'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1229] (278/688)

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MIY—M1Y
1229
MTYAH (W adi-al)—
Include the hill of Al-Khulah, 26 miles north of Anta'a.
Also the small valley of Jo Umm Saibah, 2 miles south of Al-Khulah.
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MIYAH ( Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al)—
A long valley or depressed tract in the extreme north of the Sanjaq of Hasa; it is
distinguished by its comparative fertility from the regions which surround it upon
every side and it owes its name " The Valley of Waters " to its numerous wells and
springs.
Boundaries and extent. —Wadi-al-Miyah is considered to begin in the north at the
N a'airly ah hill. From that point its border, curving out to the westwards, runs by the
isolated hill of 'Uduwat to the rigde of Abu Dhahair, which it follows southwards to its
termination ; the remainder of the boundary on the west side is defined by the northern
part of the Taff range. A line which leaves Jabal-at-Taff immediately north of the
Jau-al-Ghanam portion of Habl and goes almost straight eastward to Jabal Qadam,
marks the limit of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Miyah on the south ; and on the east side its perimeter is
completed by an almost straight boundary which runs northwards and very slightly
westwards by Jabal Qadam, Jabal Labtalah and Jabal-al-Hass back to Jabal Na'airlyah.
With these limits the extent of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Miyah from north to south is about 90 miles
and its greatest breadth, which is in the southern half, is about 30 miles. It should bo
observed, however, that some Bedouins would greatly increase the dimensions of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -
al-Miyah by including in it so much of Habl as lies further west than Jabal Qadam,
and even the low-lying parts of Taff as far as the wells Judah ; and Bedouins are also
found who consider Sanfan-al-Hanna to be a sub-division of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Miyah.
Position. —The districts surrounding Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Miyah are thus Warai'ah in the Kuwait
Principality upon the north-west, Summan on the west, Habl on the south ; and, on the
east, Habl as far north as Jabal Labtalah, then Sanfan-al-Hanna from Jabal Labtalah
to Jabal-al-Hass and finally Radaif between Jabal-al-Hass and Jabal Na'airiyah.
Physical characteristics. —The soil of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Miyah is dark brown and perfectly
cultivable ; the fall of the land is generally from west to east. After heavy rain the
ground in the northern part of the district is said to be flooded to such an extent that the
Bedouins move all their camps to the southward of Qubaibah where the land is slightly
higher. In spring the valley is covered with grass, which is in places 3 feet high, and the
water overflows from many of the wells; in summer the water level is generally about
12 feet below the surface. At Bakha, Mughati, Halaislyah and other places there are
flowing springs.
Population and villages .—Besides the Bedouins who visit the district there is a small
settled population, inhabiting the three permanent villages of Nta', Mulaijah and Sarrar
and the temporary village of Kahafah ; of these Nta' is described elsewhere under its
own name, and the others are dealt with in the paragraph on topography below. The
settled population is very mixed and includes representatives of the 'Ajman 'Awazim
Bani Khalid, Mutair, Rashaidah and Southern Shammar tribes. The crops generally
grown are dates, wheat, barley, maize and lucerne ; livestock are horses, camels, donkeys,
cattle, sheep and goats. Notwithstanding the distance from the sea some of the people
go to the pearl fisheries.
Political position. —The inhabitants of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Miyah are said at the present time to
pay Zakat to the Shaikh of Kuwait, but the Shaikh does not regard the district as form
ing part of his territories. The local authority is the Shaikh of Nta', at present Ibrahim-
bin-'Abdur Rahman. The sites of deserted towns and villages are numerous from
which it may be inferred that Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Miyah was once more populous and politically
more important than it is now; among the places at which these occur are 'Aqair,
'Ataiyiq, 'Awainah, Bakha, Mishafin, Muraighah and Thaj. At some of these places
very ancient ruins with non-Arabic inscriptions are alleged to exist; the most consider
able remains are at Thaj, where they are said to cover a large area.