'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1567] (646/688)

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MY—RED 1567
KAYAN (K han A bu)—
On the right bank of the Euphrates between Hit and Rumadiyah and about 20 miles
by land below the former. The Khan is situated in a plain partially sown with grain
and which would make a good camping ground for a very large force of all arms. Ex
cept a little grain and some camel grazing there are no supplies here at all, fuel
being very scarce.
RAZAH (A hl)—
One of the tribes of Yemen {q. v.).
RAZAZAH—
In name a Qadha of the Karbala Sanjaq of the Baghdad Wilayat in 'Iraq ; in practice
rather a Muqata ah of the Karbala Qadha. Razazah is really a small estate situated on
the north-western bank of the Rashdiyah branch of the Husainlyah canal, about 12
miles south-west of the town of Karbala ; on the south side of it is the swamp known as
Hor Abu Dibis, fed by the water of the canal. Originally the property of the Turkish Gov
ernment, Razazah was, as a measure of policy, conferred by the Porte as a free grant on
Fahad Baig-bin-'Abdul Muhsin, a leading Shaikh of the 'Anizah tribe, and about 1875
was constituted a Qadha of the third class, the Shaikh being at the same time appointed
Qai n-Maqam. At a later period Eahad Baig, while allowed to retain the ownership of tho
estate, was deprived of the official post of Qaim-Maqam in favour of his cousin Fahad-
bin-Daghaiyin, by whom it is now held. Tho emoluments of the Qaim-Maqamship
used to consist in a monthly allowance of 1LTrahs and one-fourth of the net amount
of the cattle tax collected from the Arabs under his authority. Both the owner and the
so-called governor of Razazah lead a wandering life in the desert with their tribe; tha
former is represented locally by a negro agent and has a small mud fort there, in which
he used at one time to reside and which is now used as a granary. The ordinary inhabit
ants of the place live in huts and number about 750 souls. The value of the Turkish
Government share (~) of the crops of Razazah used to be about 500 Lirahs per annum.
RAZIN (Al)—
One of the 'Amair families of the Bani Khalid tribe (q.v.), of eastern Arabia.
RAZIQ (B ani)—
A section of the Bani Bu 'Ali tribe {q.v.), of the Ja'alan and Sharqiyah districts of the
Sultanate of 'Oman.
RED SE A—
This extensive inland sea lies between the parallels 30° N. and 12° 40' N., and between
the meridians 32° 20' E. and 43° 25' E. From Suez to Cape Bab-al-Mandab it is about
1,200 miles long, in a south-south-east direction ; and its greatest breadth from shore to
shore at right angles to its axis is in the southern part near Musawwa, where it is 190
miles wide ; its least breadth, in the Straits of Bab-al-Mandab, is 14 miles.
The northern part of this sea bifurcates ; one branch, the Gulf of Suez, has a general
north-north-west and opposite direction throughout its length, which is about 170 miles ;
the other, the Gulf of 'Aqabah, has a north-north-east and opposite direction, and is
about 97 miles long. On the promontory between these gulfs, the Sinai peninsula, is
the mountain group called Jabal Musa. No rivers discharge themselves into the Red
Sea, and the northern half of the region is in the rainless district.
Coral Reef*. —The Red Sea though, generally speaking, of considerable depth (in some
places over 1,000 fathoms) is in parts studded with rocky islets and hidden coral banks
extending far into the main ship channel. They are more numerous in the southern than
in the northern portion of the sea, the principal being the Farasan, the Zabair, and
Hanish islands. In the Red Sea they are perhaps more numerous and extensive than
in any other body of water of equal size, extending most commonly in long strips parallel
with the shore, with which they are in many cases united. Usually they are not mora
than 5 feet below the surface, but the sea seldom breaks on them, and their outer edges