The New York herald., 1870-02-01


neariy resembles the bond service rendered to
Abraham than the toll exacted from plantation
nand. The slaves are al negroes. some Of them
through Jedda. Medina and Mecca nom Abys.
smia. 'Th0 latter are far the more Valuable,
rsrer @ 70 ner tesence oIs then they are mHS
Saves Ihe latter are frequently hawked about the
oazaars OF Auscat by professional dealers ana seem
ton &C. An Abyssinian u valued IT from $50 to
Hloo. Iheso are OF course, only the rates for men.
VINO are mainly eougn sr
Even seedee woman, black as the ace OF spades,
villa oubber lips ana olcovered skull, wll bring
from tSo 70 SaU, while better featured ADysslnian.
unless she be past chid-bearing, cannot be bought
Tor less than t7o, and may bring anything up to
1900. The trade IN women IA mostly IA the hnnds Of
the larger dealers. IL s against the faith Of M0slem
TO expose the face or the street, and buy
efs nave therefore TO 20 TO the Dealers mousse and
Nothing can be more curious than the System Of
concubnage established among the Arabs. A. pre-
sent, according To the sect who hold sway IN Oman
II .s only lawful TO have one wne But this wife mas
40 right 70 be jealous. though her husband should
Dny haii dozen negro slave women and openly
nve with then. All these slaves are, however. non
nally subject to the legal wife; they have to obey
ner ana submit TO personal chastisement II her
hands, she be pleased 70 inEiot II But by far the
most singular feature OF this system IL, that the
Children or the slave woman RANK on perfect
equality with loe children or the legal WE Az
soon sine has child by her master the slave
woman Is declared free; her o1spllnR Is FORMALLY
acknowledged As belonging to his iather's family ana
has children OF pure or mixed blood alike Even IA
the rCyai family he same rule holds good, and the
two Sutans who preceded the present one were
b0tn the offspring OF slave mother. There IL,
therefore, no whatever to miscegcnation IN
Muscat, and On the SIDE OF the slave woman.
some unex planned manner the purity OF the better
Arab families Is pretty wen preserved. Sometimes
have heard 1t accounted for by the dying out of
the mixed races and certainly, considering the
nous number OF bastard c0lorcd children born here
every year ssre are are rsasao few IA
bered, 100, mat this s all the more strange since
most Arabs Keep couple OF concuDines, and many
hand, OWING to the DARK complexion or the ARAB
himself, 1t Is somewhat hard 10 detect the admlx-
features OF either Of ts parents in very marked de-
gree. Now and then one comes across q nan or I'M
pure race with very light complexion, but with
The thick lips and wooy hair OF the African. In his
case there can be no doubt But II one meets q
man with Arab features and IN whom the solo
ground OF suspicion consists in q slightly darker
Iinge Of color than usual, 1t IL very hard
to give decided opinion TO his parentage There
Is but little Jealousy OF race, however, between
own blood, simply because she has more regular
features and belongs to higher type OF beauty,
not because he would be ashamed to have legitimate
children by an Ethiopian woman.
There are other features tn Muscat slavery Of some
interest and winch speak well for the humanity and
benevoience OF the Arabs. slavery here Is not
In theory absolute. Tue cnattel, although he may
be bought ana sold, has rights which are acknow-
iedged ana which meet with universal respect. Ii q
master nI-trears slave either In the shape Of ex-
cessiye personal violence or overwork. or In any
other ma1ner the eondan has the privilege q
appear to the latter that the master ls unfit to own
a Dondman the slave is declared free. And In the
equally charitable. No master can com
pei his slave to be his concnbine, but
against her inclination she Can go to the cai and md
demand as q right TO be sold To some other owner.
IN TACT, the relations between master and slave IN
Muscat have very strong clements OF sympathy,
respect and Affection. Nearly every good Mussul-
man at death frees hts slaves. too, by his wills
ana II they have been good servants he probably
with the custom Of freeing women who have borne
child to white man, and the legal equality OF child
II WIN be easily credited that negroes are not In
uscat looked upon az necessarily race OF slaves.
i IN aIa as @ TO ss a q
South. An Arab sees only In his slave victim OF
excessively hard luck, and although It has pleased
Allah place wide distinction between them,
1t may also please Him Ut any time TO reverse the
So fsr | have been speaking mainly OF seedee
slaves Abyssinians are even much better treated,
but only because they are capable Of much more.
Unless the slave when bought IL too old TO learn he
disposition. and proves himself honest and trust
worthy, he Is employed by hts master as hs clerk,
or as steward On board n bnggaiow, , Or perhaps
grasp OF al Abyssintan slave II he only have the
patience TO wait. His freedom is merely matter OF
time, and after that he frequently becomes RICH An
Abysslnian slave AraD household Is In no more
degrading position than was Joseph In Potphar's
household while, as the steward IN an Arab family
even fewer chances OF meeting unmerlted disgrace.
There IL, however, one barbartfy connected with
dgnanty condemned, though 1t has so long existed
and is sanctioned by sucn high Noslem authority
that It Is not likely to be soon abolished. refer to
the inhunan mutat0n or boys, 30 as to nt them
'or the functions Of eunuchs. This mutilation Is
never performed in Arabia the Arab Is too good.
natured and soft-hearted himself to pcrperate 80
errfbe crime; but ne has no objection to avail.
ng himself Of the product OF other mons cruelty,
lnd paying them handsomely for the guilt they have
ncurred. The operation Is therefore attempted be.
ore tho slave leaves Africa, and, although the VIC.
ANS generally OF tender age, only one in ten
sult OF the unskfu manner in which the mutilation
Is performed. The value OF the eunuch depends to
great extent upon the measure OF health and strength
which remains to him.
There are only three white residents In Muscat.
They consist OF the British Consul, the British Con-
suis CLERK and the steamship agent, who is also q
well-to do merchant But lie IS not nearly 30 duh
here as might be anticipated There IS always more
or less political excitement anoat and political ex-
takes the form in this country OF hard
knocks ana broken heads. Mr.. MeGill, the steam
ship agent, has twice had TO dy for his life during
one occasion ne rad great dlicury in efectlng his
escape Surely man can cheerfuiy renounce tho
pleasures Of billiards and bathrooms, OF theatres and
card parties, when he has an ever-present con-
OF the uncertainty Of human life, espe
,taiiy In Muscat.
lGfsa8H DUO s<aVo Al Xnu1C4L-OunC10Ep
Singing and Smoking Prohiblted-Long
Mustachcs Crimc-A Ton Years, Rotro-
spcct-fritiah IntcrIerence-Injury to Amer.
lean Gomncrca.
MUsCAT, Dec. II. 1859.
Muscat was In former times celebrated as .
land OF soDg and festivity ana pleasure; but It Ia
groaning under laws Of ultra Puritancal strict
ness. About year ago, In manner which will be
more particularly described In subsequent part of
this letter, Azan-bn Ghes, the present Sultan or
Imsum, ascended the throne. Azsn ls at the head
Of the Abadee sect OF Mussulmans, who are dis.
by the gloomy asceucsm OF their life
and tho fierce intolerance OF their speculative opin
ions. Nuscat as city is merely clay In the hands
Of the potter. All the lighting Of the country Is done
by the Bedoufn or wild Arabs. or by the tribes
that are not nomadic and are nevertheless scarcely
wholly husbandmen; tribes that till the ground,
but manage. Notwithstanding. TO keep themselves