1874.] 
E. C. Ross —Annals of ‘ Oman—IBook VI. 
101 
a flanking tower connected by a wall with the fort, and in this tower were 
stationed a body of the garrison who kept up a fire by night and day. On 
the sea side there were also two ships of the Christians, which by the fire 
of their guns protected the fort from assault by the Musalmans. The 
latter determined to attack the tower, which they seized by a night assault, 
and from thence they gained possession of the fort, one of the leaders of the 
army was placed there as Wall. More troops came up afterwards, amongst 
them a body of the el-Dahamish and Khamis-bin Malizam. There was also 
another Fort situated on the seashore held by the el-Efrenj. 13 The Imam’s 
army entered this place by day and took possession of it, and besieged those 
who were in the fort, which they occupied themselves. The power of the 
unbelievers was humbled, and they sued for peace, which was granted them, 
and they evacuated the fort, in which the Wall placed a garrison. Leaving 
with the latter a portion of his army ‘All-bin Ahmed, they returned with 
the remainder to Nezwa. The Imam was rejoiced at his arrival and at the 
news of the capture of el-Sir. 
The Imam next ordered Hafidh-bin Seyf, the Wall of Lawa, who had 
a body of el-‘Amur with him, to proceed and build a fort against Sohar, 
some of the inhabitants of which town had been inviting him to take the 
place. The Wall accordingly summoned all in the neighbourhood from 
the towns of the Benu-Khalid, Benu-Lam, and the el-‘Amur, and a numer¬ 
ous force assembled. The Wall then marched on Sohar and passed the 
night in the village of ‘Amak. Next day, in the forenoon, he reached Sohar 
district without being discovered by any of his enemies. This was on the 
last day of el-Moharram, A. H. 1043 [A. D. 1633]. He encamped in a 
quarter of Sohar, called el-Bid‘ali, and the Musalmans commenced an at¬ 
tack on the unbelievers. The combat raged fiercely for a time, the Chris¬ 
tians keeping up a fire of cannon from the fort. The Wall then changed 
his position, the fighting and cannonading continuing. A cannon shot 
pierced through the ranks of the besiegers until it reached the “ Mejlis” of 
the Wall and struck Rashid-bin ‘Abbad, who thus suffered the death of a 
martyr. A fort was then erected by the Wall’s orders, and he took up his 
position in it. There ceased not to be warfare between them night and 
day. 14 
After this the Kadhl Khamis-bin Sa‘ld of el-Rostak proceeded with 
his followers to the village of B usher, 15 where he received a message from 
the Christians asking for peace, which request he granted. 
Afterwards he sent on his messengers to Maskat and, having mounted 
himself, rode to el-Matreh, where he was met by the leaders of the Chris¬ 
tians, and terms of peace were agreed upon. Khamls thereupon ordered the 
abandonment of the strong positions he had occupied against them, and 
allowed free communication to be re-established with the town. In this 
manner hostilities were avoided. 
