Page 104 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

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230 THE HADHRAMAUT

The other principal tribes, comparatively much less powerful
than the two foregoing, are: the ‘Amudi, in Wadi Do’an; the
Nahad in the upper Central Hadhramaut; the Jdbiri, in the
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southern side of the main wadi ; the ‘A icamir and Tamltni, in the
lower Central Hadhramaut, east of the Jabiri ; the Hcunumi and
Mandhil, in the plateau region and the lower Hadhramaut ; the
Mahrah, ’ east of the lower Hadhramaut; and the Wah'idi. The
Mahrah country, which is a coastal tract, links the Hadhramaut
proper, on the west, with the Qara territory in the western confines
of Oman. The pop. is estimated at about 50,000. Inland, the
country is believed to consist of sandy steppes, but its boundaries
• are unknown. The Sultan of Mahrah, who is also ruler of
Socotra, lives at Qishn, a rather poor fishing village about 36 miles
west of Ras Fartak. Seihut, situated near the mouth of the main
Hadhramaut valley, is a well-built town with many houses of stone,
and is said to have a population of 10,000. Hafat is another thriving
village on the coast from which 9,000 cwt. of frankincense is exported
annually, principally to Bombay.
The Wahkli, under one principal Sultan and several subordinate
chiefs, occupy the south-western, district of the Hadhramaut which
stretches from the coast inland to the plateau. They are one of
the least aggressive tribes in the country and have, for the most
part, settled down into peaceful tillers of the soil or herdsmen.
They control 50 miles of coast from Ras el-Kelb to Balhaf (a small
Wahkli port), and carry on a little local sea-borne trade, having
several good but small harbours, all, however, open to the monsoons.
The total pop. is estimated at over 9,000 souls, including a few Jews.
The chief towns are Habban, with some 250 houses and 2,500 in­
habitants, a mercantile settlement situated some 12 miles east of
Yeshbum ; Hautah, 2,000 inhabitants ; Raidah, with some 1,000
people ; and Izzan (Hisan), a large village, with a pop. of about 300.
The combatant portion of the population of the Hadhramaut
is composed of bands of irregulars, and consists generally of the
members of the tribes and their families, who all know the use of
arms.
- : ; Some chiefs have in addition a special and more disciplined
guard and corps of armed slaves. Thus the Sultan of the Ka‘aiti
has an army, though somewhat irregular, of from 3,000-4,000 men
and 1,500 slaves, which is mainly in garrison in the different towns
under his authority, including 1,000 maintained at Shiheir ; thev
are lodged and nourished at his expense and receive a little
pay-
The Sultan of the Kathlri is supposed to be able to muster some
7,000 fighting-men and has also about 1,000 armed slaves, There
is no cavalry in the Hadhramaut.

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