"كُتيّب اليمن" [و‎‎١‎٧] (١٩٠/٣٨)

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spur from the Maritime Range almost to the coast alters
conditions immediately behind Mokhah and causes the latter,
though a coast town, to have abundant (though brackish)
water and gardens. The well-water along the littoral strip,
from end to end, is bad.
The urban settlements in the Tihamah are the following :
(1) Hodeidah, the most populous Yemen town,
is situated on the Red Sea in latitude 14° 47 north. In
1897 the population was estimated at over 50,000 ; but
no census has been ever taken. Bury, 1913, estimated it
at 42,000, including a British Indian community of about
1,000 and 100 Europeans, mostly Greeks, who have shops.
Somalis, Abyssinians, and Arabs from the Hadhramaut
are very numerous ; but Arabs from the inland highlands
are surprisingly few. Hodeidah has no cjuay or wharfage,
nor any of the conveniences of a trading port; the old
primitive wooden pier has fallen into decay. There is a small
harbour, available only for the smallest craft, with two
projecting moles of stone (each bearing a light about fifteen
feet high at the end) and a breakwater with two entrances,
of which the northern is slightly the easier of access. After
the moles were constructed, it was found that the water
was not deep enough .to allow loaded lighters to come
alongside ; so the stevedores have to wade, and merchandise
is dumped on the beach. Large vessels anchor about two
and a half miles off in four fathoms; merchandise is
transferred in native craft. Landing is difficult, and, at
times, impossible, with the wind between south and west.
The Ottoman Government conceived a scheme for con
structing a harbour for Hodeidah, about ten miles to the
north, where there is a deep natural inlet protected by a
long spit known as Ras el-Katib. This was part of a larger
undertaking known as the Hodeidah-San a Railway. The
harbour was to be linked up with Hodeidah by a metre-
gauge line along the spit. Construction commenced at
Ras el-Katib, and about five miles of track were laid;
but no adequate means for landing and handling material