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SECTION XIII.

journey to sana.

Chap. I.

Route from Taœs to Jerim.

From Taœs we set out on the 28th of June; and, for the two first days, found no human habitations on our way, except some paltry coffee huts, a few villages, and a small town; and most of the villages were falling into ruins. The country is uncultivated, and almost desolate; which seems to be owing to the late wars for the succession to the throne of Taœs.

On the third day we reached Mharras:, which I had formerly travelled over in one of my previous excursions. A violent storm surprised us, and gave us an opportunity of remarking how the torrents, rushing upon such occasions from

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hills, produce the gullies, one of which we passed on an arch of solid stone.

The great inns which are scattered over the country from the Tehama thus far, are called Mattrach. These are private houses, the masters of which furnish travellers with their meals, which are commonly very indifferent. Between Mharras and Sana, almost at every half day’s journey, stands a large Simsera of burnt bricks. These edifices, like the caravanseras in Turkey have been built by wealthy persons for the accommodation of travellers, and afford safe lodging, but no other sort of food than coffee, rice, bread and butter. The traveller must bring his other provisions with him.

On the first of July, having crossed Mount Mharres upon a paved road, we entered a more fertile country, and after passing several villages and a number of Madsjils, arrived at Abb. This city stands on the height of a hill, is surrounded by a strong wall, and contains 800 houses, most of which are in a good fashion of building. Its streets are paved, and it has a good many small mosques. Beside one of these is a large reservoir, which receives water by an aqueduct, and supplies all the houses in the city.

At a small distance, between Abb and Dsjobla are two rivulets, one of which running westward, is encreased into the river Zebid; and the

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other running southward, forms Meidam a river which disembogues itself into the sea near Aiden. The different courses of these rivers, two of the most considerable in the country, and the circumstance of their taking their rise here, seem to indicate this as the most elevated spot in the mountainous part of the Imam’s dominions. The height of mount Sumara, which we passed on the day following, is another proof of this.

We traveled down mount Abb, along good, paved roads, and then crossed a country of a varied surface, having villages, madsjils and houses for the protection of travellers, scattered over it. No remarkable place was to be seen except the city of Muchoder, standing on a hill, and the seat of a Dola.

After spending the night in a Simsera, we began to ascend mount Sumara, a hill much higher than Mharres, by ways which had been rendered accessible to camels by being paved, and carried in a winding direction round those places, which were too steep for direct access. Half way up the hill is the village of Mensil, in which is a superb Simsera built all of hewn stone. We obtained a convenient apartment upon the roof, of which Mr Forskal, who was now extremely weak, stood very much in need.

Here we remained during the next day, and would gladly have staid till our friend had been

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somewhat better; but our camel-drivers could not here find food fitting for their cattle. They proposed to us to proceed to Jerim, a city at a small distance, and promised that our sick friend should be borne by men over the rugged roads of mount Sumara.

We were persuaded, and set forward on the 5th of July. I went before, to enjoy the fresh air; a piece of inexcusable imprudence in places of so keen a temperature. I soon felt myself affected with a severe rheum, vomitings, and excessive thirst, which I could not have quenched on that desart mountain, if I had not fortunately met with a peasant who permitted me to drink out of his pitcher of water. I saw nothing in this part of our journey, which seemed worthy of attention, except a ruinous castle, the property of the family of Hassan, and standing on the very peak of Mount Sumara. In this neighbourhood, are two tribes of wandering Arabs, who are now settled in villages. There are no more Bedouins in the Imam’s dominions.

The Arabs could not be persuaded to carry a Christian; and Mr Forskal was therefore placed in his bed upon a camel. Although we had proceeded slowly, he was in a deplorable condition, by the time we reached Jerim. We now found, that, although we had accustomed

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ourselves to live like the inhabitants of the country, yet there were certain conveniences which in case of illness we could not well want.

Chap. II.

Of the city of Jerim.

We lodged in a public inn. But the crowd of spectators whom curiosity brought together, to see the Europeans, becoming extremely troublesome, we hired a more quiet apartment in the city, where we might live undisturbed till our fellow traveller should recover his health. It was impossible to find persons who would carry our sick friend. Our Mahometan servant refused to assist us in removing Mr Forskal from the one house to the other; and we were obliged to carry him ourselves.

Jerim is but a small town, yet the seat of a Dola, who resides in a castle situate on a rock. The houses are built of stone, and of bricks which have been dried in the sun. I saw nothing farther remarkable about this town.

