'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.' [‎508] (539/582)

description of the country,
on the north-east, to from three to six days' journeys inland on
the south-west. The whole of this territory is called Aman,
implying the land of safety or security, as contrasted with the un
civilized and unsafe countries by which it is bounded. On the
north, as before observed, it has the sea ; on the south, are the
Arabs of Mazeira, who are described as a cruel and inhospitable
race, and whose shores are as much avoided, from a dread of
falling into the hands of such a people, as from the real dangers
which it presents to those who coast along it. On the east,
the sea also forms its boundary; and on the west are several
hostile tribes of Bedouins, who dispute among themselves the
watering-places and pasturage of the Desert, and sometimes
threaten the borders of the cultivated land. The southernmost
of these unite with those of Mazeira, and still retain their original
indifference to religion ; but the northernmost are by degrees
uniting with the Wahabees ; and being infected, as soon as they
join them, with the fanaticism of that sect, they are daily augment
ing the number of the Imaum's enemies, and even now give him
no small degree of apprehension for the safety of his northern
frontier.
Throughout this space, thus distinguished by the name of
Aman, and which is somewhat more extensive now than it was
under the predecessors of the present governor, are scattered
towns, villages, and hamlets, in great abundance. The face of
the country is generally mountainous within-land, and the moun
tains are in general rugged and bare; but, as they are very lofty,
the dews, of which they facilitate the fall, and the clouds which
they arrest, give a mild and agreeable temperature to the air
that blows around them, and causing showers to wash down
the decomposed surface of the rocks they add to the soil of the
valleys, and occasion also rills and torrents to fertilize them. In
these valleys are corn-lands, fruit-gardens, and excellent pas
turage for cattle; and some of the country residences of the rich
inhabitants, whose situations have been judiciously chosen in the