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SECTION XII.

journey from mokha to taoes.

Chap. I.

Our Progress to Taœs.

Leaving Mokha with pleasure, as our stay in it had been not a little disagreeable, we proceeded, on the 9th of June, through a dry and desart country; and, after advancing four miles, reached Musa, a village situate just upon the confines of the Highlands. This village is known to the Europeans, who sometimes come hither in parties for pleasure. But the buildings are wretched, and the heat is as oppressive here as at Mokha. The water, is, however, good, and the richer inhabitants of Mokha send hither for it; as that in the wells immediately around the city is very bad.

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Next day we travelled along the channel of a large river, which, in the rainy season, disembogues itself into the sea, near Mokha; but is commonly lost, at no great distance from its head, in the sands of Tehama. We passed through several villages; and near the last of these, remarked a small house, at which duties are paid for all goods sent to the independent country of Jafa: goods passing into the states of the Imam pay no such duties.

I shall hereafter have occasion to speak of Schiech Schædeli, the famous saint of Mokha. We happened to meet with one of his descendents, a good-natured ideot. Some young persons in our party addressed him, and bandied jokes and raillery with him. They did not, indeed, abuse him, but as little did they shew him respect. They called him Schiech, in regard to his birth, but paid him no other honour. In this instance, the Arabs discover more good sense than the Turks, and especially than the Egyptians, who treat all ideots as Schiechs, honour them through life, and regard them as saints after their death.

In the hilly country, the roads are too bad for travelling by night. We saw, as we proceeded, a large village, and near it, the fertile hills of Hammara, which belong to Schiech Ibn Aldan; but the inhabitants of the village are not subject

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to his authority. They had lately slain two men, and when the Schiech sent troops to chastise them, they retreated to the summits of the hills. We happened, fortunately, to enter one of the large inns called by the Arabians, Mattrach; for, early in the afternoon, a violent storm arose, and such a quantity of rain fell, that all the highways were flooded, and it became impossible for us to continue our journey.

On the 12th of June, after passing through several villages, and crossing some fertile fields, we arrived at Dorebat, a town ten miles distant from Mokha. It is the capital of the territories of Schiech Ibn Aklan, who resides here. Its situation on the summit of a hill, renders it naturally strong. At the foot of the hill stands a town, the public prison in which is said to be the most dismal in Yemen. Before the door of the prison in Dorebat, we saw persons who had been guilty only of very trivial faults, confined, a number of them together, by one chain, in the open air. Near them stood a guard of soldiers of the Imam’s, whom the Schiech is obliged to maintain.

Continuing our journey from Dorebat, we found on our way, a number of fine villages, and many coffee huts, and Madsjils, or reservoirs for water, in a columnar form. A violent storm again compelled us to halt. Next day we saw from a hill,

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the castle of Taœs, still at a distance. Early on the 13th we reached the city.

Immediately after our arrival, we sent our letter from the Dola at Mokha, to the Dola of Taœs, who straightway required us to wait upon him at his house. He seemed to be in a very good humour, and made us an offer of Kischer, pipes, and Kaad, (the buds of a certain tree which the Arabs chew, as the Indians do Betel;) but we did not relish this drug. He related to us, how that a report had been spread at Taœs, of our having brought several chests full of serpents to Mokha. He made us be conducted into a house the proprietor of which he had lately imprisoned; and seat us, in a present, two lambs, with a small quantity of meal. We, in our turn, offered him a piece of India stuff.

Next day, we delivered our other letters of recommendation from our friends at Mokha: of those, one was addressed to Baskateb, the first secretary; another to the steward of the household, Achmed; a third to one Sejid, a man of distinction; and a fourth to a Banian. We were well received, every where. The Dola of Mokha’s servant had the presumption to attend us on all our visits, and imposed his company upon us, in like manner, when we received the visits of others. We could not imagine whether this

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were done out of vanity, or in order to keep a strict eye on all our motions.

We found the temperature of this country to agree entirely with our constitutions. Instead of the oppressive heats under which we had fainted at Mokha, we had here, almost every evening, refreshing rains.

Chap. II.

Of the City of Taœs.

This city stands at the foot of the fertile hill of Sabber. It is encompassed with a wall, between sixteen and thirty feet thick, and flanked with several towers. The fortress of Kahhre stands in the circuit of the wall: its walls are faced with burnt bricks, but, within, consist of bricks, which, instead of being burnt, have been only dried in the sun.

This city has only two gates; and each of these is after the Arabic fashion, fortified with three towers. Only two of them are in a condition to bear cannons. The garrison consisted at this time of six hundred men. These works ly so under the command of the neighbouring heights, that they would afford no defence against

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any but an army of Arabs who are strangers, in a manner, to the use of artillery.

