M U R 



743 



M U S 



but the citizen* in general spend their lives in sloth 

 and indifference, and are totally ignorant of every 

 thing beyond the boundaries of their city. They are 

 of a yellow, sun burnt, and even livid complexion ; a 

 gloomy and choleric temperament. Their indolent ha- 

 bits, bad food, and excessive use of iced- water, renders 

 them subject to ill health. The universal remedy em- 

 ployed by them is bleeding in the hand ; and few of 

 them are known who do not lose blood ten or twelve 

 time* every year. See Laborde's Van of Spain, vol. ii. 



MT REX. See CONCHOLOGY. 



MURIATIC ACID. See CHEMISTRY. Vol. vi. p. 

 1 0,63, and 75. 



MUSCA. See ENTOMOLOGY. 



MUSCAT, MAST AT, or MECHET, a city of Arabia 

 Felix, situated at the entrance of the Persian Gulph 

 under the tropic of Cancer, and in 57 2tf of East Lon- 

 gitude. It is the most considerable town, though not 

 the capital of the province of Omon ; and the Imaum, 

 or prince of the country, is usually styled the Imaum 

 of Muscat. His dominions extend about 300 miles 

 along the Persian Gulph, and nearly as far inland, till 

 they touch the territories of the prince of Yemen. The 

 town of Muscat is built on a level spot, between two 

 rocky hills, on which are erected a number of well 

 placed betterie*, capable of making a formidable defence 

 against any attack from the sea. The harbour, which 

 resemble* the figure of a horse-shoe, with the entrance 

 at the *outh feet point, is remarkably well sheltered 

 from the moat prevailing wind*, and so capacious, that 

 i hundred* of ship* might ride in it with perfect 



Portuguese, after their expulsion from Ormus, 

 XMseauon of this town in 1508; and besides 

 j it* fortifications, adorned it with many 

 public buildings. Daring a century and a half, they 

 carried on profitable trade with the Arabs for Euros, 

 drugs, hide*, bees-wax, cattle, sheep, &c. in exchange 

 for which they nipplicd them with tobacco, coffee, In- 

 dia and European good*. But about the middle of the 

 century, they were expelled by the Arabs ; and 

 all their attempt* to regain possession of the place only 

 served to improve the military and maritime power of 

 the natives. The Muscateers carry on frequent hos- 

 U lilies with the Persian* ; but, at the very time when 

 they would capture all ships of war and other vessels at 

 sea, bound to other ports, they allow them free per- 

 niaainn to enter the port of Muscat, or any of its de- 

 xae*. to purchase goods for ready money, and to 



fe]y homeward with their cargoes. So much of 



the patriarchal form of government is said to prevail in 

 this city, that the Imaum is obliged to obey a summons 

 More the Cadi, at the instance of any of his subjects, 



who might account himself aggrieved. The inhabi- Muscat. 

 tants are described as the most liberal minded of all V -^V~ / 

 Mahomedans, polite in their conduct to strangers, up- 

 right in their mercantile transactions, temperate in their 

 mode of living, chaste in their manners, and rarely 

 guilty of crimes requiring the cognizance of the laws. 



The climate of Muscat is extremely hot and dry. 

 The rainy season extends from November to February; 

 but heavy dews fall throughout the whole year, and 

 supply the moisture requisite for vegetation. The 

 mountains immediately behind the city are stony and 

 barren ; but the adjoining valleys are extremely fertile, 

 and produce a variety of excellent fruits and grains. 

 Wheat and barley are sown in December, and reaped 

 in March. Oranges and lemons (supposed to have been 

 introduced by the Portuguese,) grapes, apricots, and 

 peaches, are abundant. The mango is produced in the 

 greatest perfection ; and their stones used to be carried 

 to India for seed, as a better "species than any to be 

 found in that country. But the fruit most extensively 

 cultivated, and for which the district is most celebrated, 

 is the date, of which large cargoes are regularly ex- 

 ported. There is a great variety of excellent roots and 

 pot herbs ; and sheep, cattle, and especially fish, may 

 be purchased at a very cheap rate. Fresh water is con- 

 veyed to the shipping in a very peculiar manner. As 

 the road from the spring is full of sharp rocks, and does 

 not admit of casks being rolled along it, the water is 

 carried down in skins, and emptied into boats con- 

 structed for the purpose ; but these are sometimes apt 

 to ship so much sea- water, as to spoil the whole cargo, 

 or at least to render it unpleasantly brackish. 



This town carries on a very extensive trade, and 

 sends a number of large ships to the ports of the Red 

 Sea, and on the coast of Malabar. The goods brought 

 from these places are again transferred to trading ves- 

 els from both sides of the Persian Gulph, and from 

 the coast of Caramania as far as the river Indus. The 

 inhabitants also maintain a large inland trade, not only 

 with the subjects of their own prince; but with nu- 

 merous tribes of independent Arabs, to whom they 

 send India piece-goods, pepper, ginger, rice, tobacco, 

 coffee, sugar, with other kinds of India produce, beside 

 English cutlery, cloth, toys, &c.; fromwhom they receive 

 in return, gums, drugs, ostrich-feathers, hides, sheep 

 and lamb-skins, honey, bees- wax, live cattle and sheep. 

 The town is sometimes so full of goods, that the ware- 

 houses are not able to contain them ; and they are said 

 to remain night and day piled upon the streets without 

 any protection and yet without any danger of being 

 pilfered. Muscat has recently become a mart for im- 

 porting slaves from Africa, who are thence shipped to 

 Bushire and Bussorah. (o) 



