delights to place the remains of Kasr Moscheid, the palace of
the powerful Shedad Ben Ad, who could tear up trees by the
roots, and eat as much as 28 ordinary men; and at the opposite
or north-western extremity of Hadramaút, Kubr-el-Houd,
the tomb of the Prophet, near Bounfath: elsewhere in this
territory are placed Bir-Borhout and Bir-Moaatthale, two
enchanted wells; one of which may possibly be represented
by the quicksand recently discovered, and already noticed
(p. 635).
The territory of Mahrah properly commences where Makal-
lah terminates, but the present limits of the province include
a portion of Shehr, since they extend south-westward to the
foot of the Sheikháwí mountains, and again north-eastward
to ’Omán; the sea is on the south-east, and El Ahkáf on the
north-west. The whole is, however, considered by some of
the Arabian geographers as part of ancient Hadramaút, and
both provinces are traversed by the prolongation of the same
great chain of mountains. The capital, Dzifár, is also called
Ahmedyat, from its founder Ahmed-ben-Múhammed,1 who
destroyed the town of Mediyát, on the coast.2
In the interior is the district of Ainaud, with a capital of
the same name, situated seven days from Shehr. One day
from thence is the tomb of Kaktan, a celebrated place of devotion
; at which a great fair is also held.3 Near the coast is
the town of Haseks, and a little way from the shore opposite
to Sherbadhát are the Kuria Muria isles. This sterile group,
five in number, viz., Helláníyah, Soda, Jebelíyah, Karzáwet,
and Hásikí, appear to have been what was at one time a continuation
of the mountains,4 passing through Morbát and
Hásik. The structure consists of ridges of granite, surmounted
by a kind of trap or green stone, which, in the form of dykes,
pervades the mass, and also appears in the shape of seams running
in all directions through the granite. In Helláníyah,
the largest, the hills form a cluster of sterile peaks in the centre
1 In a . h . 610.
8 Arabic MS., 7502, in the British Museum, translated by Dr. A. Sprenger.
3 Niehbuhr’s Travels, vol. II., p. 109; Heron’s translation.
4 The Kartan and Marian of Edrisi, tome V., p 54, ed. Jaubert.
of the island rising to 1510 feet.1 The vegetation chiefly
consists of a few tamarisks and some salt-water shrubs, and
the inhabitants, who do not exceed 23 souls, obtain a scanty
subsistence by fishing with the hook and basket, from ledges
of rock on the lee-side of the island f a few loose stones in the
form of a circular wall, with a roof of sea-weed resting on fish
bones, form their ordinary dwellings.
Of the four other islands which are uninhabited, Soda, the
most considerable in size and elevation, is a shapeless mass of
bare rock, chiefly granite, rising abruptly from the sea, about
six miles to the westward. On it are the remains of a village
and a few tamarisk bushes, but no inhabitants.
Jebeliyah, the third, is the easternmost; it consists of two
or three bare rocks, rising to the height of 560 feet, and many
small patches of ground, scarcely emerging from the sea; this
is the favourite resort of the gannet,3 and other sea-birds, but
no fresh water is to be found.4
Karzawet, the fourth, the Redondo of Europeans, is of red-
dish-coloured granite, which rises in two cones; the greater
being 210 feet high.6
Hasiki, the last and most western of the group, is about
13 miles from Soda and 20 from the Arabian coast. It consists
of a long ridge of hills running north, with two peaks,
rising to the height of 400 feet. It is chiefly of reddish granite,
without fresh water, and, like Jebeliyah, covered with gannets
and divers.6
The Arabs call these islands Jeza'ir Ben Khalfan, from a
family of the great Mahri tribe who seized them.7 According
to local tradition the descendants of the rebellious tribe of
A’d here maintained their ancient faith long after the rest of
the peninsula had embraced the doctrines of Muhammed; but
at, length a pestilence swept all away except a young woman,
who, being rescued by a passing Arab, became the mother of
the present race.8
1 Dr. Hulton’s account of the Kuria Muria Islands, vol. IX., p. 157, of the
Royal Geographical Journal. ‘ Ibid., pp. 157,160.
3 Pelicanus bassanus, or Solan goose.
4 Royal Geographical Journal, voh XI., p. 159. 5 Ibid., p. 158.
3 Ibid., p. 160. 7 Ibid., pp. 163, 164. 8 Ibid., p. 164.