'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.' [‎509] (540/582)

REVENUES OF THE IMAUIVL
509
most agreeable of these fertile spots, combine great picturesque
beauty, with the desirable enjoyments of shady woods, springs
of pure water, and a cool and healthy air. The land near the
sea-coast mostly extends itself out from the feet of the moun
tains in plains, which are but scantily watered by a few small
streams descending through them to the sea, but which pro
duce nevertheless an abundance of dates, nourish innumerable
flocks of sheep, goats, and camels, and are lined all along their
outer edge by small fishing-towns, which give occupation to one
part of the population, and furnish seasonable supplies of food to
the other.
The revenues of the Imaum of Muscat are derived chiefly from
the commerce of the port. There are no taxes levied either on land
or on cattle throughout all his dominions ; and corn and dates,
the only two productions of the soil which are in sufficient quan
tity to deserve the notice of the Government, pay a tithe in
kind. The duties on commerce are five per cent, ad valorem,
paid by strangers of every denomination; and two and a half
per cent, by Arabs and other Mohammedan flags, on all goods
brought into the port. As the country exports but little of its
own productions, and these are duty free, it may be said that there
is no export duty here; since transit goods, having once paid
it on their importation, pay nothing more, whether consumed in
the country, or exported from hence to any other market.^ As far
as my enquiries went, it appeared to be the general opinion, that
the revenues of the Imaum, from the productions of his own
country, did not exceed a lack of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per annum ; while that
collected by the Custom-house of the port, on foreign commerce,
amounted to at least twenty lacks, or, as my informant said, ten
hundred thousand German crowns, estimated in round numbers.
During the lifetime of the present Imaum's father, or about
twenty years since, the foreign trade of Muscat, in its own vessels,
was much more considerable; and the number of ships, under
other flags, resorting to its port, much greater than at present