Page 434 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

xx.] SOUTHERN ARABIA. 407

of dogs, the braying of asses, the roaring of

camels, and the cries of legions of cats, it
will not be an object of much surprise that
I obtained but little sleep during my stay
in Lahedsje. In spite of their watchfulness,
the Ffithalis, on the second night, con­
trived to enter the town in the quarter op­
i
posite to where we were residing. They
burned several houses, and effected a safe re­
treat with a considerable booty.
In its general aspect, Lahedsje differs but
little from most other Arabian towns. It
stands on a considerable extent of ground;

but large spaces are left wholly unoccupied,
while others serve as a receptacle for rubbish
and filth. The houses also are straggling,
and in point of stability far inferior to those
of Makullah or Shahir. The huts con­
structed from the stalk of the t&m (Holcus
sorghum) are usually of a conical form, with
no other aperture than the door, and have a
wretched and unsightly appearance. The
former I estimated at four hundred, and the
latter at about double that number. Occu­
pying these, exclusive of women and children,