Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-07
LIFE In mADRAMAUT.
An Old World Civilized Country
That is Almost Unknown.

That is Almost Unknown.
1t seems scarcely credible that there
should have remained almost unknown
to this day, a country of the old world,
which is so we'll civilized that it possess
es primary and advanced schools, acad-
emies and schools of law, with populous
towns and villages, and thrifty popu-
lation. But book of travels recently
published in Paris makes it plain that
the land of Hadramout, in Arabia, has
until this time been all but unknown.
1t is, by the account given by the writer
remarkable country.
Most of the aliases have large por-
ton of the cost of Southern Arabia
marked "Hadramaut, 'or" Hadhramaut,"
but they give scarcely any hint, either
in their maps or in their text, of the
things that are to be found in that re-
gion. Its inhabitants are neither all
nomads nor barbarians most live in
towns; and places Of 5000 inhabitants
and upwards are counted by the dozen.
The people are Arabs Of the purest
type, and call themselves "Arab-Ariba"
the Arabs of the Arabs. 1t is not,
perhaps, so much O matter of wonder
that their land has been practically I'M
known, since they have heretofore al
lowed few foreigners to enter it, and
now allow none to remain there. Though
the country is subject to Turkey, the
authority is actually exercised by the
chiefs of the local tribes or clans.
The country is much like Europe in
the Middle Ages -except for the fact
that education is more widely spread,
and the intellectual atmosphere super
Tor to that Of the medieval Europe.
The climate is healthy, though in
summer often very hot, especially. on
the coast. The people are vigorous, lead
a simple and healthy life, and abstain
from pork, liquors and opium. They
are scrupulously clean in their habits.
There is no polygamy, and women are
much better treated than in most Mo
hammedan countries. Primary and
secondary schools are numerous, and ut
Saioum there is a college, celebrated oil
over Arabia, where poor students are
not only taught, but lodged and boarded
free.
One thing which is quite remarkable
is the exceeding cheapness OF living IN
Hadraumaut. A single man may live
there very well for a little over forty
dollars year, and Mr.. Van den Berg
says that the utmost one could spend,
unless he literally threw his money out
of the window, would be one hundred
dollars year. An entire Arab family
of seven grown-up persons and four
children whom Mr.. Van den Berg en-
countered, lived ''very fashionably"
upon three hundred and seventy-fye
dollars year.
Civilization is no new thing with the
Hadrnmauters. From the remotest
times they have been a people acquaint-
ed with the arts and letters. But they
have kept much to themselves, and are
exceedingly jealous of foreign inhu
ence.
Though they live happily at home,
for the most part, the Hadramauters
have become sufficiently crowded to feel
the pressure to emigrate, and many of
them have removed to the islands OF the
Indian arohipelago--Jaya, Sumatra,
Madura and others. They have carried
thither the cultivation of coffee, which
is one of their home occupations, and
have thus made possible the immense
coffee-growing industry Of Java.
The climate of the Malay Archipelago
works upon the Hadramauters, so ex-
elusive at home, marked change in the
respect that they generally intermarry
with the Malay natives and fall into
their way of life. They have in the is
lands of the Archipelago, too, a reputa-
ton for quarre!someness and dishonesty
in trade.
They do not, however, forget their
families at home, and consider it duty
which they cannot escape to maintain
their poor relations in their Arabian
Fatherland. They also preserve their
sobriety and their profound respect for
knowledge. y Youths Companion.