Page 44 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

J.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 5

“ these are not words of the tongue, but of

the heart.” After a conversation of some
length, in which I received every aid from

his perfect knowledge of the country, it was
arranged that as there was but one road to

the southward, which I felt no desire to re­
pass, that 1 should proceed first to Stir, land

there, and go on to Beni-Abu-’Ali, thence cross
in a line nearly parallel with the sea-shore,

to the Jebel Akhdar, or Green Mountains,
which are described as elevated, populous,

and fruitful ; and after investigating them,
finish the remaining portion of Oman ; and

from thence, if the road should continue open,
*
,
proceed to Der’ayyah the Wahhabi capital.
Some other minor subjects were then dis­
cussed and arranged, and I took my leave,

highly gratified with the prospect of success
before me.

November 23rd. From his Highness this
morning I received a fine Nejd horse for my

journey, a brace of greyhounds, and a gold­

mounted sword, together with an intimation,

* Situated in the Wadi Beni Hanifah: it is one of the defiles
by which alone the Nejd el Arid can be entered. Tchdn Numa,
p. 523.