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[-huts-]{+Dr. Wallin’s Route in Northern Arabia. 0
huts+} or bakakir, or in their own tents brought with them, are
poor individuals and families whom unprosperous circumstances
have forced to leave, for a time, the desert, to which they generally
return as soon as they can. A few of them, however, become so
far attached to living in a town as to settle here permanently;
those who can command the means, then compete with the people
of the castle, and others from Egypt, and with passing merchants,
in the trade they all carry on with the Bedooins of the surrounding
country, and with the nearer places on both sides of the Red Sea.
Thus Muweilah is of considerable importance to the neighbouring
Bedooins, as being the nearest, and often the only place where
they can obtain their supplies in exchange for their Hocks and
milk; or, these last failing, sometimes on credit, as happened in
the case of one of the chief clans of the Ma’aze (Ma’azeh) tribe,
which, during my stay here, was supplied by the steward of the
castle, on account of the Egyptian government, with rice and corn
on credit, to the amount of 1500 Spanish dollars.
There is no anchorage at Muweilah, except in an insecure
roadstead, behind coral reefs, which are at some distance from the
shore; and it is consequently seldom visited by larger vessels than
those sent by the Egyptian government, with the provisions for the
castle from Koseir, and supplies generally are much dearer here
than at al-Wegh (Wejh); on account of this, and from a fancied
superiority in the hardness and quality of the Syrian grain, the
Bedooins prefer getting their supplies from Ghazze (Gaza), if the
state of warfare in the desert and the difficulty of finding
pasturage do not prevent them from going so far. Many of the
inhabitants of Muweilah have gardens and plantations of
date-trees, larger and better cultivated than those in other places along
this road to Mckka (Mekkali). Water at Muweilah, though not
always good, is abundantly supplied by numerous shallow wells in
and around the town. Springs, yielding a tepid and brackish
water, occur along the whole of this coast, at a slight depth below
the surface of the ground, even close to the high watermark. At
Muweilah, and, to some extent, throughout the north-western part
of Arabia, rain falls at intervals from October to April. During
the remaining months the weather is hot and dry.
As every village and town in Arabia is considered by the Arabs
as belonging to some particular tribe, Muweilah is claimed by the
Beni ’Ukbil (’Ukbah), who are usually encamped in its
neighbourhood ; they are called the sentinels * of the place, and claim
a right of preference to other tribes for the escort and conveyance
of the pilgrims between Beda (Beda), some hours south of
’Akabi, and l.)hoba (Dhoba), known also by the name of Bir Sultan,
Ghufaru, or more correctly Kbufaru.—W. Protectors?—11.
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