'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎115] (224/496)

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L greatest anxiety prevails throughout all classes, and I was continually ap
plied to to know if any rain was to fall this year. The population at
present does not exceed three thousand, as many families, from the ruin
of their property, have been compelled to leave, generally repairing to the
towns on the sea coast. It contains, I was credibly informed, nearly
three hundred mosques : none of them, however, are of any considerable
size—on the contrary, the majority are very small, and all built of mud, and,
as they have no spires, the appearance of these buildings is very mean.
The market is small but neat, and covered in: its length is about seventy-
four paces, and twenty-five broad, containing four rows of shops, one on
cither side, with a centre building of two more. Copper vessels are ma
nufactured here ; and Nuswee was once celebrated for its sweetmeats,
but none good are procurable now, from most of the confectioners having
left. At noon on the third day of my stay here, set out for the Green
Mountains, and a two hours’ ride brought me to the small town of Tenoof,
distant six or seven miles from Nuswee. This is a j^retty little place,
surrounded by a wall pierced with loopholes, and a castle stands at the
eastern extreme, with a fine flourishing date grove to the westward. The
houses, built of mud and stone, are small, and the population about three
hundred. I had been given to understand that this town was actually
in the mountains, but I now found its position to be immediately at the
base of them. The Sheik received me very kindly, and undertook to
provide me with a donkey and guide for the ascent; and at 7 o’clock
next morning, having sent my camel back to Xus wee, I was again in the
saddle. In five hours I reached the summit. The ascent was very steep,
and the road dreadfully bad, being covered with large loose stones, so
that at times I was quite at a loss how to proceed, as I could not discern
the vestige of a path,—but not so the donkey, for, after taking a little rest,
he would start on again, and carry me over places that I should have
thought impracticable for any beast of burden. We sat down for an hour or
two here, my guide being rather fagged, and then proceeded by going
down a very deep descent on foot, after which the road led over a con
tinued succession of ridges, but none too steep for riding,—four hours’
travel bringing us to the first inhabited valley (Waddy bin Abeeb,) where
I passed the night. This valley is narrow and precipitous, in most places
not more than thirty yards across. The houses are small, and stand on
one side about half way down, and both sides of the valley are laid out
in terraces rising one above the other, where most of the cultivation is
carried on, consisting almost entirely of fruit trees, viz. pomegranates,
figs, peaches, apricots, walnuts, and sweet limes: the pomegranates are very