'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎517] (548/582)

FOREIGNERS AT MUSCAT.
517
not nearly so costly as is usual among the northern Arabs and the
Turks. Notwithstanding which, however, the people of Muscat
seemed to me to be the cleanest, neatest, best dressed, and most
gentlemanly of all the Arabs that I had ever yet seen, and
inspired, by their first approach, a feeling of confidence, good-will,
and respect.
The foreigners who sojourn here for such periods as their
business may require, but who are not reckoned among the per
manent residents, are Hindoos ; principally Banians from Guzerat;
some few Parsees from Bombay; Sindians and Belooches from the
coast of Mekran ; Persians from Bushire; Arabs from Bahrein;
and Jews from Bussorah. Some Desert Arabs sometimes come in
from the country ; and while they are looked upon as much
greater strangers by the people of Muscat than any of those enu
merated, and spoken of as a sort of wild race, among whom no
man in his senses would trust himself, they, in their turn, regard
every thing they see of the port, the shipping, and the bustle of
commerce, with an eye of surprise and admiration. The few of
these men that I saw, were of a smaller stature, more dried and
fleshless in their forms, of a darker colour, and altogether of a more
savage appearance, than even the Yezeedis of Sinjar. Like them,
these seemed never to have passed a razor over their heads, or
scissors over their upper lip. Their hair was long and black, and
hung in a bush of thick locks over their foreheads, eyes, and
shoulders. They wore no other covering than a blue checked
cotton cloth, girt around their loins by a small plaited leathern
cord, and were without any other shelter for their head than t e
immense bush of hair, plastered with grease, which covered it.
One of these only had a yambeah ; two or three of them had swords
and wooden shields; but the greater number of them carried short
spears only. They were seemingly as barbarous and uninformed as
men could possibly be.
The town of Muscat is on the whole but meanly built.
Custom-house, which is opposite to the landing-place bot i or