Page 258 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

(
306 HAS A

1,670, with a population of 8,500. The business of the town is
agricultural, and there is a weekly market for Bedquins on
Fridays.
2. Oa si-s of Qallf
This tract adjoins the coast ; it is bounded on the N. and W. by
the desert country of Biyadh, on the S. by Barr cdh-Dhahran.
Its length from N. to S. is about IS miles, with an average breadth
of 3 miles, the town of Qatif lying in the middle. Its height is only
a few feet above the sea, and most of its area consists of a sandy
plain saturated by spring water, of normal temperature. The
• - -•
cultivated part of the tract ends 6 miles S. of the town, but, as
in Hasa, there arc detached blocks of cultivated ground ; in the
N., about Safwa and Umm es-Sahak, are reed-producing marshes.
The atmosphere is denser than in Hasa, and the moist heat more
oppressive ; the climate is thus damp and unhealthy, and there is
much malarial fever. The settled population is said to be 26,000,
nearly all Bahdrinah (see p. 299); a few non-nomadic Arabs (Beni
Khalid) are found at Umm es-Sahak, and a few Huwalah in Qatif
town. Agriculture forms the principal industry, and the yield of
dates from the irrigated plantations is very large ; a high proportion
of the crop is exported to Oman, Persia, Bahrein, and India. The
following weights and measures are peculiar to Qatif:

{a) For general retail purposes.
18 riyals
1 Qiyas = l-07 lb. (sometimes = 102 mithqal shirazi,
. or rather less). i
1 Alf =2 qiyas (2-14 lb.).
1 Mann = 16 alf (34-37 lb.). i
1 Qallah =2 mann (6S-75 lb.).
(Wholesale business in dates is conducted in qallahs.)

(b) For precious metals.
1 Mithqal Mishkhas, or Hamar = ^ Indian tola (54 grs.).
1 Mithqal Shirazi = f tola (72 grs.).
*
1 Khamsin = 10 mithqal shirazi (1-65 oz.).
1 Miyah, or Amyah=2 khamsin (3-29 oz.).

(c) For retail meat, fish, d-c.
1 Waqiyah = -68 lb.
1 Huqqah =4 waqiyah (2-75 lb.).
1 Mann = 12^ huqqah (34-37 lb.).
The unit of linear measure is the dhra of 19?- in.

■->;r

I <4: : : •••