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JULY 5, 1872.]
ASIATIC SOCIETIES.
223
he advanced is marked by the intersection of Long. I found vestiges of an ancient surrounding wall and 95o and Lat. 27°, or the districts east of Sibságar 24 fragments of inscriptions. He left Sand, and and Nazirah. In the expedition to Rakhang (Ara- for three days explored the beautiful plains of kan), which was undertaken inmediately after Mír Rauda, Zubeyrât, and Rahaba, forming part of the Jumlah's death, the most southern part which the Beled Harith, where he found some fragments of Mughuls reached, is Rámú or Rumbú, half way be- inscriptions. At Sirwah, a large ruin in the territory tween Chátgánw (Chittagong) and Akyab. Beyond of Beni Jebr (Khaul&n), a day's journey to the west these two points the Muhammadans did not ad- of Mareb, he found a great number of Steles, part vance.
standing and others overturned, and bearing long Mr. Blochmann has collected all notes regarding inscriptions. The principal colonnade is called by Koch Bihár, Koch Hájo (the kingdom of Azo' of the Arabs Arah Bilqis the throne of Bilqis,' the early European travellers in India) and Asám, from supposed Queen of Saba, which tradition makes the the Akbarnámah, the Tuzuk i Jahangirí, and the wife of Solomon. Here and on a hill near by, he Pádisláhnámah. He then gives a free translation secured parts of 21 inscriptions, but after his of the Fathiyah i Ibriyak, or, as the book is some- arrival at Shira' in the territory of the Beni Arhab, times called, Tarikh i Fathi Asham (Conquest of he was imprisoned by the Sheikh, who confounded Asám), in 1662 by Mir Jurnlah. The author of this him with a personage passing himself off as the work, a native of Persia, was a clerk in the employ Messiah among the Jews of Yemen. He was, of Mír Jumlah, and wrote the book in 1662-63, be- however, set at liberty, and found Shira to abound cause the official reporters, in Mir Jumlah's opinion, in Sabean monuments, though very many of the did not send correct accounts of the progress of the inscriptions have already perished through the careexpedition to court. The author of the A'lamgir- lessness of the inhabitants who largely prepare lime namah appears to have used the Fathiyah i Ibriyah and burn whatever stones fall into their hands. for his history.
From this place he obtained 25 inscriptions and Shihab's work contains many interesting remarks portions. His next halt was at El-Medid in Beled on Asám and the Aramere, and on several of the Nehm, fully & day's journey east of Sana, in the aboriginal tribes. The book ends with the death neighbourhood of which he found many inscriptions. of Mir Jumlah, on the 2nd Ramazán, 1073, at Khizr- The vicinity of this place forms the rallying point púr was Dhaka.
for the nomad tribes, who bring their flocks to Journal Asiatique, No. 68, Jan. 1872.
graze at certain times of the year. The district
between Awdian and Jauf is dangerous and arid, This first part of tome XIX. is chiefly occupied
and M. Halévy had some difficulty in obtaining a with the Report on an Archeological Mission to
guide, and had to content himself with an Arab Yemen,' by M. Joseph Halévy. The Acadénie des
of no reputation, who from the inoffensive apInscriptions et Belles lettres, having presented a
pearance of the traveller and his assumed character scheme for the publication of a Corpus Inscriptionum
of a Qudsi (inhabitant of Jerusalem) was rather Semiticarum to the Minister of Public Instruction,
won towards him. On the way they passed many M. Halévy was charged with a mission to seek for ruins destroyed by the Arabs, and called 'Adiyyatand copy the Sabean or Himyaritic inscriptions in belonging to the 'Ad, an ancient people to whom are Yerren.
attributed all the ante-islamic buildings. The From Aden he proceeded first to Hodeyda, whence Arabs see in the advanced arts of the ancients a he started for the Sefân, one of the three provinces sign of pride and rebellion against heaven; so that governed by the DA, & viceroy of the race of the in place of being pleased to have for their ancestors Makârémés, the religious and political chiefs of so civilized a people, the inhabitants of Yemen are Nejrân, who have made large conquests in Arabis vain enough to consider themselves as the true during the last two centuries. After much dan
descendants of Ishmael, and he who would dare to gerous investigation in this Arabic Switzerland he tell an Arab he was sprung from 'Ad might pay for was disappointed in finding a single veritable it with his life. Even the name of Himyar is hated Himyaritic inscription. On arriving at Sand be in the country, and the epithet Yehud Himyaror fell ill, and was confined to his couch for a month. Himyarite Jew, is the last insult that one of the Sana, he says, is the most beautiful and most char- faithful in his rage can level at the follower of Moacteristic city of Arabia. It is half in ruids. The ses when he wishes to overwhelm him with opproquarter Bir Azeb, where were the pleasure houses | brium and shame. Near Jebel Yam he came upon and gardens of the late imam, as well as the famous many tombs; then he reached Wadi Saba, a cultivQasr Ghumdan, contain almost no inhabitante, and able tract a day's march in width, on the confines of have been despoiled of inscriptions. Some stones the great desert El-Ahqaf. in certain buildings and on the chief gates of the At Mejzer he was asked by the Arabs if he had city bad inscriptions, mostly very raort, of which seen the stone called Hajarat el-Waqa'a, which they be enumerates twelve. At Ghayman, five hours believe is suspended in the air above the mosque of S.E. from Sâna in the territory of Beni Bahlul, he Omar. This stone descends insensibly but with in
