'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎109] (218/496)

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air, and next morning my blanket was completely drenched from the ex
cessively heavy dew that had fallen during the night. I was anxious to
make an early start to-day, as Bedeyer, my next station, the natives called
a day’s journey; I therefore concluded it to be distant about twenty-five
miles : but with all my endeavours, it was noon before I could prevail on
my guide to take leave of his family. Our road now was over a com
plete desert, a few bushes, and those very parched, only meeting the eye.
From having set out so late, night closed in long before reaching Bedeyer,
and my guides pretended to be very apprehensive, constantly stopping
and looking anxiously around, and enjoining the strictest silence for fear
of attracting any passing marauders : this however I felt pretty confident
was merely assumed to enhance their services. As they were continually
endeavouring to impress upon me the great dangers of the road, my con
stant reply was, that “ having no feuds with the people of the country, none
of them would molest an Englishman.” This opinion, some time after, when
they found that I was not to be imposed upon by such idle reports, they
fully concurred in, admitting that in no part of Oman was there the
slightest danger,—that on the contrary, wherever I went, every attention
would be paid me, particularly as I was a “ Serkali”—a term almost as
generally understood in these parts as in India. At 8 p. m. arrived at
Bedeyer, having travelled a good twenty-five miles. Passed the night in a
small hut. The first thing next morning I was conducted to a silversmith’s
shop, where I found a numerous circle, who all rose to receive me, and
coffee was immediately served round. My entertainer the silversmith
was a very respectable-looking man, and had never seen an Englishman
since our troops were at Jahlan. All present were very cleanly dressed.
6. Bedeyer is not a regular built town, but comprises some eight or
nine date groves, which have sprung up around so many different springs :
they are all separate, some three and four miles apart, the intermediate
spaces sandy and barren, and the whole are situated in one large plain ;
the Soor mountains to the Nd. and Ed., with a range of sand-hills to the
Sd. and Wd., beyond which all is desert.
7. This is the place from whence the dry date eaten in India is ex
ported : it is the most valuable description grown, and is called mybsalee.
Caravans of five and six hundred camels, laden solely with this article,
leave daily for Soor in the date season, from whence they are mostly
shipped for India. This trade renders Bedeyer the most wealthy place
in Oman, Meskat excepted : the dates grown elsewhere being of a less
valuable quality, are entirely used for home consumption. A single date
tree of the mybsalee kind is worth on the average from ten to fifteen