'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.' [‎477] (508/582)

INHABITANTS OF THE INTERIOR.
477
winter, they have abundance of fish, with dates, and the produce
of their flocks, in milk, &c. though corn is rarely seen among
them; and rice, their only substitute for it, is brought by them
from Muscat and Bahrein, to which ports it finds its way from
India and the Persian coasts.
Next in order to Sharjee is a small town, called Fisht, which
is less than two hours' sail to the north-east of it, and whose popu
lation is scanty and poor.
Eiman is another small town, near the shore, a few hours' sail
to the north-eastward of this, and, like Sharjee, containing a
population of four to five hundred souls. These, however, do not
send boats to the pearl-banks of Bahrein, but live chiefly by fish
ing on their own coast, and the produce of their date-trees and
flocks on shore, being as destitute as the others of corn, rice, or
other grain.
In the interior of the country, which is here a flat sandy plain,
extending for several leagues inward, to the foot of a low range
of broken hills, are Arab families, of the tribes of Beni Chittib and
Naaim, both of which are numerous, and live in hair-tents, and ride
on camels, which form their principal property, as they have no
horses, and but few goats. Beyond this, in the interior, past the
line of mountains to the westward, are Arabs of the tribe of Beni
Aass, who are still more numerous than both the former combined,
and whose state of existence is still more rude. These are described
as living even without tents, lying on the bare earth, and having
no other property but camels, of whose hair they make their gar
ments, and on whose milk they entirely subsist. Their sandy
wastes do not furnish them even with dates, and rice and corn are
almost unknown to them. The flesh of the camels that die is
sometimes eaten by them; but this is seldom, so that the various
preparations of milk, in the form of cheese, butter, lebben, &c. may
be said to constitute their common food. It is added, that through
out their territories there is but barely water enough for their
camels, who drink no oftener than once in two or three days, and