J 



02 



TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



the two ftates, Hejaz and Yemen, or Arabia Felix and Arabia 

 Deferta, to be i8° 36' north. 



The mountains reach here nearer to the fea. We an- 

 chored a mile from the more in 15 fathoms, the banks were 

 fand and coral ; from this the coaft is better inhabited. 

 The principal Arabs to which the country belongs are Co- 

 trufhi, Sebahi, Helali, Mauchlota, and Menjahi. Thefe are 

 not Arabs by origin, but came from the oppofite coaft near 

 Azab, and were Shepherds, who were ftubborn enemies to 

 Mahomet, but at laft converted ; they are black, and woolly- 

 headed. The mountains and fmall iflands on the coaft, far- 

 ther inland to the eaftward, are in poffeflion of the Habib. 

 Thefe are white in colour, rebellious, or independent Arabs, 

 who pay no fort of obedience to the Imam, or the Sherriffe 

 of Mecca, but occafionally plunder the towns on the coaft. 



All the fandy defert at the foot of the mountains is call- 

 ed Tehama, which extends to Mocha. But in the maps it is 

 marked as a feparate country from Arabia Felix, whereas it 

 is but the low part, or fea-coaft of it, and is not a feparate 

 jurifdidion. It is called Tema in fcripture, and derives its 

 name from Taami in Arabic, which fignifies the fea-coaft. 

 There is little water here, as it never rains ; there is alfo no 

 animal but the gazel or antelope, and but a few of them. 

 There are few birds, and thole which may be found are ge- 

 nerally mute. 



The 15th, we failed with little wind, coafting along the 

 fhore, fometimes at two miles diftance, and often lefs. The 

 mountains now feemed high. I founded feveral times, and 

 found no ground at thirty fathoms, within a mile of the 



» fhore. 



