Page 418 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

XXIII.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 379

headed by certain officers attached to the
court, and sentence, unless the offence be of
a nature requiring reference to the Imam, is

executed as soon as pronounced. Public
women are permitted within all the towns

and oases, and no punishment is inflicted on
those who obtain their favours, whether

Mussulmanns, Jews, or Christians. Notwith­
standing the predatory habits of the people,

they have a great abhorrence of petty theft;
for a second or third offence of this nature
mutilation is inflicted.

The resources of the Imam’s government
consist in the services of the people, and the

revenue collected at Maskat. The produce
of the soil is a source of no emolument to him.

Maskat is indeed the only part of Oman from
which he derives any revenue, for not a single

dollar comes from the interior provinces; on
the contrary, he is compelled during his stay
in Arabia to expend considerable sums by

way of presents to the She ikhs of the various
towns and oases. The revenue at Maskat

and Matarah arises solely from the customs,
no other tax, either on their houses, persons,