124 CIVIL HISTORY AND 



vines, coff<fe, and fruit trees of ever}'^ description. 

 The royal gardens were extensive, but presented 

 nothing particular, except in the arrangement of the 

 shrubberies, which contained specimens of all the 

 trees known in the kingdom. The harem was kept 

 in the castle, and replenished with 600 or 700 women. 

 When they ventured abroad, their ordinary convey- 

 ance Avas on the backs of camels, enclosed in a sort 

 of cage covered with scarlet and stuffed with cush- 

 ions, on which they sat or lolled at pleasure. The 

 only entrance into this sedan was by a small open- 

 ing before, which was covered with a curtain or 

 veil of fine linen. The ladies in general used a pro- 

 fusion of scents and odours ; many of them had large 

 gold rings suspended from the end of their nose, 

 besides bracelets of the same metal on their arms, 

 neck, and ankles. 



When Niebuhr visited the court of Yemen, fifty 

 years afterward, Mohaib had ceased to be the royal 

 residence. Damar contained about 5000 houses, 

 with a dowlah, and a university attended by nearly 

 500 students. At Sanaa the Danish travellers were 

 conducted to the royal presence by the secretary of 

 the vizier. The court of the palace (the Bustan el 

 Motakkel) was so crowded with horses, oflicers, and 

 servants, that it would have been impossible for the 

 strangers to force their way, had not the principal 

 equerry, v/ho had formerly been a slave, opened a 

 passage through the crowd with the aid of a ponder- 

 ous staff" in his hand. The hall was a spacious 

 square chamber, having an arched roof, lighted from 

 the top. In the centre was a large basin, with some 

 jets d'eau rising to the height of fourteen feet. Be- 

 hind this reservoir was a platform about a foot and 

 a half high, and five feet in length. On this was set 

 the throne slightly elevated, and resembling a square 

 pedestal or altar, covered Avith silk stuffs. The floor 

 of the apartment was spread with Persian carpets. 

 The imam '^at half-buried in cushions, with his legs 



