Page 158 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

VIII.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 119

full extent of Mohammed’s permission, finds

no reason to repent having done so.
Tuesday 22nd. At 9'40 we left the skirts

of the town, and, continuing north, over
much cultivated ground, at length arrived at

the base of a low ridge of hills, which forms
the roots of the Jebel Akhdar range. At

10'30 we continued rounding a cape of the
hills, and at 1'30, arriving at the small fort
and villages of Rhodda and Furk, we crossed

over much marshy ground, filled with the

high reeds of which the Arabian pens are
made ; and at 3'30 reached Neswah. I pro­
ceeded at once to the residence of the

Sheikh, who possesses great influence in
these parts. We found him seated before

the castle gate, with an armed guard of about
o j o
fifty men, who were standing on either side.

The whole town had followed us thus far;
but directly Sayyid S’aid’s letter was pro­

duced, and it was discovered who we were,
they immediately dispersed, and the Sheikh

expressed his regret that I had not sent him
an intimation of my intended visit, in order

that he might have met me on the road with
a proper escort. We accompanied him to