Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

716 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
west of San'a and 7700 teet above the
sea, and from there
over the pass of Kaukaban, 9200 feet (the highest peak being
10,000 feet), to Tawila, whence he returned to San'a.
On his way home he went via Menakha to Hodaida. 1
In April and May, 1881, the island of Socotra, lying
apart from the highway of the world's commerce, though
famous in antiquity as the Isle of Incense, was visited by
Riebeck's expedition in the interest of natural science, the
English botanist Balfour having previously spent six weeks
there in 1880. A graphic account 2 of this visit, illustrated
with interesting woodcuts, was written
by the famous African
explorer and botanist Georg Schweinfurth, who was a
member of that expedition. This visit, as well as an excursion
made later by the same scholar Schweinfurth from
Hodaida to Menakha, — i.