Page 204 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

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DISTRICTS 279

The climate is unhealthy. In the monsoon tribesmen and Bedouins
from the mainland frequent the N. end of the island with the object
of wrecking ; in 1904, at Jidufah, they massacred the crew of the
Baron Inverdale.

2. Dhojdr

In its widest sense, as a separate district of the Oman Sultanate,
the term Dhofar is employed for the whole coastal tract, from Ras
Nus westward to a point beyond the village of Kharlfot. Used in
this sense it has a length of 134 miles and a maximum breadth
inland, across the Dhofar plain, of 20 miles ; it consists in the main
of barren hills, at no great distance from the sea, forming an irregular
and discontinuous range known as Jebel Samhan. More properly
the term denotes the maritime plain between the Samhan hills and
the sea, from the Kh5r Rori westward to Ras Rlsut, a distance of
some 30 miles. In a still more restricted sense it is applied to the
villages Hafah and Salalah, which together contain two-thirds of
the population of the plain. There is no large harbour in Dhofar,
and landing is difficult because of the surf. The bays of Murbat and
Rlsut afford good anchorage for small vessels in the NE. and SW.
monsoons respectively ; but only fishing-boats, and practically no
sea-going vessels, are owned in Dhofar. The most valuable export
is'frankincense from the Samhan hills, which is carried to Bombay
in native boats. The seasons are here regulated chiefly by the
monsoons. The SW. monsoon, which brings rain, arrives about
June 11, and is sometimes preceded for 10 days by a severe gale
from the S. or SE. In December and January the climate is
pleasant.
Of the two great tribes of the district, the Qaras are found chiefly
in the Samhan hills, and speak a language of their own. The A1
Kathlr, occurring both in the hills and on the plain, are said to
speak an Arabic dialect which differs considerably from that of the
Persian Gulf. The villagers are agriculturists, but indolent ; the
blood-feud flourishes, and the population continues to decrease, in
spite of efforts to introduce a more stable system of administration
and control.
The district is ruled by a Vali appointed by the Sultan of Oman.
The revenue from sea-customs (about §5,000 a year), Zafcat (esti­

mated at §15,000 a year), and from animals (generally received in
kind) only suffices to cover expenses of government. The military
force normally consists of from 50 to 200 askaris, or armed levies,
most of thorn raised locally and paid from the local revenues. The