Page 469 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

440 SOUTHERN ARAlilA. [CH.

have subjoined some information I collected
respecting it.
Hydr&maut, corrupted by Europeans from
an Arabic word signifying “ sudden death,’*
is an extensive valley about sixty miles in
length, running nearly parallel to the coast,
and thickly studded with towns and villages.
Of these, I insert a list, commencing with the
most considerable on its western extremity.
A'inan, a very ancient town, has some
houses and public edifices. On a contigu­

ous hill are inscriptions and rude traces of
sculpture.
El Gotten, a collection of hamlets situated
on the skirts, sides, and summit of a hill called
El Had.

Shibam, the supposed Saba of the ancients,
erroneously placed in our maps nine days to
the eastward of Shaher. The houses are nu­
merous, but there are no huts. Shibam is
mentioned by several of the Arabian writers,
and is a place of equal antiquity with Terim.
El Gofar is not very extensive, but has
within it many Sheikhs’ tombs. Water may
be obtained here by removing the sand with
the hands to the depth of one or two feet.