'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎104] (213/496)

104
where we were cordially received by Ali ben Saleen, the Sheik, a middle
aged man with an intelligent cast of countenance, and standing upwards
of six feet. A carpet was spread under the shade of one of the houses, and
crowds of Arabs assembled to satisfy their curiosity : amongst them were
two natives of Cutch, dyers by trade, who understood Hindoostani, and
with their help we were enabled to carry on a conversation, and learned
that on that day a peace had been concluded between themselves and the
Beni-boo-Ali, and that a party, headed by Hamood ben Sabin, had pro
ceeded to their town for the purpose of ratifying it. In the evening
we were called to witness the return of the deputation, consisting of about
fifty men mounted on camels, fully equipped for war. We were then in
troduced. to Hamood ben Salin, the Sheik’s brother, and leader of the
expedition,—a most pleasing and intelligent young man, very superior to
the generality of the Arabs we had seen before.
The town of the Beni-boo-Hassan is of considerable size, spreading
over a large extent of ground. It is defended on the northern and east
ern sides with a wall of mud, and here and there a fort of the same
material: the houses are very irregularly built, and composed some of mud
others of cadjan. That of the Sheik is much superior to the rest, being
neatly built of cadjan, and nicely matted and carpetted in the interior.
The walls were hung with glass bottles, and many articles of English
manufacture, while a plentiful supply of earthenware was displayed on a
species of shelf occupying one side of the apartment, and a double bar
relled gun a present from the Imaum of Muskat—hung in a conspicuous
situation as being an article not a little prized by its owner.
On the southern and western sides of the town there are numerous
date groves, on which much care is apparently bestowed: streams of beau
tiful water intersect them in various directions. In many of the groves we
observed maize and cotton growing, which, by their beautiful green tint,
presented a delightful contrast to the sandy appearance of the soil,
xei e is a veiy good bazaar, in which the principal articles sold are dates,
ea , fish, poultry,, and meat (chiefly mutton); together with cotton cloth,
wnch they manufacture with a species of hand-loom.
This tribe is possessed of several horses, some of which we saw: they are
a small compact make. Most of them have nice Turkish saddles, and
they ride without stirrups.
We received a very pressing invitation from Kallipheea ben Ali, Sh eik
tl + 0ui # n Sec ^i° n of the tribe,—who had come here as mediator betv een
thev * 011 accoiin t of the ensuing month being Dulbajja, that
} mig t perform tlle pilgrimage &c. unmolested ; when that time has