The saint who has been assumed as the patron of the city of Taœs, is the famous Ismael Mulk, who, according to tradition, was once king of this country. His remains are buried in a mosque which bears his name. But none have been permitted to approach his tomb, since once that the saint thought proper to perform a miracle which gave dissatisfaction to the rulers. This marvellous event was related to us with the following circumstances: Two beggars had asked charity from the Dola of Taœs; but only one of these had tasted of his bounty. The other went, upon this, to the tomb of Ismael Mulk, to implore his aid. Ismael, who, when alive, had been very charitable, stretched his hand out of the tomb, and gave the beggar a letter, containing an order on the Dola to pay the beggar an hundred crowns. Upon examining this order, with the greatest care, it was found that Ismael Mulk had written it with his own hand, and sealed it with his seal. The governor could not refuse payment; but, to avoid all subsequent trouble from such bills of exchange, he had a wall built, inclosing the tomb. Near the mosque of Ismael Mulk is a garden, which was possessed by Ischia his son. In it there was shewn to me a large bason, and a hydraulic

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machine, which in its time must have been an ornament of no small consequence; but all is now in a state of decay, and almost ruinous.

In the same city, and in its neighbourhood, are many deserted and ruinous mosques; one of them, in a style of architecture unusual in this country, should seem to have been built by some Turkish Pacha. The devout founders of these mosques, if they intended thereby to transmit their memory to posterity, have failed of their purpose. Their names have been forgotten, as the mosques have sunk into ruins.

The last Lords of Taœs have made a more judicious choice of buildings to distinguish themselves by. They have erected noble palaces for themselves and their posterity, and were content with a small Kubbet for their oratory and burial-place: Thus have they spared the lands which must otherwise have been appropriated to the maintenance of the clergy of an useless mosque: Their palaces are still standing, and are the ornaments of the city, which indeed does not possess many other fine buildings. Since the last war, many of the houses have remained ruinous, and some of the squares have even been converted into fields and meadows.

The ruins of two ancient cities, are still to be seen in the neighbourhood of Taœs. One of them is Thobad, which is situate near Mount

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Sabber. Some parts of its walls, with a large mosque belonging to it, are still standing, The other is Oddena, which stands at no great distance from Thobad, upon the summit of Mount Sabber, over against Kahhre. The latter was the place of the residence of the kings of this country; its only remains are the ruins of some mosques. Ismael Mulk, having built his tomb at the foot of the rock of Kahhre, some of his devout subjects chose to live near their saint; others following their example, Oddena was thus abandoned, and Taœs built. So, this city, like Loheia, Beit el Fakih, and Mokha, owes its rise to a saint.

Chap. III.

Late Revolutions of Taœs

So modern a city cannot make a great figure in the history of Yemen. However, in these late years, some revolutions have taken place, which deserve to be briefly mentioned, as they may serve to give an idea of the power of the Imam, and of the manner in which the Arabians go to war.

Imam El Mansor Hossein, had committed the Government of Taœs, to his brother Achmed,

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who, when afterwards recalled, refused to obey. With a force of two thousand men, whom he kept in pay, he stood out for twelve years, against all that the Imam could send, to reduce him to his duty. Achmed had money coined in his own name, levied taxes upon goods carried between Mokha and Sana, and conducted himself in all respects, as if he had been sovereign of the country. Yet, he assumed not the title of Imam, or King, but contented himself with that Sidi, which is common to all the princes of the blood-royal.

Sidi Achmed dying, left six sons. The eldest of whom, Abdulla, succeeded him, and lived on fair terms with the Imam. Abdulla dying in 1759, left the succession to his only son Abdul Kerim, a boy, thirteen years of age. Three of the young prince’s uncles, Ali, Jachia, and Machser conspired to dethrone him. One of the conspirators seized the fortress of Kahhre, and each of the other two made himself master of a gate, with some adjoining towers. But, as the revenues of these three princes were very scanty, they could neither keep many soldiers on foot, nor even purchase provisions. They were particularly in want of powder; and whenever one of them could procure a few pounds of ammunition, he never ceased firing upon his

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brothers, till the whole was exhausted. But they never came to a fair combat.

In these circumstances, young Abdul Kerim wrote to his uncle the reigning Imam, begging his assistance, and intreating him to support him in the possession of his dominions. The Imam having long wished to take part in the quarrel, sent an army to reduce the rebels. But the Nakib or General, El Mas, who commanded this army, having no artillery, had no other expedient, but to fire with musquet-shot, from a mosque without the wall, by which he could make no advancement in the siege.

