name to the province: it was anciently
called Jaw, and is particularly famous for being the refidence of
Mohammed’s competitor, the falfe prophet Mofeilama r. .
The Arabians, the inhabitants of this fpacious country, which they The,*-
have poffeffed from the moil remote antiquity, are diftinguifhed by their "
own writers into two claffes, viz. the old lojl Arabians, and theprejent. two claf-
The former were very numerous, and divided into feveral tribes, jjg« jn_
which are now all deftroyed, or elfe loft and fwallowed up among the cient A.
other tribes, nor are any certain memoirs or records extant concern- rais,
ing them6;’ tho’ the memory of fome very remarkable events, and the
cataftrophe of fome tribes have been preferved by tradition, and fince
confirmed by the authority of the Koran.
i Tho’ the notion of Mohammeds being buried at Mecca has been fo long exploded, yet feveral
modern writers, whether thro’ ignorance or negligence I will not determine, have fallen into it. I
Sail here take notice,only of two ; one is Dr. Smith, who having lived fome time in Turkey, feems
to be inexcufable : that gentleman in his Epiftles i t monbus ac tnJhtutisTurcarum, no lefs than
thrice mentions the Mohammedans vifiting the tomb of their prophet at Mecca, “ d60nceTh" ^ e^ ° .
born at Medina, the reverfe ofwhich is true (See Ep. i . pag. Z2. Ep. 2. pag. 63 and 64.) The other
is the publilher of the laft edition of Sir J . Mandevile's travels, who on his author s faying very
“ruly (p 50.) that the faid tomb was at Methone (i. e. Medina), undertakes to con-eft the name ° f
the town which is fomething corrupted, by putting at the bottom of the page, Mecca. The Abbot
A ArTft in Ws hiftory of the order l i Malta (vol. .. p. .4.0. ed. 8vo.) feems alfo to have confounded
thefe two cities together, tho’ he had before mentioned Mohammeif fepulchre Medina. Howe\
S U M iniflaken, when-he fays that one point of
Mohammedans, was to vifit, at leaft once in their lives, the tomb of the author of their «JK
faith. Whatever may be the opinion of fome Chriftitms, lam well affured the Mohammt
themfelves under no manner of obligation in that refpeft. a Col. ^
Defer. Arab. p. 4°. 3 Gol. ubi fup. 95. 4 Ib. 94. Mb. 95. * Abulfarag. p. t 59.