"دليل الجزيرة العربية المجلد I" [‎٩‎٦‎٢] (١٠٥٠/١٠٢٩)

962
JIR—JIR
JIRFAIN—
According to native reports, this is one of the halting places on the route between
Sa'dhah, on the Yemen Hajj route, and Rajj, on the route between Sana'a and Wadi
Dawasir. Jirfain is said to possess wells.
JIRFAL—
The name of a tract in the bounds of Shimil village in Sir (q.v.), Trucial 'Oman.
JIRI—
A small but somewhat singular plain in the Rasal Khaimah District of the Sharjah
Principality in Trucial' Oman.
Position and extent. —Jiri is shut in between a sandy desert on the west and the high
hills of the 'Oman Promontory on the east, and it forms a connecting link between
the plain of Sir and Dhaid which enclose it on the north and south respectively ; with
these boundaries it is about 15 miles in length, from north to south, and 7 to 8 miles
in breadth. At both ends it is contracted by an inclination of the western desert and the
eastern hills towards each other, but in either case a passage into the next tract remains
open.
Physical characteristics. —The soil of Jiri is of a dark colour, forming a sharp contrast
with the light red of the sandhills which border it upon the west; of this characteristic
the detritus brought down from the hills on the east appears to be the explanation. The
surface is generally sandy though firm ; but in places it is more clayey, retains water
after rain, and cracks when it dries. Jiri is thickly sprinkled with acacias and other
wild vegetation, and in the neighbourhood of the Hadaithah wells Samr and Ghaf
trees are particularly abundant; hereabouts, too, the soil is more loamy than in some
other parts and produces, after rain, a good deal of rank grass and weeds. Among
the plants which grow towards the western edge of the plain are Rimth, Halam,
Thamam and Qasad, all of which are useful as grazing, also dwarf tamarisk. The
slope of the Jiri plain is towards the coast of the Persian Gulf, but the whole of the
drainage is intercepted and utilized by the inhabitants.
Inhabitants. —The only fixed villages are those of Khatt, Habhab and Adhan described
in the table below, and the settled population, consisting of 'Awanat, Mazari, Naqbiyln,
Sharqiyln and some Za'ab, hardly amounts to 1,000 souls. The predominant Bedouins
of the district are Ghafalah and Na'im, the latter of the Khawatir section.
Communications and water -supply. —Routes which cross Jiri are dealt with in the para
graph on communications in the general article on Trucial Oman.
The wells, some of which are mentioned in the paragraph on topography below, are
generally about 60 feet deep and are worked with a bucket and rope arrangement, which
limits their daily yield to about 1,200 gallons each ; but this amount they are capable
of supplying, at least in the cold weather, and the water as a rule is of good quality.
Administration. —Jiri is included in the dominions of the Shaikh of Sharjah and its
government is in the hands of his Deputy Governor at Ras-al-Khaimah Town.
Topography. —The following are the villages and other principal points of interest in
Jiri:—
Name.
Adhan ..
Position.
At the head of Wadi
Ham, of which it
is often reckoned
the highest up set
tlement ; it is 10
miles south of
Khatt and 14 miles
north-east by north
of Dhaid village.
Nature
A village of 40 houses
of the Mazari' tribe,
chiefly of mud and
date branches.
R emarks.
Resources are esti
mated at 15 camels,
50 donkeys, 30 cat
tle, 400 sheep and
goats, and 2,000 date
palms. Behind the
village rises a hill
known as Qumr.