Page 160 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

150 Arabian Studies IV
No Customs accounts arc kept because both the Imam as the
biggest merchant and the Banyan farmer have an interest in
keeping them quiet. There were many Hadhrami moun­
taineers on the suq, carrying matchlocks, two-handed swords,
javelins and shields: they are practically naked, have long hair
and act as the police. Ships to Malabar take slaves and bring
pepper, building-wood, cardamom and rice. Ships to Calcutta
take horses and dates and bring back rice, indigo, sugar and
Singhalese cinnamon. Ships to Africa take dates and bring
back slaves, gold-dust, ivory, nacre, tortoise-shell and copal.
AUCHER-ELOY, Relations dc voyages en Orient dc 1830 £
1838, Paris, 1843, ii, 545-68. The English say that a single
night on shore causes certain death. There are many
prostitutes and obscene dancers who are accompanied by a
gourd with rattling pips. He saw a dozen slaves sold: each sale
was ratified by the Qadi.
1840 As. Jml., October. The steamer Victoria reached Muscat in
six days and eleven hours from Bombay. The Imam went for
a cruise in her and spent an hour in the engine room despite
the temperature of 100 degrees. He gave the Captain a fine
sword.
1847 COLE, C. S. D., Trans, of the Bombay Geog. Soc., viii, 1849,
119. He arrived overland from Leshkairee in Bilad Bani Bu
Ali but gave no description of Muscat.
1848 PFEIFFER, Ida, A Woman’s Journey round the World,
London, 1852, 236-7. Visited in May. The streets were so
narrow that two people could scarcely walk abreast. She put
the population of Muscat at 4,000 and the filthy stinking
village at 6,000. Beyond there was a true oasis and the Arabs
asked if there was anything as beautiful in Europe.
1850 BINNING, Robert, A Journal of Two Years’ Travel in Persia,
Ceylon etc., London, 1857, i, 122-32. Visited in October,
landing to take on coal. The British Agent, Khoja Ezekiel was
‘an indolent and nonchalant rascal’. He was told that the
population was 12,000. The forts appeared to be made of
badly baked pie-crust. The streets were narrow and dirty but
some of the houses had beautifully carved wooden door
frames. The Indians have cleaner houses, decorated with
frescoes of elephants. He hears that men rarely married before
they were 20 or women before they were 18. Slaves are still
smuggled into the interior. Many people leave Muscat at
night and sleep at Muttrah or on board ship.
185? LOW, Charles, The land of the sun, London, 1870, 201-8.
The forts were ‘the most tumble-down specimens I have ever
encountered’ and pieces fell off when they fired salutes. He
really believed it was the hottest place on earth as the
thermometer was rarely below 90. The only fine buildings
were mosques with lofty minarets. Sayyid Said, who had 300