At two miles distance from Jerim, according to the tradition of the Arabs, stood once a famous city Dhafar, very little of the ruins of

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now remain. The first magistrate of Jerim, however, told me, that a large stone is still to be seen there, with an inscription, which neither Jews nor Mahometans can explain. This was probably the situation of the city of Taphar, which ancient historians mention as the seat of the Hamjarines. If any Hamjarine inscription shall ever be discovered, it will probably be among these ruins. The Arabs maintain that Dhafer was the seat of Saad-el-Kammel, a famous hero, king of all Arabia, who lived eighteen hundred years ago.

On the east side of mount Sumara, we found the climate very different from what it was on the west side. It had rained almost every day of our journey from Taœs to Mensil; and the earth was covered with a charming verdure. At Jerim, on the contrary, no rain had fallen for three months, although distant thunder had been heard almost every day. In this want of rain, the locusts had multiplied prodigiously, and had eaten up almost all the productions of the earth. The inhabitants of Jerim resolved to put up public prayers for rain, on the eighth of July; and for that purpose, repaired in procession to a place without the city, where such solemnities were usually performed. The company, who walked in procession, consisted of a number of clergymen in a dress expressive of humility.

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Two venerable Schechs walked at their head, bearing open caskets full of books. As they proceeded, all sang and repeated short prayers. Hardly was this ceremony over, when, on the very same evening, a storm arose, with hail and a very heavy rain. The rains became afterwards more frequent. Between the tropics they fall at regular periods, on the different sides of the great ranges of hills.

In all the markets, locusts were sold at a low price; for so prodigiously numerous were they in a plain near Jerim, that they might be taken by handfuls. We saw a peasant having a sack full of them, which he was going to dry and lay up for winter provisions. Whenever it ceased raining for an hour or two on the other side of mount Sumara, legions of these insects used to come over to Jerim. We saw the peasants of Mensil pursuing them, in order to preserve their fields from absolute desolation.

In the streets of Jerim, we saw a bridegroom proceeding to the bath in ceremony. Two boys went before, dancing to the music of a timbrel; a crowd followed, consisting of persons of all ages, who shot pistols in the air as they went on; the bridegroom with his friends closed the procession. At night, a number of flambeaus were lighted up, and formed a pretty enough illumination.

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We were one day entertained by two gladiators, who, for a few peices of small money, exhibited their address in the streets. They wore masks, the first I had seen in the east, and were armed with a buckler and a poignard. They did not fight to wound one another: the perfection of their art consisted in their leaping, and in several agile turns of the body.

Being ever unwilling to mingle with crowds, I had not yet seen any of the markets in Arabia, although these are resorted to as places of amusement by the inhabitants of the country. To divert myself a little, I went to the market at Jerim. A great many people were met in it, who were chiefly peasants that had come to sell their different articles. I saw no shops furnished with goods of any considerable value. Many taylors, shoemakers, blacksmiths, and other artisans, sat along the streets, behind low walls, and wrought at their trades in the open air. I saw also surgeons who drew blood with a common knife, and then dressed the wound with pieces of hartshorn cut off at the root of the horn.

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Chap. III.

Death of Mr Forskal.

On the first days after our arrival at Jerim, Mr Forskal’s illness seemed to decrease. But it soon after returned with such violence that we despaired of his recovery. On the evening of the tenth of July, he sunk into a deep lethargy, in which state he continued till his death, the next morning. We were deeply affected at his loss. In consequence of his botanical excursions, he had learned more than any of us, of the Arabic tongue, and its different dialects. Fatigue, or the want of conveniences, never discouraged him; he could accommodate himself to the manners of the people of the country; without doing which, indeed, no one can hope to travel with advantage through Arabia. In short, he seemed formed by nature for such an expedition as that in which we were engaged.

It was necessary for us to notify the death of our companion to government. To this end, we sent the Dola of Taœs’s servant to the Dola and the Cadi of Jerim. The latter politely directed us to an Arab, who could sell us a place,

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where we might inter our deceased friend. The bargain which we struck with this man did not take effect; for the place being near a canal intended for the watering of the meadows, the possessors of these had threatened our Arab with an action at law, if the water should fail on account of the Christian’s body. We soon after obtained a different place for the same price.

The Dola then expressed a wish to confer with some one of our number. He informed me, that, in quality of governor, he had a right to the personal effects of all Jews and Banians who died within his dominions. I answered that the deceased was neither a Jew nor a Banian, but an European; and that the Dola of Mokha had laid no claim to the effects of one of my companions, who died in that city. The Dola’s son then explained to me his father’s intentions, who expected to receive at least a considerable present. I told him that Europeans were accustomed to to pay nothing without receiving a written acquittance; and that if he would give us in writing a statement of what he required, we should then see what we could do. After this, the Dola who knew that we were going to Sana, and probably feared that we might complain of him there, left us at peace.

