Page 71 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

32 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

splintered and shattered into curiously-shaped

peaks, and on the very summit of these,

where to the eye it appears difficult to con­
ceive that the foot of man could have found

a resting - place, watch - towers have been

erected. From one of the most elevated, a

picturesque group of Arab soldiery, whose

matchlocks and long lances glittered in the
sunbeams, were gazing on us as we passed

beneath them.

Matarah is a considerable town, or rather

a very large collection of huts, situated at

the extremity of a cove, much frequented by

the Imam’s vessels, but seldom by those of

others. Notwithstanding it is but a mile
from the town, the road, leading over a range

of hills is so ruggod, that the communication

between the two towns is maintained princi­

pally by boats. It sinhabitants are computed

at twenty thousand, and their principal em­

ployment is weaving cloth, or fabricating the

woollen cloaks so generally worn in Arabia.
Scarcely a hut but contained its spinning-

wheel, with a female busily employed before

it. All had their faces uncovered : their fea­

tures were regular, and, in many cases, hand­