Page 468 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

XXIII.] SOUTHERN ARABIA. 439

For the first time during my sojourn in
Arabia, I here saw the cocoa nut and cashew
tree. The soil is a light-coloured, hard clay,
but apparently very productive when well

watered. There is a hot spring in this valley,
in which the thermometer stood at 93° Fah­

renheit. Water, for the consumption of the
town, is also obtained from this neighbour­
hood.
The hills in the vicinity of Makullah are
of secondary limestone, traversed by sand­
stone veins. The eminence surmounting the
town is of a lighter colour than the surround­
ing mountains, and forms an excellent mark
for distinguishing it from seaward.

From Makullah, I had the permission of
Government to proceed, if practicable, to
Hydr&m&ut, said to be five days distant. But
even had the Sheikh furnished me with
guides, and given his consent, which, how­ i
ever, I could not prevail on him to do, the l
then unsettled state of the country presented
is
an insuperable barrier to my progress. Ba­
nians formerly resided there, but none of late
years have ventured to approach it. As the
country is wholly unknown to Europeans, I