Page 439 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

400 TRAVELS IN OMAN. (oil.

I cannot conclude the foregoing slight his­
torical sketch without referring to the state of

our present political relations with this Prince.
The fears which have been so long entertained

with respect to the advance’ of the Russians
on our Indian possessions have induced us

to regard with peculiar interest the various
routes by which it is probable they might

approach them. The Russian frontier now
extends to within 120 miles of the sources of

the Euphrates ; and our late investigation of
that river has shown that the passage of an

army along its banks to the shores of the
Persian Gulf might be accomplished without

any considerable difficulty. It has here, as
with the Red Sea, without due reflection,

been suggested that a sufficient number of
vessels could not be obtained to convey any

considerable body of troops to India. I
have little doubt Sayyid S’aid could collect

enough of transports to convey an army of
20,000 men. His navy consists of four heavy

frigates, two of fifty guns ; three corvettes,

from twenty-two to eighteen guns ; and seve­
ral smaller vessels of war. To these he might

add his own merchant ships; those under