Page 188 - PERSIAN 3 1883_1890

20 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OP THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL

ebclve*, they rig: out poles by means of wliich they fish for sharks ; but it is a dangerous occupa­
tion, aod sovcral are said to perish annually by falling off into the sea below.
At night tho fires lighted in tho caves by the natives give the promontory a singular
appearance, nnd it is tho only indication of the face of tho cliff being inhabited, as the terraces
and eaves arc invisible from the sea during tho day-time.
At Nishton, where tho Dragon next anchored, one of the headmen was found to bo
Snlim-bin-Barukcyn, tho Mnhra who had succoured the Knight of tho BatWs crew in Juno
1883 near Ras Sankireh. Tho old man expressed himself as being grateful for tho liberal
treatment ho had received from the owners of that vessel and the attention shown him in
Bombay, and observed that from being a poor fisherman ho had become a merchant and a
headman of his village. The fame of Salira-bin-Barukeyn's good fortune has spread every­
where along the coast, and has had an excellent effect; it is believed that the Arabs will b«
more inclined in future, after observing the liberality shown in these two instances, to succour
any Europeans who may happen to be wrecked on the shores of Southern Arabia.
The Jiry appears to have struck on a bank or reef off tho point of Nishton Bay in
about two fathoms, and to have subsequently rolled off into deeper water; the crew, having
suffered from drinking the brackish water at Nishton, were carried on by the Arabs after a
few days to Dhaboot, 9 miles further to tho north, where they remained until they embarked
in the bugla for Muscat. The Makaddam of Dhaboot, Sheikh Awadth, is a fine-looking old
man, and eeemed much gratified at the recognition ty Government of his kindness to tho
sailors. Two of the headmen of Nishton, Sheikhs Muhammad and Moosa, who happened to
be here, received their presents at the same time as Sheikh Awadth.
A few miles further up the Bay of El Kamar is Gheitber, a small village of 30 houses,
but where a good deal of trade is done, as it is the terminus and depot of an important road
leadiug to the interior of Hadhramant. From Ghcitcr to Tereera passing through Ainat is
counted fifteen days1 journey, and the chief halting-place is Minor, about CO miles from the
sea. The road is level all the way.
Damkot, the next place visited by tho Dragon, is a small Mahra town of about 100
houses built at the foot of a ravine at the bottom of this bay. There arc about 300 inhabit­
ants, and there is some little trade, but the people seemed very poor ; they have no dates or
corn, and possess only a few camels, goats, and cattle. The exports are frankincense, gbi, and
sardine oil. The Makaddam, a decrepit old man, said he remembered the boats of the Palinurnt
being engaged in surveying the coast half a century ago. and had seen no 6hip here since then.
None of the people had ever seen a 6tcamer before, and they hid in fact shown evident signs of
alarm at the Dragon*s approach, some clustering together, and others scampering away up
the hills at the back; but they were soon reassured. The ravine or gorge which is named
Showeyti divides the town into two parts and forms below a long lagoon or creek, the upper
part of which is sweet, becoming salt as it nears the sea. The ancient burial-ground lies
between the town and the oca; it is very extensive and believed to be pre-Islamitic. The graves
are nearly circular and 10 or 12 feet in diameter.
Passing Ras Sajar, which marks the southern limit of the territories of the Saltan of
Muscat, the Dragon arrived at Sallala and anchored off there on the 19th December. The
district of Dhofar, according to some, includes the whole tract lying between Ras Resoot and
Ras Noos, consisting of a maritime plain 85 miles long, enclosed by the lofty range of Jebel
Samban, which touches the sea at these points. But the application of the name is more usually
restricted to the rich alluvial plain between Resoot and Thakah. This plain, which is of half­
moon shape, is 30 miles in length, with an extreme breadth of about 14, and is formed by
the curvature of the hill range; the coast-lines subtending this arc lying due east and west and
having a sharp turn or hay at Resoot and Merbat, which form sheltered harbours for vessels in
the south-west and north-east monsoons respectively. It is one of the most fertile and
favoured districts on the southern coast of Arabia, and its chequered hhiory shows that it has
ever been a coveted possession. Extensive ruins of towns aod forts scattered over its surface
are an attestation of a former populonsness and importance that have long since passed sway.
Dhofar contains at present five separate towns, all of them near the sea—Okad, Sallala,
Hafah, El Dahareez, and Thakah. The Governor and his garrison reside at Sallala. umer-
ous wadies or water-courses intersect the plain, some of which are well wooded an
while others form small fresh* water lakes. The range about Merbat rises to an * ov"a ,0*\
3,000 or 4,000 feet, and is thickly wooded to the summit with tumarind and acacia, ran 'in-
cents and bdellium, dragon's-blood and other gum-resinous trees, and affords pasturage e