120 CIVIL HISTORY AND 



but the wealth and populousness which it enjoyed 

 under the Hamyarite kings no longer exist. Nie- 

 buhr, who resided in it for a short time, says the cir-^ 

 cumference is not more than an hour's walk ; and 

 the inhabitants are not so numerous as this extent 

 might lead us to suppose^ a considerable part of the 

 space being occupied with gardens. The walls are 

 constructed of earthy faced with unburnt brick, and 

 surmounted by a great many small turrets ; and if 

 we can believe the report of the French travellers 

 Who visited Yemen in 1712, their breadth is suffi- 

 cient to admit of driving eight horses abreast.* It 

 has seven gates, and a number of mosques, some of 

 which were erected by the Turkish pashas. The 

 public baths are only twelve ; but there are several 

 noble edifices built in the Arabian style. No less 

 than three palaces were erected by the imam Ma- 

 hadi : these are constructed partly of brick, and 

 partly of hewn stone ; but they must not be judged, 

 ill point of elegance or accommodation, by the 

 standard of European taste. Only one of them 

 could boast the luxury of glass windows, though 

 they are provided with extensive gardens. Some 

 of the principal inhabitants have in their country- 

 houses small panes of stained glass, brought fronl 

 Venice. In the city the windows have merely shut- 

 ters, which are closed in time of rain, and the house 

 is then lighted by a round wicket fitted with a piece 

 of Muscovy glass. 



Here, as in most other places in the East, there 

 are large simseras or caravansaries for merchants 

 and travellers ; as also separate bazars for wood^ 

 coal, iron, grapes, corn, butter, salt, bread, and the 

 bartering of old clothes for new. The other trades^ 

 including all who traffic in the merchandise of India, 

 Persia, and Turkey, as well as those who deal in 

 all sorts of spices and drugs — the fruiterers, carpen- 



* Voyage de 1' Arable Heureuse. 



