Page 159 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

120 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [ch.

his audience-room, within the fort, which was

lofty and well furnished. A house was soon
procured, and here, for the first time since

leaving Maskat, I enjoyed the luxury of be­
ing alone, and remaining with our every mo­
tion unwatched, for, at the different other

towns on our route, the Sheikhs and prin­

cipal men thought they honoured us in pro­
portion to the time they passed in our society.
During the evening, the Sheikh, accompa­

nied by a few of his friends, paid us a visit.
To my surprise the latter applied to us for

brandy, and drank as much as was given
them without scruple; nor did the Sheikh

express any disapprobation of such an in­
dulgence. I found they had been in the

habit of procuring spirits from Maskat,
where, though they are contraband, a con­

siderable quantity is smuggled on shore from
the Indian ships. When they first made

their appearance there was a Moolah with
them, but he took his departure very soon, in

consequence of some fumes of tobacco pass­
ing over his person.

We spent the day in looking over the
town and the surrounding gardens, and to­