"ملف ‎٣/ ٤ كُتُب إلخ: الطرق في عُمان" [و‎‎٣‎٣] (٧٢/٦٥)

-5
*>
No. of Stage &
tptal distance. Route
SOHAF.. An important town on the BATINAE coast of
the 'OMAN Sultanate. It is walled on the
landward side and contains a huge, square, four
storeyed fort of bricic. The houses in the town ^rop-
^ er are built of mud ana stone, those in the extra
mural quarters being of date matting. The total
population is probably about 7,bOO souls. The bazaar
contains about £00 shops. Water is assumed to be
plentiful, but no precise information is available.
Fuel and fodder are plentiful, especially the for
mer. The supplies consist of dates, and negligible
quantities of lucerne, wheat and sugar. Mangoes
and limes are also plentiful. There are a few
transport animals available ; and there are about 8
sea-going, and 30 smaller craft.
i
2/?6
3AHAILAH 26 M miles.
(£ m. )
Travellers leave SOHAR by 8ALLAN. The road after
leaving the belt of palm groves and cultivation
round SOHAH runs for an hour to 'AUHI, a little
patch of date groves and gardens, and then turns west
over a stony and gradually rising plain covered with
thin acacia jungle and underwood. At ‘AITII, o 2 m. ,
fruit and transport animals. Route then passes by
FALAJ AL GABAIL to FALAJ AS SUQ, and 2 or 3 miles
from here it strikes the WADI AL JIZI which it fill-
ows for 4 miles and then leaves, diverging to the
right for 9 miles and rejoining the wadi again at
SAHAILAH. At 16 m. is the village of SIHLAT, pict
uresquely situated on the top of a hill. Between here
and HAIL the wadi contains flowing water.At MLAIYIN-
AH, 20 m., ,he ascent becomes more steep and winding.
Just below here, where the wadi narrows considerably,
is an arched aqueduct solid masonry, which car
ries water to the village of AL GHARRAQ, half-way be
tween SIHLAT and MILAIYINAH. SAHAILAH is a village
of about 100 houses.