Page 258 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

XIV.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 219

deal with. It will apply as a general re­
mark, that the Sheikhs of the towns in Omdn
are very personable men, with a dignified

deportment and pleasing manners; but this
was a sneaking, greasy-looking animal, who
had more the appearance of a butcher than

a Sheikh. Upon my producing the Imam’s
letters he read them, and, without returning

any answer, took his leave. About an hour
afterwards he sent a verbal message to re­
quest that I should lose no time in quitting

his town, as he begged to inform me, what
he supposed I could not have been aware of,
that it was then filled with nearly two thou­

sand Wahhabis. This was, indeed, news to
us: it was somewhat earlier than we antici­

pated falling in with them,—but we put a
good face on the matter, and behaved as
coolly as we well could. In the mean time

we prepared to pitch our tent, and, having
done so, sent a messenger to the Sheikh to

intimate that I wished to see him. About
nine, a.m., he came, accompanied by some
cut-throat looking ruffians, whom he styled

his relations. I then led the conversation at
once to the subject, and inquired what num-