The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-04-04
ON THE SANDS OF ARABIA.
Approach TO Muscat.-Glimpses of the City
and HarbOr Firing a salute.-A Royal
Visitor. Strange Scenes and Customs,

| Visitor. Strange Scenes and Customs,
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
MUsCAT, Arabia.-On the eastern side
of the Arabian peninsula, the land of
wonderful stories and wild barbarities,
the sea-farer draws near TO the fortified
city of Muscat, the capital of the Oman
province, with conflicting thoughts and
feelings. His ship enters the harbor,
which is about half a mile broad and
two miles long, and drops anchor IN it's
quiet waters. The bay, which is one of
the safest in the Orient, opens toward
the north and is completely shut in by
high and barren mountains, guarded on
either side by antiquated forts, which
were built by the Portuguese IN the six
teenth century, when that enterprising
nation came in possession of the city.
The mountains, reaching out like great
arms into the sea, extend back and
around the city and form natural wall
of defense, cutting off all communica-
ton with the surrounding country ex-
cept by the way of difficult pass or by
means of boats through the harbor.
Just hey ond the city walls, inaccessible
by land, lies town that becomes an en-
trepot to Muscat, into which the Arab
ian caravans from the interior bring
their merchandise which is then taken
to the city by the barges. The forts,
which are designed for the protection OF
the city, are occupied by mercenary sol
diers who subserve their purpose well
when there is no fighting to be done, but
who in time of need cannot be trusted.
The province of Muscat, that extends
along the Gulf of Oman to the promon-
tories in the north, is under the rule of
Said Tuky whose reign has been long
and uneventful. The sultan is in con-
stant fear for his life at the hands of his
subjects, and keeps himself closely with
in his capital, feeling more secure be-
hind it's stony rampsrts. 1t often hap
pens that some Bedouin chief, whose ex-
chequer has run low, makes sudden
attack upon his domain, and eXacte a
tribute which is at once paid, the sultan
dOubtlessly congratulating himself that
he escapes 30 lightly, The principal
garrison, which is set about the capital
and serves as personal guard is a body
of sixty native braves, whose duty it is
to howl all night in order to appraise the
hostile Arabs that he is on the alert and
possibly deter them from an attack.
The waters in the vicinity are alive
with fish, which form the staple article
of food for the natives, and which when
salted is exported in large quantities.
Dates are grown extensively in the in
uerior, many of which reach the Ameri-
can ports. The communication with
the outside world is made by the vessels
from Bombay, which touch at Muscat
weekly and by the caravans from the
desert. With a population of forty
thousand, this intensely interesting and
strange Arabian city is thoroughly iso-
lated by land and sea.
AS is the custom of 2 man. of-war in
entering foreign port, we fired a salute
from one of the ships guns before pass
ing the forts, In this act of greeting
toward the nation whose harbor we are
about to enter, we are accustomed to dis
play their flag while firing the salute,
and anticipate return of the same cour
lesy toward our coors. In the salute
from the fort the sultan's soldiers hoisted
he stars and stripes, but by some mis-
take our national ensign was inverted.
The captain of the ship Immediately in
formed his majesty that he could not
accept the salute as an answer to our
friendly greeting. Promptly the sultan
caused the error to be corrected and the
mountain sides re.echoed to the BOOM
ing of their guns, while the graceful ban.
ner hoated from the flagstaff.
To allay any suspicious of unfriendli-
neos awakened by this episode, his ex
cellency sent to the ship a present of
some fruit and number of live goats.
in return for which gift was sent to him.
This royal present was equally significant
in demonstrating the high degree Of civ
Ilization in Muscat as well as the nature
of the land. 1t was also rumored that
the unfortunate soldier was executed at
once, to appease the wrath of the god
dess of liberty, but be that as it may our
4mieable relations were not disturbed in
the least.
While the Juniata lay at anchor, the
sultan was pleased to visit the vessel in
state with his suite, making it a notable
occasion, if not regslly impressive. He
was much interested in and astonished
by what he saw on shlpboard. A tor
pedo was exploded for his amusement,
which threw the water all over some of
his attendants to his delight. That
which took his fancy most completely,
and seemed incredible to him, was the
rapidity with which the Calling gun was
tired. 1t was trained on the bare face of
a rock, that he might hear its twelve
hundred shots minute rafting like hail
stones.
We were, of course. given the free
dom of the city, IN all that it signifies
here, and during our stay in port we
spent many hours in curious observation |
within its walls. In the royal stables |
we're shown many very fine horses Of a
noble blood, fleet, graceful and intelli- |
gent, to mount any one of which and |
speed like the wind into the desert might
seem the dream of romance. The sultan |
kindly placed his horses at our service,
and 1t was a most tempting offer to
equestrians to whom even the gait Of a
donkey is pleasurable. Delightful as the
ride might be- none were so enthusiastic
as to venture out through the mountain
paths and among treacherous people,
and hence the Arabian steeds were
spared the unframed hand of American
riders.