Page 144 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

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DISTRICTS 249
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Sham, or Elphinstone Inlet, form line natural harbours. Malcolm
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Inlet 'would shelter a large fleet, but is not suitable for a fixed
coaling-station as it would not be easy to defend. Vessels could
( safely coal in it from colliers, and it would serve as a good temporary
i [ anchorage. Elphinstone Inlet has three islands in it, one of which
is called Telegraph Islet ; it formerly had on it a British telegraph
station, the foundations of which still stand. The heat on this islet
in summer is intolerable.
There are date-groves in some of the valleys, especially near the
sea ; but the mountains are almost entirely bare except for some
vegetation in the fissures of the rocks, affording a scanty pasturage
for goats. The highest peak of the district is Jebel el-Harlm
(6,750 ft.) in the centre of the peninsula, fifteen miles south of
Khasab ; the second highest peak is Jebel Qa'wah (5.S00 ft..),
eight miles NNW. of Dibah.
The population are almost entirely of the Shihuh tribe, who are
somewhat darker than the generality of Arabs and have probably
absorbed some Persian elements. They belong to the Hinawi
political faction, and are now fairly well armed with modern rifles.
In general they speak the Shihhi dialect of Arabic, but an Iranian
dialect is spoken at Kumzar in the extreme north of the peninsula.
The Shihuh of the coast inhabit houses of stone and mud, and live
on the fish they catch, on imported rice, and on their own dates,
supplemented by others from Batinah. Their principal occupations
are fishing, pearl-diving, date-culture where possible, and the
herding of goats. The Shihuh of the interior cultivate grain, but
they are in great measure Bedouin and they own large numbers of
goats. They have no regular wells and obtain water from impi-oved
natural reservoirs in the rocks. The only other tribe is the Dhahu- !
riyln, who live in little settlements round Malcolm and Elphinstone
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Inlets. They are practically a part of the Shihuh tribe, though they
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will not admit it. The Sultan of Oman is represented by a Vali at
Khasab, with a guard of fifteen askaris, but he intervenes little in
the affairs of the district, which pays no revenue. \
The principal settlements are :
1. Khasab, a small town on the W. coast, lying on the S. side
of the bay which forms the approach to Ivhor esh-Sham, or Elphin­ . :
stone Inlet. It stands on a sandy beach nearly a mile long, and is :
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surrounded by date-groves, which extend some distance up a wide
valley behind the town. There is a fort in the centre of the date
plantations, and two or three small towers near the sea. Good
water is obtained in abundance from wells (30 to 60 ft. deep),
'vood, cattle, and vegetables are obtainable, and there is a bazaar

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