Page 175 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

136 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CIL

How long he amused himself in this way,

I know not; for after collecting all the
clothes we had with us, and selecting the

softest piece of ground we could discover,
we were soon asleep.

Early this morning, the natives assembled
to inquire how we had passed the night, and

finding we made no complaint either of our
lodgings or the keenness of the air, they ap­

plied to Ali for information, as to who we
were, and from what country we came ; but he

was indignantly silent. It was evident that
they expected we should suffer in an equal
degree with those of the low lands who had

visited them ; their surprise, therefore, was

very great when they next applied to my
servant, a shrewd fellow, who spoke Arabic

with considerable fluency, and learnt that we
came from a climate far colder than their

own ; “ where, instead of having ice and snow
but a very few days in the year, as you have
here, it is found for six months together.”

After listening to this explanation they went

away for a short time, and prepared a small
shed, which had formerly been used as a cow­

house, for our reception ; thither we were