Page 284 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

242 MUSK AT.

Nothing more than that, in most towns and villages,
a few
Educational Measures. schools arc kept by Moollas, and when a boy
can read the Koran his education is considered
complete. Those who intend to become Nakhodas arc taught a little
arithmetic, and navigation, at Bombay or at Calcutta.
XVII.—None whatever ; the thing is unknown, except to a few

Progress of Vaccination. people who are attached to Europeans, at Zanzi­
bar and Muskat. Mr. Frost, the medical officer of
the Consulate and Agency, finds the people rather averse to it.
XVIII.—Catarrhs, fevers, and, in Arabia, disease of the eyes ; and
at Zanzibar and on the Coast of Africa that
Prevalent Diseases.
terrible disease, elephantiasis, and a disease
peculiar to this country, elephantiasis of the scrotum,—a frightful dis­
ease, and for which there is, I believe, no remedy. The yellow fever
has been here : I have seen three Europeans die here of it; and Her
Majesty’s ships on the coast for the suppression of the slave trade have
lost numbers of men from it.
It may be observed that there are no people in the world from whom
it is so difficult to get information as from Arabs. They have a reli­
gious dislike to talk of the past, they care but little for the present, and
for the future nothing at all.

XIX.—NATURE OF THE RELATIONS OF IIIS HIGHNESS THE IMAUM
OF MUSKAT WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

His Highness the Imaum of Muskat is an independent Sultan. His
ancestors have ruled the Kingdom of Oman for nearly three hundred
years, in Southern Arabia, and most of them have been Imaums of
Muskat, the capital of Oman, the seaport, in lat. 23° 37' N., and long.
58° 35' E. The Imaum of Muskat has also possessions on the Coast of
Beloochistan, and rents Bunder Abbas and its dependencies, on the
Southern Coast of Persia, from the Persian Government.
His Highness has besides very extensive territory on the East Coast
of Africa, extending from Mukdeesha (theMajadaxa of the Portuguese),
in lat. 2° 2' S., and long. 45° 26' E., to the river Lindee, in lat. 10° S.,
and long. 39° 45' E.
The British Government have not any political relations of a separate
nature with any of the Shaikhs or Chiefs in any part of the territories
of the Imaum of Muskat, either in Arabia or Africa: all the engage­
ments or treaties which have from time to time been entered into y 1 ie
East India Company, and the Government of Great Britain, have een