202 HEJAZ. 



in commerce, and pursue no manufactures or trades 

 but those of immediate necessity. Their traffic by 

 land is confined to Mecca and Medina. A caravan 

 departs for the latter place once in forty or fifty 

 days, and consists of from 60 to 100 camels, con- 

 ducted by Harb Bedouins. The more common 

 route of intercourse, however, is by Yembo, to which 

 goods are conveyed by sea. The caravans to Mecca 

 set out almost every evening, and perform the jour- 

 ney in two nights ; the camels resting at a station 

 midway during the day. In addition to these, a 

 small caravan of asses lightly laden starts also every 

 evening, and arrives regularly next morning. This 

 conveyance is the usual mail for post -letters. The 

 inhabitants evince in their appearance the extremes 

 of wealth and indigence ; there is a great deal of 

 luxury in the costume and apartments of the rich ; 

 while among the lower orders many are almost 

 naked, and in the greatest misery. . Ali Bey remark- 

 ed a prodigious number of dogs and cats in the streets, 

 howling and roaming without owners, but says 

 there are few flies, and no gnats or other insects. 



YEMBO serves as the port to Medina. Though 

 the sheriffs of Mecca were in the habit of appoint- 

 ing their vizier as governor of the place, he had in 

 most cases little authority beyond that of collecting 

 the customs ; the government being exercised by the 

 great sheik of the Jeheine tribe, to which many 

 of the inhabitants belonged. The town is built on 

 the northern side of a deep spacious bay, which af- 

 fords good anchorage ; and is protected from the 

 violence of the wind by an island at its entrance. 

 A creek of the bay divides it into two parts, both 

 of which are enclosed by a wall of considerable 



