APPENDIX.

A.-MUSCAT.

THIS port in the Arabian Sea is the residence and principal seat of government of Seid Syud, a powerful prince, who rules over a considerable portion of the coast of Arabia and Abyssinia, and who exercises considerable sway in the neighbouring seas, though the medium of a comparatively large navy and skilful officers. The town of Muscat is situated in the heart of a valley, formed by the towering vicinage of dark barren rocks, open only to the sea; which, being likewise partially surrounded by lofty rocks, finds but just sufficient ingress to form a commodious cove. This cove furnishes excellent protection to vessels of all dimensions from the effects of the furious shumauls, or north-westers, which blow at intervals throughout the year, especially between the months of March and September.

The streets of Muscat are exceedingly narrow, and the houses about three hundred in number. They are extremely dirty, and indifferently built; but towards the sea face, and in occasional open spaces, great attention is paid to external architecture, thus giving to the town, on a first view, a cheerful and cleanly aspect. On the summit of the rocks on the eastern and western sides of the cove are two fortresses, built, like the houses, of sun and furnace dried bricks, cemented with chunam, or Indian lime, and faced with a light buff-coloured earth, which pulverises at the slightest touch. The eastern fortress is in a miserable state of internal decay. It is protected by thirty pieces of ordnance, all honeycombed, excepting two or three Portuguese brass guns mounted on wretched wooden carriages. The fortress is garrisoned by about two hundred Askarries or Sepoys, who reside there altogether, and are under the command of an old Killedar or Jemadar, who inhabits the loftiest turret. These Askarries, as well as the rest of the Imaum's ordinary establishment of troops, (three thousand in number,) receive from three to five dollars per month each, finding their own spear, sword, matchlock, and small circular shield.

Surrounded on all sides, excepting the south-west, by high rocks, Muscat is, between November and May, so exceedingly hot that the Persians call it jenaham, or hell; though I could not learn that the average temperature was more than ninety degrees Fahrenheit in the shade: the highest, at the worst of times, is one hundred and twenty degrees. Between December and May the thermometer ranges from fifty-six to seventy degrees. The enclosed space around Muscat extends over a rocky soil

to a distance of a mile and a half or two miles. The communication with the interior of the country subject to the Imaum, is round the western rock to Muttra, whence there are beaten roads for about a hundred miles in every direction. The districts situated within these limits are extremely fertile, yielding abundance of fruit, (such as mangoes, peaches, pomegranates, plantains, grapes, dates, sweet limes, lemons, oranges, walnuts, and water melons,) vegetables and flowers. The chief of the latter, next the rose, is the yasmeen, or jasmine, which here grows in great perfection. There is very little pasturage in the interior, and the trees that grow are small and brittle, sufficing only for fuel, and timber for the construction of light barks and boats. The country abounds with game; and horses, descended from the Nedjd mares, are foaled in great numbers, and reared with care.

The trade of Muscat consists of the following articles; viz. IMPORTS-cotton, iron, piece goods, rice, sugar candy, sugar, pitch, tar, rope, hemp, and coffee. Exportsdates, almonds, kissmiss, (a small raisin,) dry limes, pottery, matting, wheat, and horses. The places with which trade is carried on, are the Malabar and Coromandel coasts, Calcutta, the Eastern Islands, the Burmese Empire, the Isle of France, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and African coast. The Imaum participates slightly in the trade, but not, as it is said, greatly to his advantage. On all imports the Imaum levies a charge of five per cent. ad valorem; he derives a further revenue from a tax of ten per cent., in kind, on all internal produce. These duties and taxes are farmed to resident Banian (Hindoo) merchants for about one hundred thousand dollars each. No

land tax is levied. The government of the Imaum is of the mildest character of which despotism is susceptible; and the people who acknowledge his sway, appear to be exceedingly happy.

Of the general characteristics of the Muscat Arabs, differing so slightly as they do from the Arabs of the Gulf of Persia, much need not be said; but a brief notice of some of their customs may not be amiss. Their marriage and funeral ceremonies, for example, are singular and original. The first is solemnized in private houses. The parties seldom marry before they have attained their twentieth year, in which respect they differ essentially from the Mahomedans in India. A young man affects a girl; he proposes to her father. If she agrees, she empowers a cazee to communicate her sanction. On a subsequent day a feast is given by the young man— the wife is brought to him in state, and-c'est finie! A man can cast off his wife at pleasure, and marry again; but, in doing so, he must restore every thing he received with the first. Funerals take place on the same day that the individual dies, in order to guard against the unpleasant consequences of rapid putrescence. The obsequies are very simple, the body being merely wrapped in a white cloth, and then interred. Men mourn within their houses for several days, according to the affinity of the deceased relative, or the depth of their grief; fifteen days are generally the utmost period. Subsequently, the mourners wear coarse cotton clothing, of a black colour. Women mourn for a longer time than the men. A woman must not quit her house, nor wear any colour but black, for four months and ten days; after that period she grieves à discretion.

Surgery, after a fashion, is practised in Muscat, but medicine is little understood.

The laws of the Khoran are administered by a cazee, except in cases of importance, when the Imaum presides in person. Robbery and murder are not very common in Muscat. The commission of the former is punished by mutilation, banishment, and imprisonment; the latter crime is visited with death.

There are fifteen small schools, within the town, where the rudiments of Arabic are taught, and one larger school, or college, supported by government, where the education is of a higher order, and whence the cazees for the interior districts are selected.

The manufactures in Muscat and its neighbourhood are considerable for the size of the place, and comprise pottery, (porous jugs and bowls,) matts, cotton and silk piece goods, a pleasant sweetmeat called hulwa, (compounded of the glutinous property of wheat, sugar, and clarified butter, and much in demand in India and Persia) woollen cloths, small carpets, swords, fire-arms, daggers, spears, and brass cannons.

The fish of Muscat are very plentiful, and some of an excellent flavour. One species, about the size of a sprat, covers the whole surface of the cove before sunrise, and then disappears; when salted they resemble the sardine, and are an excellent bonne-bouche at the breakfast table. Fishermen pay a small tax on each boat-load of fish, which is farmed like the rest of the Muscat imposts.

The coins in use are the gaz, a small copper coin, and the Spanish dollar. Twenty gaz make one mahmoodie, (an imaginary coin,) and fourteen mahmoodies and a half one dollar.