'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎538] (569/1050)

538
DSUFAR
Name.
Qinqari
Kakhyut
Bisut
Position.
On the coast 22 miles
east of Murbat.
On the coast 13 miles
west of Ras Sajar.
At the western ex
tremity of Dhufar
Proper.
Nature.
A small sandy bay,
2i miles wide at the
entrance and IJ
miles deep; it is
sheltered from the
north and east but
open to the south:
the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. are
irregular from 8 to
26 fathoms.
A village of 60 or 70
mud houses inhabit
ed by Qaras of the
Bait 'Ak'ak, Bait
Hardan, Bait 'Isa
and Bait Shamasah
sections; it stands
at the mouth of a
ravine of the same
name and is sepa
rated from Safqot
to the east by a
mountainous ridge
scarped on the side
towards the sea.
A bay facing the east
with a promontory
of the same name
on the south side of
it. The bay is
about 1 mile broad
by half a mile deep.
The beach is sandy
R emaeks.
day. The popula
tion, consisting of
20 households of
Jannabah, is poor
and nearly naked;
they inhabit low
circular huts, built of
stone, date branches
and sea-weed^ upon
the cape. They
have 60 sheep and
but no boats.
A limestone hill called
Jabal Qinqari with
veins of chalk and
gypsum overlooks
the bay ; it is 1,300
feet high.
The village stands on
the west side of a
creek, on the oppo
site side of which is a
tower built by the
'Omani Wali of
Dhufar to keep off
the attacks of hostile
Mahras. B-akhyut
has increased consi
derably in the last 20
years in consequence
of the expansion of
the frankincense
trade. Rakhyut is
also called Qamar
and occasionally
Sa'duni from the
name of a former
chief.
In the bay stands a
mud-built bazaar of
15 or 20 shops, con
structed by the Wali
of Dhufar and per
manently occupied
by Dhufar traders.
In the trading sea-