9 



rounding3 of this plateau were here and there perforated by 

 deep caverns inhabited by Graras; and in one of them Carter 

 spent the greater part of a day with the Sheikh who lived in it. 

 Like those at Has Fartak, these caverns were visible at night by 

 their li^jhta, to those on board the ' Palinurus.' Mr. Carter has 

 not only given a full description of the physical characters of the 

 plain and its mountains, but he has also described the inhabitants, 

 the frankincense tree, and the ruins of El Balad ^ 



The mountains lying behind the plain of Dhofar were all desig- 

 nated by Capt. Haines as the Subhan range, and in 1831 or 1835 

 Mr. J. Smith, purser of the ' Palinurus,' traversed these mountains 

 in perfect safety, and, under the name of 'Ahmed,' became a great 

 favourite with the inhabitants. He was everywhere hospitably 

 received, and they would not allow him to drink water of the 

 clear mountain-streams that were meandering in every direction : 

 " No," they said, " do not return, Ahmed, and say that we gave 

 you water, while our children drank nothing but milk." In every 

 instance they gave him the warmest place by the fire, invariably 

 appointed some one to attend to his wants, and even extended 

 their hospitality so far as to otfer him a wife and some sheep, 

 if he would only stay and reside among them. On Mr. Smith 

 expressing a wish to see some of the numerous wild animals, 

 the footprints of which were everywhere visible, on what he de- 

 scribes as tiie park-like mountains, they immediately despatched 

 a party, who returned with a splendid specimen of an ibex, a 

 civet cat, and a fine ounce ^. Mr. Smith himself saw plenty 

 smaller game, such as antelopes, hares, foxes, guinea-fowl, and 

 partridges. The plants obtained in his wanderings were the 

 same, it is said, as those found on the more elevated parts 

 of Socotra. Dragon's-blood, frankincense, and aloes were in 

 abundance. 



Mr. Bent^ has quite recently ascended the hills behind Dhofar, 

 at two places, accompanied by Mrs. Bent. He characterizes the 

 view from the summit of the range as very curious. On the 



• " The Euins of El Ealad," Journ. Eoy. Geogr. Soc. xvi. 184G, pp. 187-199. 



^ Capt. Haines says the horns of the ibex had a curve of 3 ft. : a large bead, 

 doubtless of the same species, Capra mihiaiia, F. Cuv., in my possession, killed in 

 the desert to the east of Heluan, near Cairo, measures 37| in. along the curve 

 anteriorly. By the ounce, probably a leopard was meant. 



^ Geogr. Journ. Ti. 1895, pp. 109-133. 



