CANE
CANE (
Κάνη), an emporium and promontory on the south coast of Arabia, in the country of the Adramitae (
Ptol. 6.7.10), which was, according to Arrian, the chief port of the king of the incense country, identified by D'Anville with
Cava Canim bay, which Lieut. Wellstead and Capt. Haines find at
Hissan Ghorab, “a square dreary mountain of 456 feet in height, with very steep sides.” “It appears to have been formerly insulated, although now connected with the main by a low sandy isthmus.” At its base, “which is a dark, greyish-coloured, compact limestone,” are ruins of numerous houses, walls, and towers; and ruins are thickly scattered along the slope of the hill on the inner, or north eastern side, where the hill, for one-third of its height, ascends with a moderate acclivity.
A very narrow pathway, cut in the rock along the face of the hill, in a zigzag direction, led to the summit of the hill, which is also covered with extensive ruins; and on the rocky wall of this ascent are found the inscriptions which have so long baffled the curiosity of the learned. They are “on the smooth face of the rock, on the right, about one-third the ascent from the top....
The characters are 2 1/2 inches in length, and executed with much care and regularity.” (Wellstead's
Travels in Arabia, vol. ii. pp. 421--426, cited with Capt. Haines's MS. Journal in Forster's
Arabia, vol. ii. pp. 183--191, and notes.)
[
G.W]
