160 CIVIL HISTORY AND 



Of independent states in Yemen, besides those 

 within the imam's dominions, Niebuhr has specified 

 no fewer than thirteen ; and others, doubtless, might 

 exist, of which he had obtained no information. 

 These were Aden, Kaukeban, Kobail or Heschid- 

 u-Bekel, Abu-Arish, Khaulan, Sahan, Saade, Ne- 

 jeran, Kahtan, Nehm, East Khaulan, Jof, and Jafa. 



Aden belonged to the imam until 1730, when the 

 inhabitants expelled the governor, elected a sheik, 

 and declared themselves independent. Abulfeda 

 and Ibn Haukul describe it as a flourishing town ; 

 but it suffered repeated devastations in the wars 

 between the Turks and Portuguese, and its com- 

 merce was transferred to Mocha. When Sharpey 

 visited it (1609), " it belonged to the Great Turk, 

 and was the key that let him into all the treasures 

 and sweetnesses of the Happy Arabia." A hundred 

 years afterwards the French, who put into the har- 

 bour, describe the town as of considerable extent, and 

 containing several elegant buildings. Of these the 

 finest were the public baths : they were all lined 

 with marble or jasper, covered with a handsome 

 dome, open at the top for the admission of light, 

 and adorned inside with galleries, supported by 

 magnificent pillars. The markets were stored with 

 meat, fish, and other provisions of excellent quality. 

 Many of the houses were handsome, and two stories 

 high ; but the heaps of rubbish and ruins testified 

 that its ancient splendour was gone. The town lies 

 at the foot of high rocky mountains, which surround 

 it almost on every side ; on their summits and in 

 the narrow passes were several forts. Towards the 

 sea, by which alone the city can be approached by 

 a very narrow causeway or peninsula, the access 



