Page 151 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

112 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

friend ; but we may pardont heir unbelief, as

well as surprise, after the feat was performed,
when we reflect that it was not many years

since in “ all enlightened England ” that the
possibility of the act was very gravely ques­

tioned, and Bruce’s narration of a similar ex­
ploit very charitably attributed to his “ love

of the marvellous.’’
Saturday, 19th. We struck the tent, and,

after I had obtained a latitude, left at one,
p.m., accompanied by the Sheikh and a
guard of about twenty men, mounted on

asses. Continuing our course along the val­
ley, in forty minutes we arrived at Omaseer,

where there is a fort and a few houses.
At three hours we came to a pass called

Urif, which has a descent down a narrow ra­
vine of about two hundred feet. The rock

here contains an astonishing quantity of iron
pyrites, the glistening of which is perceived

from a considerable distance.
At four hours we passed a town called Gaza,

bearing S. S. W., and at 5 45 arrived at Kothra,
where we halted. Two miles from this, in a

S.S.E. direction, there are some copper mines,
but our guides would not conduct us to them.