Page 42 - Arabian Studies (V)

32 Arabian Studies V
Mckhashcrccf leaves this in a few days for the purpose of collecting the
Persian Hadj, you had much better accompany him in his tour and return
with him; having predetermined not leave Elriasa but with the Hudovor or
Nadj Caravan I though it best to acquiesce in this.
21st. [sic] Left for Ugecr with the Shereef.
23rd. Arrived at Bahrein. On the second day after my arrival I was seized
with fever which very nearly carried me off. However by the assistance of a
good constitution and a large dose of opium I recovered.*
30th. Sailed for Bushire in a Buglah belonging to Alee Ben Naser, the
Shereef in Company.

Elreasa
The town of Elreasa situated at the South-West extremity of the Oases is
about 3 miles in circumference and is surrounded by a low stone wall
plastered by mud. At its South-West Angle is situated the citadel called by
the Arabs the Kooth: this is a strong fort built of stone flanked at every
fifteen yards with round towers and circumvallated by a dug ditch; it has a
glacis which talces up a considerable portion of the Town.24 In the towers
are mounted pieces of cannon of all calibre and from their appearance I
should judge more likely to damage those who fired than those fired at. In
the centre of the Citadel is situated another square fort styled the Kesar or
palace and in this resides Ameer Ben Assaim [sic] the Wahabee Governor.
The majority of the houses in Elriasa are built of stone plastered with
mud, but from the inelegance of their architecture present a very mean
appearance: the Mosques which in most Eastern Countries are the
buildings on which art is exhausted or wealth displayed are here difficult to
be distinguished from the other houses (the strict tenets of the Wahabee
faith forbidding all ornament in their places of worship).25
Owing to the great influx and reflux of the Bedouins it would be difficult
to make a just estimate of the number of the inhabitants contained in
Elriasa. I however believe it to be not less (the Arabs say much more) than
50,000, the major of these though openly professing Whabeism are secretly
inclined to the Honefice Sect of the Soona the real Wahabesi being
confined cheifly to the retainers of the Sheikh.26 Elriasa appears to be the
grand mart of Nidjd and the Dowasan* and the Bedouins of these districts
congregate here, about September, and hold a fair which lasts 40 days and
1 is called the Mosem or season. The articles they bring for sale consist in
cattle of all descriptions Ghei, Ostrich feathers and Gold.f It is at this time
i that horses are to be procured at any thing like a reasonable price.
A daily market is held in Elriasa on the Glacis fronting the citadel at
which provisions are the Chief articles exposed for sale.

•The Dewasen [Dawasir] are those Plains extending between Ncdjd and the Zobecr
District and inhabited by the Benee Khalid, Dhufafe and Nasara Bedouins.
•fThis most probably finds its way to the Dcna by the Man Rabbin or Moosrara
Nadjd and from thence is brought into Nedjd by the Bedouins (who visit the Mosem
of Readth) from the deserts surrounding the city; it is chiefly brought in dust.