Page 206 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

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280 THE SULTANATE OF OMAN

inhabitants believe that their own cultivation and their flocks and
herds would suffice for their subsistence if outside intercourse- were
cut off ; but, as there are no local manufactures, a blockade of the
coast would certainly reduce them to great straits for clothing.
The plain of Dhofar could be crossed with field-guns, but the track
along the coast, which connects tho plain with the Murbat anchorage,
would be difficult for artillery.
The principal settlements are on the coast, and are the following,
arranged in order from E. to W. :
1. Murbat, a village of about 150 huts and houses, some of stone,
. *. on the shore about a mile to the N. of Has Murbat, which affords
a perfectly sheltered anchorage from the NE. monsoon ; depth of
wrater from 6 to 7 fathoms at less than half a mile off shore. The
water-supply is from wells in the bed of Wadi Murbat, which comes
down to the sea 1 mile to the NW. of the village. The Vali of
Dhofar maintains a garrison here of 20 askaris, but the real ruler
of Murbat is the sheikh.
2. Dahariz, a village of about 100 houses of mud and stone,
inhabited by fishermen and cultivators, 4 miles E. of Hafah ; on the
W. side are cotton-fields and a grove of coco:nut palms.
3. Hafah, a village of about 150 houses of mud and stone, with
coco-nut plantations, about 2 miles E. of Salalah.
4. El-Hisn, the principal fort in Dhofar, about 100 yards from
the beach, half a mile W. of Hafah. It covers an acre of ground
and contains a substantial three-storeyed building ; the entrance
is on the E. side.
5. Salalah, the capital of Dhofar, half a mile inland, and about 6
miles from the W. end of the Dhofar plain. It consists of two
divisions, a quarter of a mile apart. The eastern division contains
about 150 houses, some with upper storeys, and a large mosque ;
the western division consists of about 100 houses. All the houses
are- of stone, and to the N. of each division is a cemetery sur­
• .
rounded by a low wall. The population belongs to the A1 Kethir
■
tribe, and a few traders from Shihr reside here during the
summer months ; there is a garrison of 20 askaris. Cotton and
wheat are cultivated, as Avell as tobacco, sugar-cane, melons, and
a few fig-trees.
6. Risut, at the western extremity of the Dhofar plain, consists
of a mud-built bazaar of from 15 to 20 shops, which are permanently
occupied by traders ; and a guard of 10 or 15 askaris is always
posted here. In the trading season, between March and September,
the number of shops is increased to 40 or 50. There is a sprino- of
fresh water a mile and a half up a ravine behind the settlement.

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