_ 31 _ rice, and sugar and many dates, until it was dark; and the Captain-in-Chief and everyone were very content. But next day there were no more boats, and so it continued until midday, when the Captain-in-Chief sent the linguist shore to find out why they were not coming. The Sheikh said that they were collecting the dues from the houses of merchants to send, and he would send it all together. He sent a present to the Captain-in-Chief of sheep and goats and some hens and many loaves made with wheat flour, and he showed the linguist that rice and sugar were being taken from houses. So, the Captain-in-Chief waited, and when it was already late the boats made one journey, laden with provisions which they put aboard the ships; and they did not return again. The Sheikh was doing all this with guile, because he was waiting for help to reach him that night from a captain from the mountains with two thousand fighting men armed with javelins and shields and swords. The sheikh was a great ally of this captain, the lord of the interior, because he used Muscat as the port for his merchandise. As these two thousand fighting men, and as many others that the sheikh had, were making ready to fight with our men, they sounded kettle-drums, with much shouting and firing of rockets. When the Captain-in-Chief heard this he
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