374 



THE ARAB. 



in these places, little good is spoken ; they are 

 said to he at once cruel and cowardly, to fear no 

 shame, and to respect no oath. We shall soon he 

 compelled to chastise these petty sea-thieves and 

 kidnappers. 



At Zanzibar the Ghafiri is represented chiefly 

 by the Masakirah or Maskari clan, which under its 

 chief, Sayf bin Khalfan, may number 2000 sabres. 

 The Mazru'i of Mombasah, so well known in Sa- 

 wahil history, were also Ghafiri : they are now 

 scattered about Gasi and other small Bandars, 

 retaining nothing of their political consequence. 

 The Yu'rabi clan, which gave to Oman its old pa- 

 triotic Imams, is of scant account. The other sec- 

 tions, who are for the most part visitors during 

 the commercial season, comprise the Jenabah, 

 the Bi'mani, the Benu Katub, the Benu bu Ali, 

 and the Benu Biyam of Nezwah in the J ebel el 

 Akhzar. 



The Arab holds, and, according to old Moslem 

 travellers, has long held in these regions the posi- 

 tion of an Osmanli in Arabia ; he is a ' superior 

 person.' As the Omani chiefs, however, like the 

 Sherifs of El Hejaz, did not disdain servile con- 

 cubines, many of their issue are negroids : of 

 these hybrids some are exceedingly fair, showing 

 African pollution only by tufty and wiry hair, 



