Page 148 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

VIII.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 109

lias assumed the native dress, but I still re­
.
tain that of England *
Thursday, December \lth. We visited the
Sheikh’s dwelling, on an invitation to break­

fast. It was a large fort, very strongly built
with the same material as the houses. The

rooms are spacious and lofty, but destitute of
any furniture. Suspended on pegs, protrud­

ing about two feet from the wall, are the
saddles, cloths, and trappings of their horses

and camels. The ceilings are painted in
various devices, but the floors are of mud,

and only partially covered with mats. The
windows, in place of the usual ornamental

wood-work, are crossed by transversed iron
bars; and at night, in order to protect the

inmates from the keenness of the winds, they
are wholly closed by wooden shutters. Lamps

formed of shells, a species of murex, are sus­

pended by lines from the ceiling, and the
whole was essentially different from what I
have seen in other parts of Arabia. Our

* Lieutenant Whitelock’s route from Maskat is laid down on
the map. It led along a narrow road, through a wilderness of
broken mountains. He passed a few spots where there were date
plantations, but the country was generally barren, and destitute of
water.