Page 301 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

262 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

CHAPTER XVII.

Personal appearance of the Natives of the Pirate Coast—Pearl
Fishery—Divers—Boats employed—Pearl Oysters—Expedient
for retaining the Breath --<Cruising on Pearl Banks—Atmo­
spheric Heat —Effects on Europeans—Arab Swimmers—Anec­
dote of an Arab Diver—Diving for Fish—Sayyid ibn Mut-
luk—Advance of the Wahhabis—Termination of my Journey
—Peculiar features of Oman—Oases.

The inhabitants of the Pirate Coast consider

themselves to be far superior to either the
Bedowins or town Arabs. The latter, espe­
cially those from Oman, they hold in such

contempt, that a Maskatti and an arrant
coward are by them held to be nearly synony­

mous. They are taller, fairer, and, in gene­
ral, more muscular than either of the above
classes, until they attain the age of thirty

or forty years, when they acquire a similar
patriarchal appearance. Until this period

some of their forms are perfect models of
strength, and their development of muscle