'History of the imâms and seyyids of 'Omân by Salîl-ibn-Razîk, from A.D. 661-1856; translated from the original Arabic, and edited with notes, appendices, and an introduction, continuing the history down to 1870, by George Percy Badger, F.R.G.S., late chaplain in the Presidency of Bombay.' [‎225] (386/612)

sultan-bin-el-imam-ahmed.
225
force from ezh-Zliahirah and el-Batinah, and among them a
body of the el-'Affar, who feed on dead bodies, just as other
people eat dates. Kais is said to have assembled as many as
sixty thousand men, and was also joined by his brother Said
and his followers. On hearing of these proceedings. Sultan
sent letters to the people of ^Oman, and to the esh-Sharkiy-
yah, the Bedu of Jaalan, and to other parts, calling upon all
who bore arms to come to his assistance. Much to his annoy
ance none came, with the exception of the sheikh Majid-bin-
Said, er-Riwany, accompanied by one hundred men. In the
meantime Kais and Said moved with their forces and halted
at el-Karm, and Sultan had issued orders that fires should be
lighted at night on the tops of all the mountains, from those
of Riwa as far as those of Dar-Sit. This stratasrem was so
far successful that it led Kais and Said^s army to believe
that Sultan had a large force with him, whereas he had only
Majid-bin-Said J s men and a few others, in addition to those
who fed the fires with oil, cotton and wood. Then Sultan
wrote to his brother Kais, saying: " When this letter reaches
you, march with your force to the town of Badbad, and halt
there till 1 come, and I will put you in possession of the
forts of Badbad and Semail; but beware of attacking Maskat."
Kais, relying on Sultan's promise, marched accordingly to
Badbad, while Sultan went by way of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -Hatat to
Semail. On reaching it, he ordered the people to take up
arms against Kais and Said, and directed the garrison of
the fort of Badbad to fire upon them with their guns. As
provisions for their army began to fail, and they saw no
prospect of prevailing against Sultan, Kais and Said retired
from Badbad, the former going to Sohar and the latter to
er-Rastak, with their respective followers. Thus hostilities
were suspended for a time, but rancour still dwelt in the
breasts of all parties.
Subsequently the people of'Oman and the esh-Sharkiyyah,
the Bedu and those of Jaalan, together with all the other