File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎300r] (608/834)

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is a mild, religious man, who keeps out of politics, and received
the doctor hospitably. We quote later the account of the Idrisi’s
sons. The lists given of the sons of Abdel-Al, who live at
Zeinia, differs somewhat from that published in “ Arabian
Personalities,” page 25, the order being, according to the new
information : (1) Mohammed esh Sherif, (2) Mohammed Mansur,
(3) Mohammed Senussi, (4) Mohammed Murtaza, (5) Ahmed
Mustapha, (6) Mohammed Idris, (7) Mohammed Arabi, (8)
Mohammed Amin, (9) Mohammed All Hasan.
Idrisi seems to have laid himself out to impress Captain
Mohammed Fazl ud-Din with his Islamic learning and his holiness.
According to the latter he leads a very abstemious, almost ascetic
life, sleeping little, eating very frugally, and dividing his days
between study and affairs of state. He does not read newspapers
but is avid of news and not ill informed. His local title seems
to be Imam.
The following passages are of sufficient interest to be printed
in extenso :—
The Town of Sahia.
“ Sabia, the real capital of the Idrissian Kingdom, is situated
at a distance of about twenty miles to the north-east of Jeizan,
and is considered holy on account of being the last resting-place
of Seyyid Ahmed ibn Idris, the founder of the Ahmadia
Tarika, and the father of the Tarikas Senussia, Morghania,
Rashidia, Majgubia, and of various other sub-Tarikas. The
road lies for about ten miles in the salty ground (generally
termed sabkh), while the rest of the ten miles is partly sandy and
partly good arable land. About midway between Sabia and
Jeizan there is a forest to the extent of about two miles thickly
overgrown with green, thorny trees of the acacia order and
green bushes which furnish a rich pasture ground for thousands
of sheep and goats, herds of which were to be seen in various
places in the forest. The underground water seems to be at
about thirty feet from the surface. A large well of clear,
sparkling water, of good taste, was seen in the midst of this
forest near the road. Further on, the land appeared to be
extremely fertile as was evident from the rich standing crops of
maize and bajra, in spite of the great scarcity of rain. All land
in the immediate vicinity of Sabia for about two and a half miles
on the Jeizan side is under cultivation and one has to pass
through a narrow road between an avenue of crops to get to
Sabia. The town is situated on uneven and undulating ground.
It is bounded on the north-east by plain arable land while on the
south-west there is sand and wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. liable to be flooded from the
north. On the east about two miles off there are two rocky
hillocks in one of which green stones (emeralds) are said to be
found. Grreen trees can be seen on all sides of the town as well
as in it, and there is hardly any house devoid of some green
plant or other. Jasmine and peppermint plants are the chief