SAYYID SAID. 



311 



of his sons, each hastening to stab some hated 

 rival brother. 



These lines were penned in 1857. Since 

 1859 the hapless and turbulent family has been 

 in a state of fratricidal strife, and the province 

 of Oman has reverted to its normal state of in- 

 trigue, treachery, and assassination. Sayyid 

 Suwayni, a negligent and wasteful though not 

 an unpopular man, to whom the English were 

 especially obnoxious, threatened in 1859 an at- 

 tack upon Sayyid Majid, and was prevented by 

 British cruisers ; in due time he was murdered 

 by his son, Sayyid Salim, who usurped the 

 Government. This Sayyid Salim was dethroned 

 by his uncle, Sayyid Turki, who surprised Mas- 

 kat, and made himself master of the situation. 

 The European would imagine that the stakes 

 were hardly worth such reckless play : Arabs, 

 however, judge otherwise. 