The Imam had for several years had a dangerous enemy in a Schiech named Abdurrah, who had occupied the territory of Hodsjerie. During the blockade of Taœs, this Schiech approached Mokha, and the Imam then found it necessary to seek a reconciliation with his enemy. Peace was made, through the intermediation of the generals, on condition, that the Schiech should lend assistance to accomplish the conquest of Taœs. But his troops being destitute of cannons, were as little in a condition as those of the Imam, to storm the tower. Yet the shrewdness of Abdurrah suggested a stratagem. He promised a thousand crowns to twelve of the besieged soldiers, who were posted in a tower, if they would permit his troops to enter. By

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this means, the city was taken in the end of the year 1760, and sacked.

After the conquest of Taœs, the Imam gave the family of Sidi Achmed, with Schiech Abdurrah, a friendly invitation to visit him at Sana. The latter was at first unwilling to put himself in the power of his old enemy; but the Imam impowered his generals to pledge his faith for the Schiech’s security; and he was accordingly taken in the snare. The Imam treated this hero with the blackest perfidy, and put him to an ignominious death. He returned the services of his generals with base ingratitude, and refused to reinstate Abdul Kerim in his father’s principality. I saw the young prince going to the mosque, at Sana; having a parasol carried over him, like the other princes of the blood royal. His two uncles, Sidi Jachia, and Sidi Machsar, were cast into confinement as rebels: The third, Sidi Ali, happening luckily to be father-in-law to the reigning Imam, preserved his liberty, and lives privately at Sana. After these events, the Imam sent a Dola to Taœs; and it is now under the same government as the other cities in his dominions.

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Chap. IV.

Stay at Taœs.

The Dola who governed this city when we visited it, had been an officer in the Imam’s army, and had risen rapidly to the rank of Nakib, without owing his fortune to his birth, as most of these governors do. His government was very extensive, comprehending both Mount Sabber and the territory of Hodsjerie in which are a number of Schiechs, whose families have, for these several centuries, possessed small, and almost independent Lordships. They pay taxes to the Imam, but value themselves much on their nobility of descent, and treat their governors with contempt. Our Dola had already had several differences with those haughty nobles, who refused submission to his authority. He had put one of the mutinous Schiechs in prison, and had detained a female slave whom the Arab was carrying away with him. An order from the Imam, however, obliged him to set both at liberty; but he remained in indignation against those Schiechs in general. He seized the first occasion that offered, and sent out half a dozen soldiers among them, who, according to their master’s orders, conducted themselves with great insolence towards those highlanders. The schiechs could not bear such insults; but made an insurrection,

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and massacred them all. Since that period, nobody from Taœs has ventured to visit the highlands without exposing his life to extreme danger. It was even said, that the Schiechs would never be quiet till the Imam should recal the Dola.

The exuberant fertility of Mount Sabber affords, according to the accounts of the Arabs, plants of every species that is to be found any where else through the world. Mr Forskal had this mountain daily before his eyes; but, to his infinite mortification, could not obtain permission to botanize upon it. He proposed to bring a Schiech from the mountains at his own expence, under whose protection he might go out upon his herborizing expeditions, without danger. But the Dola put a negative upon all his proposals, and would only suffer him to take a short ramble over Mount Saurek. My friend set out on the 20th of June, and returned on the 22d, having found the villages in that district deserted, in consequence of the intolerable exactions of the Dola, which had forced the inhabitants to retire and settle elsewhere. In so wretched a country, Mr Forskal could neither find provisions, nor travel about in safety.

We had occasion to observe the negligence with which the Arabs observe the phases of the moon, or rather their ignorance of astronomy. When

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the pilgrims arrive on mount Haraphat, in the neighbourhood of Mecca, all the Moslems celebrate a festival, called Arasa or Korban, for which an immense quantity of camels, oxen, and sheep are killed. Every body believed that this festival was to begin on the 22d of June; and, as it lasts three days, during which no provisions are brought in from the country, all had provided sheep, sugar, and flour for their entertainment during that time. Mean while, a courier arrived from Sana, with information that the new moon had appeared a day sooner than she was expected, and that the feast must be celebrated on the 22d of June.

On the day appointed, the signal was given, by firing a few shots of a cannon. The Dola, with a numerous company, went in procession to a square without the city, where, upon solemn occasions, prayers were usually offered up in the open air. Returning thence, he went to the parade, where the principal inhabitants of the city were engaged in the exercise of the Dsjerid.

The Dola, striving to shew his address, was thrown from his horse. However, all returned home, made good cheer, chewed Kaad, and burned spices in their houses.

