.1874] 
E. C. Boss —Annals of ‘ Oman—Book VI. 
163 
faithful, 18 who overtook him at a place called el-Kharus. This advanced 
party of the Musalmans having been assailed by Nasir’s force before the 
main body of the Imam’s army came up, they were slain to a man. God 
alone is Immortal! When the army arrived at the spot, they saw their 
comrades lying dead, and not a man of Nasir’s force was in sight. 
About this time Hamid, alias Mohammed-bin ‘Othman, attacked the 
district of el-Sirr, where Mohammed-bin Seyf el-Howkani was Wall. Sa‘id- 
bin Khalfan, who happened to be in el-Sirr at the time, demanded an inter¬ 
view with Ibn-Hamid, and they met at el-Ghabbi, in the mosque of el- 
Sharkah, when Sa £ id demanded restitution of the property they had plunder¬ 
ed ; but the other refused and became still more insolent and audacious, so 
that Sa‘id was obliged to have him imprisoned in irons in the fort of el- 
Ghabbi. Sa‘id then proceeded to el-Bostak and informed the Imam of the 
seizure of Mohammed-bin ‘Othman at el-Ghabbi. The Imam ordered him 
to be brought to el-Bostak, and he was accordingly conveyed there in fet¬ 
ters, and remained in confinement for seven months when he died. 
The Imam soon after raised another army under command of Sa‘id-bin 
Khalfan, supported by ‘Omeyr-bin Mohammed-bin Jafir. This force pro¬ 
ceeded with the design of seizing the camel herds of Nasir-bin Katan el- 
Hilali. Before they reached the spot where the camels were, they were 
encountered, at a place named el-Sha‘ib near el-Dhafrali, by the Benu-Yas, 
and a battle ensued, in which the leader of the Benu-Yas, Sakeyr-bin ‘Isa, 
and his brother Mohammed with a number of the tribe were slain. Oil 
this they sued for peace, which the Wall granted, and the army returned. 
The Imam then directed them to proceed to a place called Daglifis, where 
Nagir-bin Katan had herds of camels. They succeeded in capturing these 
camels, which were made over to the charge of ‘Omeyr-bin Mohammed-bin 
Jafir, but the latter’s brother, at the instigation of others, restored the 
camels to Nasir-bin Katan. The latter and his followers ceased not to pil¬ 
lage ‘Oman until he became the dread of “ Bedu” and “ Hadhr,” and the 
people of the desert sought refuge in the villages. On the occasion of one 
of his raiding expeditions, Nasir halted with his army in the south, and sent 
a body of his people to close the passes. The Imam sent an army against 
him under Seyf-bin Malik and Seyf-bin Abul-‘Arab, The advanced guard 
of the Imam’s force came suddenly on Nasir’s force and, being few in com¬ 
parison with the latter, they were all slain. Nasir then withdrew to el-Ahsa, 
and the Imam’s army returned. 
After this God aided the Imam of the Musalmans against all wrong¬ 
doers, whom he ejected from their habitations and removed with the strong 
arm. He took pledges from the disaffected and humbled their leaders, 
crushed the tyrannical, and checked all oppressors. God was on his side and 
bestowed His grace on him, so that el-Islam was exalted and shone forth, 
x 
