Page 41 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

2 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

provinces of Hadramaut and Oman, together

with the western side bordering on the Per­
sian Gulf, were still wholly unexplored.

During my employment for some years past
on the survey of the southern and western

coasts of Arabia, my attention was constantly
directed towards attaining a knowledge of

the provinces contiguous to them ; but no op­
portunity for penetrating the country, which

presented a fair chance of success, occurred
within this period, until the commencement of

the year 1835, when the restless and grasping
disposition of Mohammed Ali induced him to

despatch a force from Egypt, in order to take
possession of the Coffee country. My pro­

posal of accompanying his army to this point,
and from thence to endeavour to reach Hadra­

maut, was immediately acceded to by the In­
dian government; but, before their sanction

could be conveyed to me, intelligence arrived
of the Pacha’s force having been led into a

defile in the Assair country, and there de­

feated with great slaughter; a miserable rem­
nant alone reaching the sea-shore.

Foiled, therefore, in this quarter, on my re­
turn to Bombay I turned my attention towards