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E. C. Ross —Annals of ‘ Oman—Boole VII. 
[No. 2, 
lected men from that tribe and the Benu-Yas, and led them to Nejd el- 
Jezl, traversing the district of tlie Benu-Koleyb, some of whom joined him. 
He then passed into the sea-hoard tract of el-Batineh, causing terror to the 
people of Sohar, without, however, attacking them. He then marched east¬ 
ward. The inhabitants of Felej el-Howasineh were alarmed lest he should 
destroy their valley. His troops seized and ate all the camels and cattle 
they found. Some amongst them had no conception who were their friends 
and who their enemies. Ivhalf-bin Mubarik having received intelligence of 
Mohammed’s movements, encountered him at Aflaj-‘Ar‘ar. A severe con¬ 
test ensued, and Khalf’s followers took to flight, and he himself was shut 
up in a house. Mohammed-bin Nasir and his men went in pursuit of the 
flying enemy, not knowing of Khalf’s being in that house. The latter, on 
his part, imagined that Mohammed satisfied with his victory had left him. 
Mohammed-bin Nasir then entered el-Rostak, and commenced destroying 
the water channels, and writing to the people, summoning them to submit. 
As they refused, he destroyed the aqueducts of el-Meyser, Bu-ThaTab, and 
el-Hammam, and cut down some date groves. The people of el-Rostak, 
being unable to sally forth to oppose him, at length thought of making 
their submission. 
Mohammed-bin Nasir now received intelligence that Rashid-bin Sa‘ld 
el-Ghafirl had seized the Fort of Makanlyat, the Wall of which was Muba- 
rik-bin Sa‘Id-bin Bedr. This was caused by Rashid’s jealousy of Mubarik 
on account of the preference shown for him by Mohammed-bin Nasir. The 
latter on hearing the news ordered his forces to march on el-Rostak, after 
having destroyed its water-courses. Meanwhile ‘All-bin Nasir-bin Ahmed 
el-Kelbanl, went to Rashid-bin SaGd, and by his advice induced him to 
make over the Fort to himself, guaranteeing that Mohammed-bin Nasir 
would not punish him. So ‘All-bin Nasir took charge of the Fort until the 
arrival of Mohammed-bin Nasir, who left Mubarik there as Wall, with the 
tribe el-Hawatim, and himself returned to Yabrin, where he remained for 
a considerable time. Thence he proceeded with his attendants to Nezwa, 
and summoned the chiefs of tribes and learned men from the east and from 
the west of ‘Oman. A great number of these having assembled, he demand¬ 
ed of them that he should be excused from waging wars, and administrating 
the affairs of the Musalmans, and that they would appoint whomsoever 
they pleased to govern for the Seyyid Seyf-bin Sultan. However, the 
Kadhl Nasir-bin Suleiman-bin Mohammed-bin Maddad, and ‘Abdullah-bin 
Mohammed-bin Rushl-bin Maddad, who was Wall of Nezwa fort, and the 
chiefs of tribes who were present, would not accept his resignation. They 
closed the gates of the Fort of Nezwa and el-‘Akr, allowing none to enter 
or depart. All that day and night they ceased not to apply themselves to 
adjust the matter, until near morning they elected Mohammed-bin Nasir 
Imam as a measure of precaution. 
