by numerous difficult ravines, separated by steep and rocky
wooded hills, which generally are occupied by castellated
buildings, to defend the coffee plantations. Near the crest oi
the chain, on the western side of the territory, are Nejd, Beni
Morean, Beni' Sereem, Khamir, Khede, and Dobber ; and on
the eastern side, El Harf, Left, Barrad, Haud, Aram, Nelim,
Deiban, and Khaïwân. The latter district contains many
villages and well-watered fields ; and it is occupied by several
warlike tribes, who, like'the Swiss in Europe, furnish soldiers
to some of the other states. One branch, the Beni-ad-Dhe-
hak, a section of the A1 Yaghfer, derive their origin from the
Tobbaï :l the situation which they occupy is 23 farsangs
NAY. of Sana.
On the way to the last, are Amrân, a town and mount, and
Turba, near which, one day from the capital, is the fruitful,
well-watered plain of Jiraf, which is covered with gardens
and the country-houses of the people of San’â.2
A little way south-westward is the mountain district of
Ivaukeban and the capital of the same name. The latter
contains a strong castle and an academy founded by Sherif-
ed-din. Six miles eastward of the town is the bazar and for-
tress of Towaïlah, and one day further the town of Favil.
With the exception of the small tracts of Yerim, Kataba,
and Tâ’ez, the territory of San’â includes the whole country
from Haschid-el-Bekil, south-eastward to the Arabian Sea,
where it terminates with that of Aden.
The strip belonging to Belâd Aden commences with Bâb-
el-Mandeb, and gradually widens as it extends eastward from
Tehâmeh. At first Jebel Arah bounds it on the iforthern
side, and then Jebel Yâfâ’i, a very high range of mountains,
which, for the remainder of the distance, separates it from the
territory of San’ a, the coast being the limit on the southern
side as far as its termination at Ras Sei'lan, a distance from
Bah-el-Mandeb of 1-30 miles.3 It is chiefly a plain, occupied
by the Subeïhi, the Akrabi, the Abd Ali, and Yâfâ’ï tribes.
1 Arabic Geo. MS., translated by Dr. Aloys Sprenger. ! Ibid.
2 Chart and Memoir of Captain Haines, I.N., vol. IX. of the Royal Geographical
Journal.