MUSCAT, MASCAT, or MnsetrET, a city of Arabia Felix, situated at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, under the tropic of Cancer, and in 26' of east longitude. It is the most considerable town, though not the capital of the province of Omon ; and the Imaum, or prince of the country, is usually styled the Imaum of Muscat. His dominions extend about 300 miles along the Persian Gulf, and nearly as far inland, till they touch the terti tories of the prince of Yemen. The town of Muscat is built on a level spot, between two rocky hills, on which are erected a number of well placed batteries, capable of making a formidable defence against any attack from the sea. The harbour, which resembles the figure of a horse-shoe, with the entrance at the south-east point, is remarkably well sheltered from the most prevailing winds, and so capacious, that several hundreds of ships might ride in it with perfect safety and convenience.
The Portuguese, after their expulsion from Ormus, took possession of this town in 1508 ; and besides strength ening its fortifications, adorned it with many public buildings. During a century and a half, they carried on a profitable trade with the Arabs for gums, drugs, hides, bees-wax, cattle, sheep, &c. in exchange for which they :3 uppl ie d them with tobacco, coffee, India and European goods. But about the middle of the seventeenth century, they were expelled by the Arabs ; and all their attempts to regain possession of the place only served to improt e the military and maritime power of the natives. The Muscatcers carry on frequent hostilities with the Per sians; but, at the very time when they would capture all ships of war and other vessels at sea, bound to other ports, they allow them Gee permission to enter the port of Muscat, or any of its dependencies, to purchase goods for ready money, and to pass safely homeward with their cargoes. So much of the patriarchal form of govern ment is said to prevail in this city, that the Imaum is obliged to obey a summons before the Cadi, at the instance of any of his subjects, who might account himself aggriev ed. The inhabitants are described as the most liberal minded of all Mahomedans, polite in their conduct to strangers, upright in their mercantile transactions, tem perate in their mode of living, chaste in their manners, and rarely guilty of crimes requiring cognizance of the laws.
The climate of Muscat is extremely hot and dry. The rainy season extends from Novemher to February ; but heavy dews fall throughout the whole year, and supply the moisture requisite for vegetation. The mountains
immediately behind the city are stony and barren ; but the adjoining valleys are extremely fertile, and produce a variety of excellent fruits and grains. Wheat and bar ley are sown in December, and reaped in March. Oranges and lemons (supposed to have been introduced by the Portuguese,) grapes, apricots, and peaches, are abundant. The mango is produced in the greatest per fection; and their stones used to be carried to India for seed, as a better species than any to be found in that country. But the fruit most extensively cultivated, and for which the district is most celebrated, is the date, of which large cargoes are regularly exported. There is a great variety of excellent roots and pot-herbs ; and sheep, cattle, and especially fish, may be purchased at a very cheap rate. Fresh water is conveyed to the shipping in a very peculiar manner. As the road from the spring is full of sharp rocks, and does not admit of casks being rolled along it, the water is carried down in skins, and emptied into boats constructed for the pur pose ; but these are sometimes apt to ship so much sea water, as to spoil the whole cargo, or at least to render it unpleasantly brackish.
This town carries on a very extensive trade, and sends a number of large ships to the ports of the Red Sea, and on the coast of Malabar. The goods brought from these places are again transferred to trading ves sels from both sides of the Persian Gulf, and from the coast of Caramania as far as the river Indus. The in habitants also maintain a large inland trade, not only with the subjects of their own prince, but with numerous tribes of independent Arabs, to whom they send India piece-goods, pepper, ginger, rice, tobacco, coffee, sugar, with other kinds of India produce, beside English cut lery, cloth, toys, &c. ; ftom whom they receive in return, gums, drugs, ostrich-feathers, hides, sheep and lamb skins, honey, bees-wax, live cattle and sheep. The town is sometimes so full of goods, that the warehouses are not able to contain them ; and they are said to remain night and day piled upon the streets, without any protec tion, and yet without any danger of being pilfered. Muscat has recently become a mart for importing slaves from Africa, who are thence shipped to Bushire and Bussorah. (q.)