In order to make the most of our stay at Taœs, I wished to make some excursions

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through the interior country, but durst not attempt them, on account of the prevailing disturbances. I was at last disposed to content myself with copying an inscription in the fortress; and Mr Forskal resumed his intention of sending for a Schiech from mount Sabber. The Dola agreed to our wishes; but at midnight, he sent to tell us, that he had received a letter from the Dola of Mokha, requiring us to return immediately to the latter city. We suspected this letter to be a pretence, and refused to be gone. Early in the morning, however, camels were sent to carry us away, but we sent them back. With Turks we durst not have done so much.

We could not comprehend what were the Dola’s views, unless, perhaps, he might, like the Dola of Mokha, intend to extort some considerable present from us. Into these views we had no disposition to enter, and therefore sought a private audience of him, in hopes of bringing him to reason. Our servant was several times sent back under different pretexts. At last, Mr Forskal obtained access to the Dola, and begged of him only to permit us to wait till we should receive the Imam’s answer, without mentioning our little schemes. But the governor cut him short, saying; since you would not credit my servants, I myself order you to be gone to Mokha tomorrow.

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Chap. V.

Departure from Taœs to Sana.

Seeing no means to elude the Dola’s orders, we had already packed up our goods, when a favourable change suddenly took place upon our circumstances. A letter was brought us by express from the Dola of Mokha, and in it were three others; one to the Imam, another to his vizier, and a third to the Dola of Taœs. He informed us, that the Imam gave us permission to go to Sana, and wished us to carry our curiosities with us. He acquainted the Dola of Taœs with their master’s orders, and begged him to favour our departure to Sana. Mr Forskal went instantly with this letter to the governor, but could not obtain access to him, and was obliged to give it to his servant.

We now thought our affairs in a good train, and would even have set out without troubling the Dola farther, if we could have obtained camels without his interposition on our behalf. Those who hire these cattle are united in a sort of corporation; and travellers are obliged to apply to the head of the company, who has recourse upon the owners of the camels, and makes them furnish, in turn, the number which may be wanted.

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Unluckily the Dola himself was at the head of this company, and was obliged to furnish camels in his turn. We let him know that we were about to depart. He answered, that camels were ready to convey us back to Mokha, but that the orders respecting our journey to Sana regarded only the Dola of Mokha.

In the perplexity to which we were reduced by this conduct of the Dola’s, we knew not what to do. Several instances of the equity and generosity of the Cadi were in the mean time related to us, in which he had brought the Governor to reason in cases similar to ours. We made our complaints therefore to that judge, and shewed him our letters from Mokha. He thought the Dola’s conduct very unreasonable, and immediately wrote to him to beware of doing any thing in contradiction to the orders of the Imam. The Dola replied, that he did not hinder our journey to Sana, but, asked us to stay one day, till he should write his letters to court upon the occasion. We offered to stay two or three days. Notwithstanding this, the Dola’s servants came next morning, and ordered us in his name, to depart to Mokha. We had again recourse to the Cadi, who being previously informed of all that had happened, had, in the morning, written to the Dola, that he should not act in a harsh or interested manner with us; for we were strangers.

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The Baskateb told us in the evening, that the Dola was sorry, that his servants had come to us with a message in his name which he had given them no orders: to deliver. But upon this head we knew sufficiently what to think.

The Dola of Mokha’s servant could not now be of farther use to us; we dismissed him therefore with a handsome reward. But as we still wanted a guide who knew the interior parts of Yemen, we begged the Cadi to direct us to such a one; and he politely sent us an Arab, who afterwards accompanied us to Mokha, and with whom we were perfectly satisfied. The Dola shewed likewise a disposition to make amends by kindness for the trouble he had given us, and ordered one of his servants to accompany us on our journey. This man had the address to stipulate before-hand, in the presence of several persons of distinction, for the wages which we were to pay him.

The Cadi, unasked, had the generosity to give us a letter of recommendation to the Imam’s vizier, in which he told him, that he should beware of believing any thing that might be related to him to the disadvantage of these Franks. We could have wished to make the judge a present of a watch; his probity and beneficence having inspired us with the highest veneration for his character, and the liveliest gratitude for his favours.

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But we were informed that he would accept no such thing, lest he might appear to have interested views in taking part with us.

We could not see the Dola before our departure. He avoided receiving our visit under pretence of illness. Our friends however assured us, that he was fallen seriously ill, in consequence of the uneasiness which our obstinate resistance to his will had given him. Our firmness was indeed said to have made him contemptible in the eyes of the inhabitants of the city.

His conduct had occasioned us no less vexation. I even blame the uneasiness with which Mr Forskal was at that time agitated, as the first occasion of the illness, which, soon after, hurried my friend to the grave.