'General view of the ruins of Al Bilad from the fort, with Dahariz in the distance.' [‎50v] (2/2)

errDrance and t?at;eway looking eastward. Ou"Dside t»he fart
is an enclosed bazaar cont/ainine; half a dozen shops where rice
and grain imported from Bembay are sold^as well as frankincense,
cocoanuts, maize, tobacco and cotton, the local produce; and,
near the bazaar, a few huts, the whole making a small village
known as 'Al ^itf^Ln f > or ,,llt3:ie Fort ' ,, •
Luring the course of our visit to the Sultan ^is Jighness shewed
us some large black and yellow spiders brought from the Lamhan
hills which he said were supposed to produce silk., xhese insects,
which were still alive, were examined by us,but the opinion of an
expert would be required to estimate the value of the thread of
which thf^/web is composed^ It appeared to be strong and was
of the bright golden colour of ordinary silk-
l : he visit to ^iis highness over, we set out, accompanied by an
escort to explore the neighbourhood to the East. About half a
mile from A1 ^fisan lies the village of ^lafa ( ) which
e?rtends a quarter of a mile along the coast and contains perhaps
150 houses of mud and stone, many of which are uninhabi^ted and
in a bad state of repair.
:he inhabitants, numbering about 5.00,
»» y/
I '
*> s/
belong to the Lhanafirah ( J/^ W " !:I0 were originally of the
•Bani Awamir but> have emigrated Louth and are now considered as a
section of the A1 Kathir tribe.
Leaving ^afa, and passing through small groves of cocoanut palms
and cotton plantations we arrived at the ruins of All Bilad half
^ 1 a mile to
the last.,
/
Sheae are
the re
mains of
an exten
sive town,
a mile in
length by,
half a
mile in
breadth
con-
f L vXs ftl, / v, . X