Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-09-15

One of the most picturesque parts
Of tuman is the so-called Pirate coast,
just within the great point of land
which almost closes the mouth of the
Persian gulf, the sailing ground of Sin
bad the Sailor. This region was a
base of operation for pirates as trou-
blesome in the first half of the Nine
teenth century of the Indian and
Persian trade as were the Carib-
bean pirate nests to the ships that
piled between Panama and Europe
a century or so earlier. The inhabitants
Of the Pirate coast were extremely
fanatical as well, which added to their
trouble-making qualities. British gun
boats, with the assistance of Indian
forces put an end to the depredations
and the One-time pirates Of this region
have now mostly turned to pearl div
ing for a living.
Trip Through the Country.
A journey from the Pirate coast
across the base of the great point Of
Oman to SOhr or some of the adjacent
ports, a trip of about 100 miles, gives
an excellent idea of the back country
of this little-known state. Caravans
making this trip usually travel at night
and rest under whatever shade may
be found during the day. On the sec
Ond day one passes villages and cult
waited fields and at night sleeps sur
rounded by thousands Of sheep and
goats, driven in by Bedouin lasses
from their mountain pastures. Even
among these shepherds one finds read
ers, and cOlpOrteurs sell books wher-
ever the camels halt long enough to
strike a bargain. In entering the.
narrow pass of Hitta, the guides go
ahead mounted, with rifles loaded and
cooked.
Travellers are not troubled with the
heat at night, but during the day it
is intense, and it is refreshing to come
to an oasis Common in this part of
OMAN, where water bursts from big
spring, and trees and flowers grow in
luxury. In the mountainous parts Of
Oman the roads run almost invariably
along the wady beds; sometimes these
are sandy water courses; again deep,
rocky ravines or broad, fertile valleys.
Vegetation generally is tolerably album
dant. Tamarisks, oleanders, euphor-
bias, and acacias are the most COM
mon trees and shrubs.
Some of 1t UnexpIored.
Although some travellers have
reached the edge of the Oman desert,
all the country beyond is still largely
terra incognita. No one has ever made
the journey beyond the range Of noun
tains or solved the mystery of west
ern Oman, which is still a blank on
the best maps; nor is anything known
of the land 100 miles southwest of
Muscat save by Arab hearsay.
The most pOpulOus and fertile dis
trict of the highlands of Oman is Jebel
Akhdar, which is also the best known.
The fertility of this region is wonder
full and in striking contrast with the
barren rocks of so large a part of the
coast. With a semi-tropical climate.
an elevation of 5000 to 5000 feet, and
abundant springs, the wadys and
GASES of Oman have awakened the de-
light and amazement of every traveller
who has ventured to explore them !
Water, the one priceless treasure in
all Arabia, here issues in perennial
streams from many rocky clefts, and
is most carefully husbanded by the in
genuity Of the people for wide irriga-
ton by means of canals or water
courses called faluj.
Except along the Pirate coast the
Arabs of Oman are remarkably free
from fanaticism, simple in their habits
and wonderful in their hospitality
Most of them belong to the Abadhi
sect, which has many beliefs in com.
mon with Christianity.