Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 3, Anatomy-Astronomy

344 A R A
Arabia, covered with moveable sand, which has filled up the gaps
^ by which the rocky substratum is cut up, form the most
dangerous among all the deserts of Arabia. The great wil¬
derness, and the smaller ones, called El Ahkaf, belong to
this description. It appears that a broad but high plain or
valley, beginning in the west at the foot of the mountains
of Assyr and sloping down towards the Persian Gulf, bisects
that immense table-land into a northern and a southern por¬
tion. This tract was never visited by Europeans, but east¬
ern geographers inform us that it constitutes the best part
of the great province of Yemamah: it is well watered and
produces an abundance of corn and fruit. The eastern less
frequented caravan road from Mecca to Baghdad crosses it
in a direction from south-west to east and north, touching
or passing near the village El Hauta, which, according to
Burckhardt, is the birthplace of the famous Abd-el-Wah-
hab, the founder of the sect of the Wahabys. The prin¬
cipal mountain chain which overlooks the table-land is
Djebel Imariyeh or El Ared. From the Alpine highlands
near Tayef, it stretches north-east as far as Derraiyeh, fall¬
ing off in the north like a stupendous wall of white rock,
whence we may infer that it is of limestone formation.
From that town it continues in a more northern direction
almost parallel to, but still distant from, the Persian Gulf,
and forming the natural boundaries between Nedjed and
Iledjer or El Bahrein. From its central portion near Der-
raiyeh another chain runs north by west under the name of
Djebel Tueik which seems to join the latitudinal chain of
Es Shammar in its very centre, which, on account of its
serrated appearance is commonly called El Djebel. Be¬
tween the chains of Ared and Tueik lies the district of So-
dai'r; west of Mount Tueik are the districts of Kasim and
Woshem ; and to the south-east of Derraiyeh is the smaller
one of Khardj. The environs of Derraiyeh are full of once
thriving towns, situated in narrow rocky wadis or glens, but
since the last successful invasion of the Egyptians they are in
ruins. To the south of Western Yemamah, and parallel with
Djebel Imariyeh, but at a distance of 200 miles from it, a
chain of high mountains has been observed in a north-east di¬
rection, which seems to be the Djebel Menakib of the Arab
writers. There is reason to believe that there are many more
inland chains, but we know nothing positive about them.
In proportion as the arid and elevated interior of Arabia
approaches the sea, it begins to lose the peculiar features of
a high table-land. Almost everywhere its descent towards
the lower level presents several terraces, the serrated edges
of which form as many chains of mountains. On approach¬
ing the peninsula from the seaside, it first seems as if there
were but one such edge, but on surmounting the first, the
traveller soon meets another, and in many localities a third
and a fourth one; and although the ascent is not always
steep, the increasing difference of temperature indicates a
higher level. The lower edge of the table-land towards
Hedjaz is commonly called Djebel-el-Hedjaz, of which the
section between north latitude 25° and 23b bears the name
of Djebel Raduah, and is about 6000 feet high. East of it
lies the holy city of Medinah, on the third terrace, and con¬
sequently at a considerable elevation, and perhaps as high
as from 4000 to 5000 feet above the sea. Between Mecca
and Tayef, the chain bears the name of Djebel Kora, of
which M. Gazuan is not only the highest portion, but pro¬
bably the highest peak in Arabia, if it be true that its sum¬
mit is covered with snow even in summer, which would
give it an altitude of about 14,000 feet. But this is very
questionable. It has already been observed that in north
latitude 19°, a remarkable gap, the Temanah, or perhaps
Tehama of Assyr, affords an easy communication between
the coast and the interior, being, at the same time, the
natural boundary between Iledjaz and Yemen. The ex¬
tensive chain from that great defile down to the Straits of
B I A.
