Page 420 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

XXIII.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 381

ing he received no present. The Imam

listened patiently to his tale, and then di­

rected the treasurer to present him with ten
dollars. Such generosity is esteemed by the

Arabs as the greatest virtue which a prince
can possess, while the opposite extreme is

held in equal detestation. Speaking of Sayyid
S’aid, whose liberality has obtained for him

the designation of the second Omar, they

observe that he never refuses what is asked
from him ; and that for the customary offer­

ing to a superior so general throughout the
East, the Imam usually returns its value one

hundred fold; and for any works executed by
his order, he pays a higher rate than other

individuals.
The only permanent force which the Imam

keeps at Maskat is a small body of four hun­
dred men, accoutred in the same manner as

the sepoys of India. Some of these are also

his domestic slaves, but upon occasions which
might require it, he could from Southern

Oman collect in three days an army of ten
thousand men, and afterwards increase the

number to thrice the amount, by the accession
of several Bedowin Sheikhs and their fol­