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Our greatest difficulty now was to find persons to bear the body to the grave; and this, even although we promised to pay very liberalIy for the service. At last we prevailed with six men to convey it to the burying-place at midnight. They performed the task, but ran and hid themselves, in the best manner they could, all the way; so great is the aversion of those people, to touch a Christian.

We resolved to bury our deceased friend in a coffin; but we had done better to have followed the Arabian mode, and wrapped him simply in a sear-cloth. The coffin made the people suspect that we Europeans buried riches with the bodies of our dead. At Sana, we learned that Mr Forskal’s body had been taken up by night, and that the grave-clothes had been thatched away, after the coffin was opened. The Dola obliged the Jews to bury it again, and left them the coffin for their pains.

Chap. IV.

Route from Jerim to Sana.

After the burial of our friend, we had nothing to detain us from continuing our journey. On

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the 13th of July, we left Jerim, and after proceeding for four miles along rugged roads, and through a barren country, arrived on the same day at Damar. Through this tract of road, the people who sell Kischer are in so wretched a condition, that they live in poor huts, and ly on the ground.

As we had lived so long at Jerim, the inhabitants of Damar had previous notice of our approach. Europeans seldom pass this way; and the people of this place being therefore very curious to see us, came out and met us half a league from the city. As we drew nearer, the crowd became more numerous; and therefore, to avoid being seized and disturbed by them, we would not enter an inn, but hired an empty house. This precaution little availed us; for the crowd surrounded us in such a manner that we could not enter our lodging. Mr Cramer being mounted on his mule, forced his way; but then they exclaimed against the insolence of the infidels, and began to throw stones in at our windows. We thought of asking a guard from the Dola, but were told that he had only thirty soldiers in all, and was afraid of the mob himself. At last, the first magistrate coming to consult our physician advised us to take no notice of the petulance of the students, who threw stones that they might draw us to the windows.

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The tumult soon ceased, and the mob dispersed.

The city of Damar stands in a fertile plain. It is the capital of a province, and is governed by a Dola, who resides in a large castle. It has a famous university, in which to the number of five hundred students are commonly employed in their studies. It is without walls; its buildings are good; and it is very large, containing no fewer than five thousand houses. The Jews live in a detached village; but the Banians are permitted to live in the town among the mussulmans.

In no other city had our physician better practice. As he was unwilling to go out on account of the mob, the sick were brought to him in their beds; and an inhabitant of this town accompanied us to Sana, purely that he might have an opportunity of consulting our physician by the way, and in that city.

Near Damar is a mountain containing a mine of native sulphur. In another hill, somewhat farther distant, those fine carnelians are found, which are so much esteemed in Arabia.

Our European servant falling ill, we left him at Damar, to follow us by short journies. At his arrival, he complained that nobody would give him lodging by the way. The Arabs were afraid that he might die in their houses, and that

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might be obliged to take the expence and pains of burying him.

On the fourteenth of July we crossed a plain encompassed with bare and arid hills. Near the road, and within a mile of Damar, is the small town of Mauahhel, in which the Imam dwelled whom the Author of the voyage to Arabia Felix saw in the beginning of the present century. The road becomes very rugged; and the country appears marshy and ill-cultivated towards Suradge. From Suradge to Sana, the villages are all surrounded with orchards and vineyards. We were here overtaken by a storm of hail, accompanied with peals of thunder; but no Madgils were nigh, to shelter the traveller.

Next day we had still worse roads to travel; which seemed surprising, so near the capital. We saw Hodafa, which stands on a steep, insulated rock, and in which is said to be a curious inscription, upon an old wall. This inscription was mentioned to me at Taœs; and I was informed by a Jew at Sana, that the characters resemble neither the Arabic nor the Hebrew. I suspect them to be Hamjarene, and am sorry that I had it not in my power to examine them.

After passing through several paultry villages, we at length reached Seijan, a village, which, together with Suradge, belongs to the princes of the blood; we observed in it a good many ruinous

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houses. As there falls not enough of rain here, large reservoirs have been formed at the foot of the hills, and from these the water is distributed through the country at considerable expence and trouble.

Hoping to enter Sana, on the 16th of July, we put on our Turkish dresses in the morning; their appearance being somewhat better than that of the Arabic garb we had worn in the course of our journey. Along a stone bridge, we passed a small river, the water of which is, not far below, lost among the sand; and we halted near the village of Hadde, where the Imam has an orchard, at a mile’s distance from Sana.