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.
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