Page 77 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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XliCl.IXTUV . IK. I III. I S

ibuul two years of correspondence, but out here I have been time and
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npiil reminded of the story ol the widow and the unrighteous judge * i:
>|,e gained her point by persistence. There were at lids time also some f i
jwlogisls. representatives of a large oil company, who were seeking per-
■utiiuii to go inland. They had the backing of their government and its
Mi.ui in Muscat, but did not get permission to go in. When we arrived
y Muscat, they left on the same steamer, having gone over the Battina • i
Vut being denied permission to go farther inland.
About this time the Board was asking for some information about
Oman and the Mission appointed a committee to tour Oman. I was
(urtunate enough to be appointed on this committee and at once sent off • j
Mine more letters to my resistant Sheikh. On leaving Bahrain I bade
Utcwcll to our own Sheikh Hamad, and he gave me a very warm letter
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UAKUOK Ob' MUSCAT
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J BtrocJuction to Sheikh Isa. I arrived in Muscat on January 3rd and • *
itb Mr. Van Peursem at once called on an agent of the Sheikh. It also .j • •
u^ciied that Hilaal bin Mohammed, the most influential man of the i S
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takli's largest town, was in Muscat at the time and came to us the
juju! day of our stay for a small operation. He asked particularly of r i
relationship with the government and of any possible restrictions the
^cninient might place on us. I assured him that the only restrictions
present were those of Sheikh Isa; that the authorities in Muscat
*i|.ruiniscd us permission to go inland providing we had an invitation i
Sheikh Isa. Both he and the agent of Sheikh Isa at once sent
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gxr> io him announcing the doctor's arrival in Muscat. We hoped,
#1 the people had the impression that we would at once go into this ' • *
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ptexful Sheikh's country. He had two months before been on a raid
p| i|n»arciuiy was taken severely ill so that he had to be carried on «* N
flickers to his home, a distance of six days. But after a week in
t»a|. we had no further news of Sheikh Isa and we went to Sib.
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>Li> a very pretty place. It almost reminds one of India, for there . *v
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geany mango and papaya trees and crows by the hundred. The ox
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i&u used for drawing water from the wells. Sib is a small town /!

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