Page 246 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

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300 HAS A

whence they wero requested by the Sultan to withdraw. They
seem to have pushed northwards into Muntcfiq and Dhafir terri­
tories, for tho time at any rate.

Domestic Life and Appliances
While the life of the Bedouins and of tire poorer villagers in the
territory of Hasa resembles that of similar classes in other parts of
Arabia, that of tho merchants of Hofuf and Qatif is normally dis­
tinguished by a variety and amplitude which contrast with tho
••• simplicity of the interior. Raunkiaer, however, found great in­
v
security in Hofuf itself, and he says there was no security at all in
the oasis in 1912 ; though conditions appear to have improved in
some degree since Ibn Sa'ud’s intervention. The position of Hasa
as a maritime and commercial province, with ports linking it to
India, Persia, and ‘Iraq, explains the foreign influences formerly
apparent to the eye and the tendency to a more luxurious mode
of living. Palgrave noted the refinement lent to domestic architec­
ture by the free use of the arch, and the structural superiority thus
attained over the more monotonous and heavier buildings of Nejd
and Shammar. He further remarked the exterior use of a fine
white plaster, and the ornament bestowed on doorways and windows.
But it should be added that Lorimer describes the houses in the
Hasa oasis as of sun-dried bricks and mud. Houses have upper
storeys, sometimes more than one, with the usual flat roof ; each has
its secluded court, and generally its private well. In the dwellings
of the well-to-do may be seen woocl-carving on door and window
frames and painted walls ; in the house of a merchant of Qatif who "
entertained him Palgrave saw a profusion of carpets and ornaments
betokening a Persian rather than an Arab taste. In Hofuf domestic
furniture is more varied than in Nejd ; the stools, low tables,
cupboards, and bedsteads recall those used in Western India.
A greater variety also marks the dress of the people. In Hofuf
and the surrounding villages the wide white Arab shirt is often
replaced by the closer-fitting saffron-dyed and silk-embroidered
vest of Oman. The usual kajvjah is sometimes superseded by the
turban, and a light red cloak may relieve the sombre hue of the
Arab mantle ; Hasa is the home of finely woven cloaks with
delicately embroidered borders. Red leather sandals of more
elegant shape supersede the brownish yellow footgear of the interior,
and the curved dagger of Oman, with silver-mounted hilt, may be
worn at the side. In short, the life of the townsmen in Hofuf,
Mubarraz, and Qatif is larger and more liberal on its material

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