15 



and the Hadramut Valley, and between that and the coast as far 

 east as Shehr. 



The accounts given by "Wrede, Hirsch, and Mr. Bent of the 

 features of this portion of Arabia may be summarized in a few 

 words, after the general description I have given of the coast- 

 line derived from the labours of the Officers of the Indian Navy, 

 now, T am sorry to say, almost forgotten. 



The maritime plain or Sah.il is narrow at Makallah, and the 

 mountains rise abruptly from it, traversed on their seaward 

 aspect by short and steep ravines and valleys. 



Hirsch has given a graphic description of the route generally 

 followed by caravans passing from Makallah to the Hadramut, 

 and over which he travelled. Mr. Bent followed practically the 

 same route ; and "Wrede, in 1844, ascended from Makallah to the 

 plateau, by the same line of country, to reach Khoreba, on the 

 west side of the "Wddi Doan, which he made his headquarters. 



This route lies along the shore for a short distance and 

 crosses a depression into which the sea at times penetrates and 

 into which a number of small wddis open. Further on, it passes 

 the village of Bagrin, situated on the borders of a fertile wddi, 

 the sides of which are clothed with an exuberant growth of plants, 

 richly watered by streams that trickle down the mountain-sides, 

 and are carefully diverted for irrigation purposes. The "Wadi 

 Sided is afterwards followed, opening and contracting at places, 

 but hemmed in on every side by high and dark mountains. A 

 number of villages are passed in this part of the route, and as 

 it progresses the road rises more and more, overtopped to the 

 left by mountains, but it afterwards lies between high parallel 

 ranges. Still further onwards the mountains of Grhail ba Wazir 

 are passed on the right, with great precipices and rocky abysses, 

 and, beyond this, the Wadi Howari is entered, a long valley 

 running up to the west and north. It is defined on the left by 

 a high range of mountains rising to 2000 feet above it, and in 

 places assuming the appearance of gigantic castles erected by 

 man. Higher up, it becomes strewn with huge isolated masses 

 of rock fallen from the mountains overshadowing it, and as it 

 is further ascended the grandeur of the scene increases, the clifi^s 

 on all sides rising perpendicularly and the mountains projecting 

 majestically. This mountainous district is known as the Ghail 

 Halka, and on the right of the valley lies the village of that name, 

 surrounded by cultivation rising in terraces on the mountain-side 



