Page 191 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

152 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

over or between them. A large stream of
water traverses the centre ; small hamlets,

date groves, and patches of cultivated ground

occur occasionally, until we arrived, at five
hours, at the village of Birket el Moge, situ-
z O'
ated at the gorge of the pass, where it opens

out into the plain.

As we here partook of our evening meal,
we could not but congratulate ourselves upon
our return from a journey, which the reite­

rated assurance of the Arabs to whom we

mentioned it, would have led us to believe
could only be performed with much labour
and considerable peril. Birka, or Birket el

Moge, has a fort, with a very capacious and
good-looking castle, belonging to the Sheikh

of Suik, within its walls. Around these are
several large groves and plantations; the

plantain trees are numerous, and hence its
name. A very large rivulet, or feletch, fur­

nishes an ample supply of water, and from its
situation, Birket enjoys a delightfully cool

atmosphere from the Jebel Akhdar, and bears
the reputation of being very salubrious.

January U7. Having remunerated the
Sheikh with the promised present, at which