Babelmandeb is called Djebel-el-Yemen, and the southern Arabia,
portion simply El Djebel, on account of its many peaks and
serrated aspect. It appears to reach an altitude of 9000
feet, and in the latitude of Sana, swells out into a broad
mountainous tract sloping down abruptly towards the district
El Jof, and the sandy plains of March. The town of Sana,
the capital of the dominions of the imam or sultan of Sana,
to whom all Yemen is either directly or indirectly subject,
lies 5000 feet above the sea, the surrounding peaks rising
to from 2000 to 4000 feet above that high plain. Nume¬
rous torrents flowing in deep valleys between high precipi¬
tous rocks, water this interesting tract, but in the dry season
they dwindle into streamlets. In the arid tehamas they dry
up entirely, at least near the surface, because at the depth
of a few feet below the burning sand, water is always obtain¬
able by digging, except in years of total drought.
In few parts of Arabia is the system of irrigation brought to irrigation,
such perfection as in the highlands of Yemen. Water is super¬
abundant in the rainy season, but the rapid descent of the tor¬
rents causes it to vanish as fast as it fills the glens to over¬
flowing ; and in the dry season, the hot rarified air absorbs
it in such a degree as to lay all water-courses dry. Deep wells
and reservoirs, together with tanks and cisterns of every de¬
scription, thus become a matter of necessity ; and it is owing
to the surprising care bestowed upon such works, that the coffee
plantations are in so luxuriant a condition. As long as the
lower reservoirs, which, however, are still higher than the re¬
spective terraces for the irrigation of which they are constructed,
yield a supply, those on a higher level are not only spared, but
still fed if possible; but in proportion as the former become
exhausted, the latter are opened; and the water descending
through covered conduits again fills those which are nearest to
the plantations. On the drying up of these, also, the deep
wells in the shady glens are resorted to, and the water is carried
up the hills in skin bags on the backs of donkeys. The inha¬
bitants themselves will lend their backs to this drudgery to save
their crops. Around the stem of each coffee-tree, pebbles are
heaped up, which serve the double end of preventing the roots
from being laid bare by torrents, and of keeping the soil moist
in the dry season.
Arabia, from its diversified surface, contains within its ^egetal)le
bounds the climates and the vegetable produce of different coun-P1'0^6,
tries. The mountainous tracts yield in great abundance wheat,
barley, and an inferior species of grain called durra ; also the
fruits of Europe in equal variety and perfection, such as figs,
apricots, peaches, apples, almonds, pomegranates, grapes of the
very best quality, and excellent dates, which in many parts are
the chief food of the inhabitants, as well as an article of ex¬
port. Many of the fine fruits of India have been transported
thither, and are now naturalized. Such are the banana tree,
the mangoustan, the Indian palm, and the Indian fig-tree.
Besides the European grains it yields abundantly rice and
maize. In the highland provinces forests are sometimes seen,
which contain many trees little known, or differing extremely
from the same genera in northern countries. The tamarind-
tree refreshes and embellishes the country by its agreeable
shade and elegant form. The balm-tree is peculiar to Arabia,
which is also the native country of the coffee-tree, though, ac¬
cording to the Arabians, it comes originally from Abyssinia.
The balm-tree has not a beautiful appearance, and its qualities
are not appreciated in the southern province of Yemen, where
its wood is burnt for a perfume. In the Hedjaz the inhabi¬
tants collect the balsam and bring it to Mecca : it is thence ex¬
ported to Turkey, where it is in high estimation. The tree
trom which incense distils is found in part of Hadhramaut,
along the shores of the Indian Ocean. Arabia has been in all
ages celebrated for sweet-scented shrubs and trees ; and Burck¬
hardt mentions, that one morning at sunrise, when he was on his
road from Tayef to Mecca, every tree and shrub exhaled a de¬
licious fragrance. There are various species of the sensitive
plant, of which the splendid flowers, of a beautiful red, are
formed into crowns for festive occasions. The sugar-cane and
the indigo-shrub are found in different provinces ; and the
shrub from which senna is produced is cultivated in all that
part of the country which lies opposite to Upper Egypt. The
Arabians cultivate garden vegetables, such as lettuce, carrots,