Page 54 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

II.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 15

of Arabs, Persians, Indians, Syrians, by the

way of Baghdad and Basarah, Kurds, Af­

ghans, BeKiches, &c., who, attracted by the
mildness of the government, have settled here,

either for the purposes of commerce, or to
avoid the despotism of the surrounding go­

vernments. This we discover has been the case
from a very early period; two centuries be­

fore the birth of Mohammed, a powerful tribe,
then residing on the shores of the Persian

Gulf, sought refuge here against the oppres­
sion of the Persians, and, as late as 1828, a

party of Jews, unable any longer to endure

the exactions and tyranny of Daud Pacha,
were received by the Imam with much kind­

ness.
Few Afghans make Maskat their perma­

nent residence, those seen in the town being
mostly pilgrims to or from Mecca. Hence

they seldom enter into many commercial spe­
culations, and are further remarkable for

keeping aloof from the other classes. The
Beluches, on the contrary, mix with all, and

though a thrifty race, are in general very

poor. A considerable number of the Imam’s
household troops are recruited from this class;