"[17]Richard Francis Burton (1856) describes the scene as he passed by to visit the tomb of Shaykh Awbube, in his book First Footsteps in East Africa: "Feeling somewhat restored by repose, I started the next day, “with a tail on” to inspect the ruins of Aububah.

He rests under a little conical dome of brick, clay and wood, similar in construction to that of Zayla: it is falling to pieces, and the adjoining mosque, long roofless, is overgrown with trees, that rustle melancholy sounds in the light joyous breeze.

"[18]Richard Francis Burton (1856) describes an ancient conflict between the towns of Awbube and Darbiyah Kola (near Abasa, Awdal) in First Footsteps in East Africa: "After an hour’s ride we turned away from the Abbaso Fiumara and entered a basin among the hills distant about sixteen miles from the Holy Tree.

It is said that this city and its neighbour Aububah fought like certain cats in Kilkenny till both were “eaten up:” the Gudabirsi fix the event at the period when their forefathers still inhabited Bulhar on the coast — about 300 years ago.

Remnants of houses cumber the soil, and the carefully built wells are filled with rubbish: the palace was pointed out to me with its walls of stone and clay intersected by layers of woodwork.

The mosque is a large roofless building containing twelve square pillars of rude masonry, and the Mihrab, or prayer niche, is denoted by a circular arch of tolerable construction.

"[19]Richard Francis Burton (1856) also describes when he visited the battlefield: "Thence we proceeded to the battle-field, a broad sheet of sandstone, apparently dinted by the hoofs of mules and horses: on this ground, which, according to my guides, was in olden days soft and yielding, took place the great action between Aububah and Darbiyah Kola.