Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/810

 782 YEMEN them at Saltcatchers, defeated them, and drove them beyond the Savannah, when they retired to Florida. Three years later they made a raid into South Carolina, and were again de- feated. After this they are scarcely mentioned in English accounts, but the Spanish notices indicate that they retired to the Creeks. They are thus identified with the Shawnee band which afterward moved north to the Ohio, and from which Tecumseh sprung. YEMEN, a province of the Turkish empire, in Arabia, bounded N. by Hedjaz and the desert, E. by the desert and Hadramaut, S. by the gulf of Aden, and W. by the Red sea ; pop., according to Turkish authorities, about 2,250,000. The coast line, which is about V50 m. long, is bordered with coral reefs, within which is good anchorage. These sometimes form islands, of which the largest is Farsan. A range of mountains, the continuation of the Hedjaz chain, extends through Yemen from N. to S., 20 to 50 m. from the coast, dividing it into the Tehama, or lowland between the mountains and the sea, and the Jebel, a moun- tainous plateau E. of the chain. The Tehama is a flat sandy desert, with scarcely any vege- tation except where watered by mountain tor- rents. Rain falls there only at intervals of several years, and the climate is intensely hot. The mountains, which rise abruptly from the lowlands, enclose valleys of great fertility and beauty, and their slopes are covered with luxu- riant forests. The table land has an estimated general elevation of 4,000 ft., but some of the peaks are from 5,000 to 6,000 ft. high. Jebel Sabir, near Taiz, one of the highest, is an im- mense mass of volcanic rocks, covered with groves and verdure nearly to its summit ; the Arabs assert that all the herbs of the earth grow on its slopes. Numerous villages are perched among its cliffs, and within its pre- cints are said to be more than 100 independent sheikhs. Water is abundant in the highlands in the rainy season, which lasts from June to September, but in the hot season most of the streams are dry. Few of the rivers reach the sea; among them are the Laa, Heidan, and Kebir on the W. coast, and the Aden, Bonna, and Meran on the S. coast. Several large streams flow toward the interior, and are probably lost in the desert. The Kharid, supposed to be identical with a river mentioned by Strabo, which the Roman army crossed before enter- ing the Sabaean territory, is more than 120 m. long, and flows N. E. from the mountains N. of Sana. The Shibwan or Dana, further S., pursues a similar course, and waters the plain in which is Mareb or Marib, the ancient Maria- ba, the capital of the Himyaritic kingdom of Saba, the supposed Sheba of the Bible. Near it are the remains of the great dike, built, as is supposed, about 1750 B. 0. This immense work was constructed at a place where two mountains approach each other, was two miles long and 120 ft. high, and was of cut stones secured by metal clasps and cemented with bitumen. The surrounding country, irrigated with the waters from this reservoir, was very fertile and sustained a vast population ; and the catastrophe of the bursting of the dike, which is generally placed some time after the Christian era, marks an epoch in Arab his- tory. The plain, from which the flood swept the ancient city, now contains but a few small villages inhabited by shepherd Bedouins. In the highlands the art of irrigation is still car- ried to a perfection unknown in other parts of Arabia. Artificial canals are built to con- vey the waters of the mountain torrents to the plains, and cisterns are constructed on all the cultivated slopes. When these are ex- hausted water is drawn from wells in the valleys and carried up the hills in skin bags on donkeys. Trees, grass, and cultivated fields exist wherever water can be procured. In the valleys the villages are embellished with gar- dens and palm groves, and most of the fer- tile slopes and even steep mountain sides are covered with coffee plantations, rising in ter- races sometimes to a height of 3,000 ft. above the sea; higher up the cultivation of the tree is unprofitable. From these plantations comes the celebrated Mocha coffee. Khat (eelastrus edulis), a small shrub the leaves of which re- semble the willow, and when dried taste some- thing like tea, is also cultivated extensively; the Arabs chew it as a stimulant. Wheat, bar- ley, rice, and durra yield in abundance. Among the fruits are the date, fig, tamarind, grape, peach, apricot, and pomegranate. The banana, mangosteen, and other Indian fruits have been introduced and naturalized. Melons grow in great variety and abundance, and constitute in their season a large part of the food of the peo- ple. Many leguminous plants, carrots, radishes, lettuce, and other vegetables are cultivated, and aromatic herbs and flowers grow in profusion. The trees yielding gums and balsamic resins are more numerous here than in any other part of the globe. Wild animals are few ; but the panther, hyaena, wolf, jackal, fox, wild boar, wild dog, and monkey are sometimes found in the mountains. Singing birds frequent the groves. There are many kinds of lizards, and the land tortoise is common. The principal domestic animals are the camel, ass, sheep, and goat. Horses are imported from Nedjed, and cattle from Nubia and India. Yemen is di- vided into the livas or districts of Sana, Asir, Taiz, and Hodeida. Sana has succeeded Hodei- da as the capital of Yemen. The chief coast towns are Hodeida, Jezan, Loheia, and Mo- cha. Aden, on the S. coast, and the island of Perim belong to Great Britain. The prin- cipal inland towns, besides Sana, are Zebid and Beit el-Fakih in the Tehama, Dhamar, Taiz, Mahail, El-Hauta in Lahej, Khamir, Khaiwan, Saadeh, and Abu Arish. There are many small walled towns, and several strong fortresses, the principal of which are El-Atarah in the Harraz mountains, and Kokaban, 18 m. W. of Sana. At Zebid is a school for the Sunnis,