an almost unbroken line of low barren sand, but the village of 

 Hcanii itself is situated in a picturesque ravine, with a grove of 

 date-palms, and cultivated land near the beach. Capt. Haines 

 and Lieut. Wellsted were the first to describe the hot springs 

 ill tl)is p:irt of the Arabian coast, to the presence of which the 

 oases are largely attributable, combined with the drainage from 

 the mountains that finds its way down the ravines on to the 

 Scihil, or maritime plain. Capt. Haines ascertained that some of 

 the springs had a temperature of 140° Fahr. Mr. Carter says 

 they occur in such profusion between Makallah and Sihut, at the 

 entrance of the Wadi Masilah, as to constitute one of the striking 

 features of this part of the coast-line. The same traveller was 

 also the first to call attention to another remarkable appearance 

 presented by this plain, namely, the presence of extensive out- 

 flows of basaltic rock, associated Avith volcanic cones rising to 

 about 100 feet above the level of the ground. The basalt, from 

 its blackness, is in strong contrast to the rest of the sandy Saldl, 

 as a whole ; and is so unmistakably volcanic, that but for its 

 being unattended by any active signs of eruption, it might be 

 mistaken for a recent lava outflow. These two features of the 

 Makallah-Siluit Saliil could not fail to attract the attention of 

 every traveller. They have recently been redescribed by Mr. Bent 

 in his account of his visit to the Hadramut. 



At Misenat, opposite to the opening of the "Wadi Sheikhawi, 

 the land is swampy and mangrove trees are numerous. The 

 ofiBcers of the 'Palinurus ' found, a little to theeast of this valley, 

 a number of Himyaritic cliaracters in red paint, similar to those 

 discovered at Hisn Ghorab. 



Immediately to the east of Sihiit is the great opening of the 

 "VYadi Masilah, leading to the Hadramut, and the grandest of all 

 the valleys that run inland and seem to divide the mountains of 

 South Arabia into separate tracts. A few miles to the east of 

 this valley rises the remarkable headland of Eas Sharwcn, capped 

 by two natural pillars seen at a di.-tance of GO or 70 miles ; and 

 fuither on lies the village of Hishn i, described by Capt. Haines, 

 and recently by Mr. Bent. Fifty miles further to the east rises 

 the headland Eas Fartak, and, next to Eds Seger, the boldest cape 

 on this coast, and marking the boundary between the Mahrah and 



1 Kiclmlir (' Dcscr. de rArabic,' 1774, p. 248, tab. xvii.) lias given a plan of 

 this port which he received i'rom an Enghshuian lie met in Bombay. 



