'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎651] (750/905)

CHAP. XXIV.]
MUBARREZ.
651
are date groves, interspersed witli many large villages and ham- Country about
lets, containing, it is said, together, a population of 50,000 Mubarrez -
persons, with abundance of good well water and some lakes;
it was formerly supposed that a river flowed from thence to
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; but it is now known that this is not the
case. Wheat, barley and rice are cultivated here, also apricots,
figs, melons, and other fruits; and the tamarisk is sufficiently
large to be used in roofing dwellings. 1 Elsewhere permanent
villages are occasionally met with, which are separated from
one another by desert tracts encrusted with salt, and occa
sionally by patches of sand between low ranges of hills, and at
intervals occur the camps of the Bedawins. Between Amer
Rabbia and El Ah' sa by the short road, the surface is covered
with grass, bushes, &c. ; amongst the latter are the babul-tree
{mimosa) and some others bearing wild plums; deer and
horses are found in this part of the country, 2 but there is only
one village, Howarah, which is situated on the frontier of Howarah.
Nedjd; it is walled, surrounded by date plantations, and well
supplied with water from a large lake; there is also a copious
hot spring.
A carrying trade existed in Arabia probably before the ear- Ancient routes
liest records of profane history ; but the journeys of Abraham in Arabla ■
and Lot, and the circumstances connected with the sale of
Joseph prove, at least, that the peninsula was in the days of
those patriarchs traversed for commercial purposes. The
balsam, myrrh and frankincense of Arabia, with the spicery, 3
and silks of India and China on one side, and slaves, gold dust,
ivory, corn, fine linen, robes and carpets on the other, being
the principal objects of traffic. The Arabian portion of the
route traversed by the Ishmaelites and Midianites 4 was from
the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , through the centre of the penin
sula, by the way of Kirjath Arba and Gaza, into Egypt. Ano
ther, and no less important route, extended from Syria to the
ancient cities of Mareb and Saba; from whence other routes
Captain Sadleir's Journey, in the Bombay Lit. Trans., vol. III., p. 465.
2 Ibid., p. 467. . , vvv
8 Particularly cinnamon (kinman) for burnt offerings. Exod., chap. AAA.
v 23. 4 Gen., chap. XXXVIII., v. 25-28.
4 o 2