The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-09-10
RUNNING A MUCK,

a few years ago left Bombay, India.
as passenger on the screw steamer
Fenang, which at that time used to
carry tpe regular monthly mail between
Domp ay, Muscat, or Mascat Ga seaport
on We northeast coast of Arabia). and
the. principal ports of the Persian Gulf.
Inc steamer, staunch vessel of
ABOUT eight hundred tons, carried full
ana very valuable cargo of merchan-
dise, and her decks were densely crowd
ed from stem to stern with deck pas.
sengers OF both sexes and all ages.
without exception natives of Asia and
Eastern Africa, who, in their hetero.
8eneoas, highly picturesque Oriental
costumes and characteristic attitudes.
presented a striking ta6teou p;vant.
we had very pleasant passage
across the tranquil, azure waters of the
Gun OF Oman, and in due time sighted
she bare and rugged cliffs of Ras
(Cape)-el Had, $50 miles southeast of
Sne harDor of Mascat, and, shortly
alter, the mountain chain which forms
the coast of the torrid, dismally desc
late maritime territory Of Ell Oman,
slowly and cautiously the steamer
wound her way through the gorge.
presently she came in sight of three
large, plain, stone buildings, fronting
.o"arns the offing, and standing on the
Deacn OF the harbor.
The one in the center, the LARGEST of
the three buildings, looking somewhat
like three or four. story cotton factory.
was the residence of the Imaum (Snl,
tan) OF Mascat; the one on it's left
sloe, similar in appearance, but with all |
the wlndow'o openings iron-barred. and |
sne ie, majority OF them carefully screened
with indian mating, was the Imaum's
zenana, or harem while the edi-
nee on the right side of the Imaum's
palace, building much lower than the
two former, but of less forbiddinp
aspect, owing to its whitewashed walls
ana luxuriant garden within its spa.
olous precincts, was the residence of
her Britannia Majesty's consul, or rath-
er political agent, whose influence is
sscarcel y less than that of the Imaum
Not being British subject. Il cared
more about seeing something of the
ery-day life of the people Of Mascat
than the honor of being introduced to
BRITISH consul, or even political
agent; and so rambled on through the
town IN company with the second officer
and the steward of the steamer, who
proceeded to the bazaar, to purchase
some fresh provisions.
After protracted zig-zag tramp
through the exceedingly narrow, tortu.
GUS and hlthy streets, permeated by an !
atmosphere oppressively hot and posi-. :
lively sickening; brushing past closely :
mutied, carefully-veiled women, seri- :
ous-looklng, long-bearded merchants /;
and tradesmen, ragged soldiers and !,
bedoulns, all but stark naked fisher :
men, sailors, laborers, slaves, etc., we :
finally reached the bazaar, or market, :
where everything that is obtainable or 9
in Mascat can be bought !
IRON the well-known locusts, favor |
lte article of food, to the most gorge !
Gus diamond necklaces of the Orient. .
My companions had Just finished .
their purchases, and hired couple of =
stout negroes to carry the goods to the :
peach, when all of a sudden we were 4
startled by a general stampede of all 4
'he people of that portion of the ba- =
zaar which we had Just left. q
They came rushing madly after us, d
he men shouting, the women scream +
ng, and all of them gesticulating in v
he widest manner. What could cause +
'uch sudden and universal flight of {
he population? Was it a revolt among a
he rabble? dog afflicted with hydro F
,hobia ? sudden attack of hostile Be- h
louins from the adjacent desert? or o
lad the good people of Mascat all gone .
aving mad simultaneously ?-questions
,ore easily asked than answered by
trangers. t.
We turned around to look for an ex- Il
lanation from our negro mammals N