'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎73] (88/1050)

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ADEN 73
Secondly, the Arabs proper,who are of Yafa origin. They live in towns and cultivate
the lan^s around, trade with India and the Straits Settlements, and some of them are
very wealthy.
Thirdly, the Bedouins, who are scattered all over the country, do all the carrying trade
and rear and own most of the camels. They are very numerous and powerful and the
Arabs of the towns are afraid of them, for they make travelling in the country very
difficult, and even blockade the towns. They never live in tents ; the richer ones
have quite large houses, while the poor dwell in caves.
Fourthly, the slaves and freed slaves who have married and settled in the country.
They are all of African origin, many are cultivators, others are personal servants and
soldiers of the Sultan.
The most influential people in Mukalla are the Parsi business men from Bombay,
and here Hindustani is very generally spoken.
KA'LULI—
West of Mudariba in the Wadis Bitan and Ka'luli (also called W. Furrnkhia and
Umm Lasb) are a small tribe of some 200 men. The Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Bitan, of which the left
bank is bounded by a rugged spur of Jabal Hawab, contains a good stream, Ghail
Manobait, which flows for about a mile above the junction of WadiHarhar, four wells
and three or four towers at intervals, a few palm trees and a little cultivation. There
is a good spring in rocky pools in a nullah under Hawab, about a mile to the east of Dar
Talib. There are very few inhabitants, among them some Sufis, the majority of the
Ka'luli living in the wddl of that name separated from the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Bitan by the ridge of
J. Ahmad, crossed by a rough little pass. Barb Dhamka.
The Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Ka'luli contains 6 or 7 small villages with 4 wells and good strips of culti
vation. The best water-supply is a stream, Ghail Funkur, 1J miles below Bait Umm
Lasb, which contains good water and flows for about a mile. Lower down is another
stream—Ghail Funi—giving a good supply, but slightly brackish. A well about
a mile below, Bir Sulaimani, is said to contain sweet water. A fair quantity of harhi,
and ordinary native supplies in sma^l quantities, are procurable.
kas A di —
The country occupied by this tribe is the western region of the Ka'aiti territory,
having been conquered by the Ka'aiti tribe in 1881. On the west are the Wahldi and
the Bedouin tribes of Al-Bahaish and 'Akabira ; on the north are the Kathiri ; on the
east, the 'Akabira, Bani Hasan and Ahl-ul-Haik ; while the southern boundary is the
Arabian Sea.
The country is intersected by chains of hills. The whole area is estimated at about
375 square miles.
The arable land between the chains of hills is estimated at about 8,000 acres. Date
palms and sidr trees abound, tobacco is cultivated, and there are a considrable numbers
of camels, donkeys, cattle, sheep and goats.
All important criminal and civil matters are disposed of by the Naqib. Matrimonial
and succession cases are decided by the Qadhi. Murder is punished by death; homicide
by misadventure by imprisonment while theft is punished by amputation of the hands
and expulsion.
Revenue. The revenue used to be derived chiefly from the ports which are now
in possession of the Ka'aiti.
The Kasadi were originally a sub-tribe of the Yafa'i. The population of the country
is very mixed including Sidis, Akabiras, Hajiris, and in Mukalla many Hadhramis and
a considerable number of Indian traders, Khojas and Bamas.
The population is estimated at about 18,000 souls.
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