Page 415 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

376 TRAVELS IN OMAN. [CH.

the slayer or his relations; but these quarrels

are strictly forbidden in Maskat. As, how­
ever, they sometimes do occur, notwithstand­

ing the Imam’s vigilance, the relations of the
person, as in Persia, are allowed their choice

of demanding the life of the murderer, or

accepting a compensation. At Stir, I saw an
old man between seventy and eighty years of

age, who constantly carried with him his
matchlock loaded and primed : and upon

inquiring the cause, was informed that he had
a quarrel of this nature on his hands. It is
one of the most remarkable traits in the cha­

racter of the Arabs, that in the following up

of these family feuds, they frequently permit
years to pass before they have an opportunity

of wreaking their vengeance on the individuals
concerned. It is strange where religious

toleration forms one of the most prominent
features of the government, that a Moham­

medan is permitted to compound for the
death of a Banian, by the payment of a sum

of money for the service of the mosque.
Om&n is divided into districts, known by

various designations, which also apply to their
inhabitants. These, as I have just mentioned,