1874.] E. C. Ross —Annals of‘Oman—Rook IV. 141 
only one district of ‘Oman, whereupon Mahmud replied, “ Taice as many of 
my soldiers as you please, and proceed against those of ‘Oman who oppose 
you.” Abul-Ma‘ali then told him that the people of ‘Oman had not the 
means of paying tribute. All this he said with a view to protect the people 
of ‘Oman. Mahmud dissimulated his hostile feelings, and sought to gain his 
end by stratagem ; so he invited all the Bedouin chiefs of ‘Oman and gave 
them presents, on which they promised him victory over the people of 
‘Oman and engaged to join him. He then proceeded by sea to Dhafar. 20 
Arrived there, he slaughtered many of the inhabitants, plundered much pro¬ 
perty, and returned towards ‘Oman. He embarked his baggage in vessels, 
and performed the first part of the journey by sea. When subsequently 
they landed and proceeded by land route, their provisions failed, and they 
were beset by hunger. So great was the scarcity, that a mann of meat 
sold for a dinar. 21 They also suffered greatly from thirst, water being 
scarce on that route. It is said that 5,000 of his men died, and some say more. 
This was in the year 660 A. H. [A. D. 1262]. I have also found another 
narrative of an expedition of the Owlad el-Reis 22 against ‘Oman. They 
set out in the end of Showwal, A. H. 675 [A. D. 1276]. At that time the 
ruler 23 of ‘Oman was the Seyyid 24 Kahlan-bin ‘Omar-bin Neblian, who 
advanced by the desert to oppose them, accompanied by all the people of el- 
‘Akr. The Owlad el-Reis surprised el-‘Akr, entered it, and burned its 
market places. They plundered the place of all it contained, carried off the 
women, and burned the magazines and the principal mosque. The books 
were likewise burned. All this occurred in the space of half a day. Kah- 
lan thereupon returned with his force, and united with his detached parties. 
The Owlad el-Reis and their allies of the el-Haddan attacked Kahlan’s army, 
and in the battle which ensued 300 men were slain. 
It is probable that during the interval between Mohammed-bin Khan- 
bash and Malik-bin el-Hawari, the government was in the hands of the 
el-Nebaheneh, but Gfod knows! It seems probable, also, that they held 
power for more than 500 years, with this qualification that, after the term 
of years referred to, Imams were elected, the Nebaheneh being rulers in some 
districts, and the Imams being recognized in the rest, 25 God knows! 
The Ima'm Abul-Hasan-bih Khami's. Seven years after the decease 
of Malik-bin el-Hawari, Abul-Hasan-bin Khamis-bin ‘A'mir 26 was elected 
Imam. This was on Thursday in the month of Ramadhan, in the year 839, 
A. H, [A. D. 1435]. He died on Saturday, the 21st of Thul-Ka‘deh, A. H. 
846. [A. D. 1442.] 
The Ima'm ‘Omar-bin Khattab. In the year 885 A. H. [A. D. 1481], 
they elected the Imam ‘Omar-bin Khattab-bin Mohammed-bin Ahmed-bin 
Shidan-bin Salt. 27 He it was who seized the property of the Benu-Neblian, 
and divided it amongst those about him of his own sect. 28 He took the 
