'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎537] (568/1050)

DHUFAR
537
Boats from the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. generally visit or pass Dhufar in November and December -
some return before the monsoon, but others better equipped linger till the Tadbirah or
premonitory symptoms of the monsoon in June, or even till the first blast of the monsoon
itself. These boats carry dates on their outward, and coffee on their return voyage.
The smaller craft of the coast about Masirah fish in fleets along the shore towards Dhufar
in winter and return home with the current in March or April.
The inhabitants of Dhufar believe themselves independent of foreign-trade, and
lu i they COuld subsist b y their own cultivation and flocks and herds if intercourse
with the outer world were to be interrupted; this is possibly true in regard to food,
but a blockade would certainly reduce them to great straits for clothing.
The products of the Dhufar district are described in the articles on Dhufar Proper and
»Jabal bamhan. No minerals of commercial value are certainly known to exist, but an
easily worked not very durable buildins: stone is quarried near Ralalah.
Administration . This remote district of the 'Oman Sultanate is ruled by a Wall
who is appointed from 'Oman by the Sultan. The late Wali, Sulaiman-bin-Suwailim,
tiad been almost continuously absent from Dhufar for 9 years before his death in 1907
and his duties were carried on by a resident deputy-governor. The revenue derived from
sea-customs amounts to $5,000 a year, or more, and there are taxes on animals and a tax
on agriculture ; the last, known as Zakat, is fixed at ^ of the gross produce and is
estimated to bring in about $15,000 a year. The taxes are mostly received in kind,
and the late Wall was accustomed to send the goods thus collected to an agent whom he
mamtamed at Bombay, where they were converted into cash. The revenue realised
only suffices to cover the expenses of government and no surplus is ever remitted to"
Masqat. The military force is fluctuating and consists of 50 to 200 'Askaris or armed
levies who are paid from the local revenues: at present the number is about 60 distributed
etween Murbat, Salalah, Hafah and Risut. These levies are now mostly local men
not Omanis ; in their number we have not included the personal retinue of the deputv'
governor m the Hisn. F J
. Topography. The topography of the plain of Dhufar Proper and the Samhan hills
is gjven m the articles under those names : the following is an alphabetically arranged
table ot the principal features and places in the remainder of the Dhufar district
Name.
Position.
Nature.
Remarks.
Kharifot
On the coast 17
miles west of Eas
Sajar.
A ravine and village
of 30 houses divided
from Rakhyut to
the east by the tract
called Sailikot. The
people are Qaras of
the Shamasah and
Bani Tsa sections.
There is a stream of
running water and,
at the mouth of the
ravine, a date grove.
The village is the
westernmost in
the Dhufar district.
There are 100 sheep
and goats ; no boats.
urbat ..
....
See article Murbat.
Nus (Has and
Bandar).
On the coast 43 miles
east-north-east of
Murbat.
A cape with a small
anchorage on the
east side of it form
ed by a concavity of
the coast and shelter
ed from southerly
and westerly winds.
2 miles north of the
point which forms
the north end of the
bay is the tomb of
Salih-ibn-Hud.
There are date trees
and a good spring,
sufficient to supply 2
or 3 vessels in a
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