'Persian Gulf Gazetteer Part II, Geographical and Descriptive Materials, Section II Western Side of the Gulf' [‎95v] (193/286)

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even hfindsoniG houses, wlnte-plflstered find ornfimetited, with circhcs j ho says
the situation is high and the quarter the healthiest in IIofhuF, getting some
sea-breeze; (Hi) Naathar, the largest quarter, on the south and west forming a
good half of town and containing all classes of inhabitants ; in it are the principal
mosque, a few gardens and occasional trees, chiefly fig and citron. Town has
7 gates; and public square, 300 yards long by 75 broadj is at meeting point of
all 3 quarters. (Palgrave 's book contains sketch plan of Hofhuf). (3) Town is
surrounded by a high wall in bad repair environed by ditch which can be flooded.
Port has been described by Sadlier (1819), Jopp (1841). Palgrave (1862) and
Douglas (1896) and the accounts vary somewhat in details. It appears to be
a large square construction of small stones in mud, with sides from J to | of a
mile long. In 1841, walls were 20 to feet high and 7 to 8 feet thick, with
towers 40 to 50 feet high at intervals of 40 to 50 yards; there was a dry ditch 15
to 20 feet deep and the same wide outside the wall, and on a level space between
the two, round the whole circuit of the town, was a breast-work of stone and mud
commanding the ditch. There was an entrance on the north and another on
the east. On the south and east tbere were houses outside close to the walls
but on the other sides the ground was clear. On the east side of the north
entrance was a keep with high walls and towers at intervals. Within the fort
were numerous houses and a mosque of which the dome was the most conspicuous
object in the town. In 1862 there were 4 gates and the population of the fort
was 2,000 to 3 ,000. There were then 15 or 16 towers to each side of the fort
most of them round, with w inding stairs, loopholes and machicoulis. The keep
was small but strong with towers 40 feet high. In 1896 the Turkish barracks
and residences of all Turkish officials were inside the fort. Palgrave noted a
detacdied fort called Khoteym at a short distance south of the town ; a fort on a
conical hill between it and the town; and another fort on a hill to the north of the
town. (4) The population was estimated at less than 15,000 in 1819 ; at 23 000
or 21 ,000 in 1862 ; and at lo,000 in 1897. (5) No information as to
races or occupations. Half population are Sunnis ; remainder Shiahs and
Wahabis. (6) In 1841 there was a Thursday market to which villa
gers brought their goods for sale. In 1862 the chief seat of trade was at the
Keysareeyah, a long barrel-vaulted arcade in the Hifeyeeyah quarter. Here
weapons, cloth, embroidery, gold and silver ornaments were sold. Around it
were alleys devoted to sale of foreign merchandise and local manufactured
articles. Dates, vegetables, wood, salted locusts and small ware were sold in
booths in the open square. In 1897 there was much intercourse with Neid
and one caravan a week came in from Riadh bringing butter (ghi ?) and taking
back nee, sugar and cloth. The average number of pilgrims starting annually
from Hofhuf for Mecca was 400. In 1900 Hofhuf was still celebrated for the
manufacture of elegant richly embroidered with gold and coloured thread
and Oma^^) 0 —^lO^ 3 ^ 0Uri0US tliese beins ex P orted as far as Basra
ly in ^^ rAREIN -"~' Accordin g to Ritter . a town of the Abd-el-Kais, apparent-
( AL )-— Tribo ' apparently in Hasa; see Bombay selection XXIV,
page
nt i^n L f T ' A ^ ~ Sma11 forfc on Katit coast about 6 miles north
few fishermen! lIe3 south - 0ast o£ Katif town, inhabited by a
which^m^s^l ^^trrd 'to'^urkish^omiuation 0116 ^ tribeS ^
side village, a little over 1 mile from Jisha, on left
to Dousrlas it is nnn^ r /! F Ullder 8 miles from Hofhuf. According
Hasa. Is this ^ 16 bead quarters of one of the 4 mudirliks of
of Hasa oasis "annnr aS fi 1 ^ mpn ^ 10 i Tlftd ^7, Zwemer as one of villages on skirts
Jufoor mentioned hv 6 Tr ^ 0n rout 1 e irom Ojair to Hofhuf ? Is it identical with
Jutooi mtn oned by Jopp as on left of route from Jisha to Hofhuf ?
south of Debaibia ^ ou mainland, north of Hillat Mehaish and