Page 189 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

150 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

occur at intervals throughout its whole extent.
There was also a chain of capacious pools of
water, and the lively green of one, joined to

the glistening of the other, continued to form a

striking contrast with the sombre and shadowy
line of the magnificent wall or sheet of rock,
which rose perpendicularly on either hand.

It took us until twelve, quick travelling, to
reach the bottom of this pass. No considera­

tion would have induced me to ride down, and
I should have thought no human being in his

senses would have attempted it; but our old
guide, the Sheikh, after accomplishing half

the descent, was so fagged that, notwithstand­
ing every remonstrance of ours, he mounted

his ass, and thus safely accomplished the
remainder of the pass. “ Friend Seyyid,” ob­

served I, “ if you make the attempt you will
most assuredly break your neck.” “ It may

be so,” he replied, “ but Allah Akbar (God is
great), and I am tired.”

The steps, formed of unhewn stones, about
three feet in width, are ranged along a sloping-

ledge, jutting out from the face of an almost
vertical precipice; and in those places where

its width was found insufficient, the rock