The sultan of Muscat is a very powerful prince; he possesses a more efficient naval force than all the native princes combined from the cape of Good Hope to Japan. His resources are more than adequate to his wants: they are derived from commerce, owning himself a great number of merchant vessels: from duties on foreign merchandise, and from tribute-money, and presents received from various princes, all of which produce a large sum: a small tithe also is taken on wheat and dates, but more on houses or lands. His possessions in Africa, stretch from cape Delgado to cape Guardafui: and from cape Aden in Arabia, to Ras el Haud, and from Ras el Haud they extend along the northern coast of Arabia, (or the coast Aman) to the entrance of the Persian gulf: and he claims also all the seacoast and islands _within_ the Persian gulf, including the Bahrein islands, and pearl-fishery contiguous to them, with the northern part of the gulf as low down as Seindy. It is true that only a small part of this immense territory is garrisoned by his troops, but all is tributary to him. In Africa, he owns the ports of Monghow, or Mongallow, Lyndy, Quiloa, (Keelwah,) Melinda, Lamo, Patta, Brava, Magadosha, (alias Magadshe,) and the valuable islands of Monfeea or Mafeea, Zanzibar, Pemba, Socotra, alias Socotera, &c., &c. From Africa are exported, gum-copal, aloes, gum-arabic, columbo-root, and a great variety of other drugs. Ivory, tortoise-shell, rhinoceros horns, hides, beeswax, cocoa-nut oil, rice, millett, ghee, &c. The exports from Muscat are wheat, dates, horses, raisins, salt, dried fish, and a great variety of drugs, &c., &c. Muscat, being the key to the Persian gulf is a place of great resort in the winter months, for vessels from the Persian gulf and the western parts of India. The productions of Africa, of the Red sea, the coast of Arabia, and the countries bordering on the Persian gulf, may be had there. Their vessels trade not only to the countries named, but also to Guzzerat, Surat, Demaun, Bombay, Bay of Bengal, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, the Mauritius, the Comoro islands, to Madagascar, and the Portuguese possessions in East Africa; bringing Indian, African, and European articles. [Sidenote: NAVAL FORCE OF MUSCAT.] The number of vessels employed on these voyages I was unable to ascertain with any degree of exactness: but no number named was less than two thousand; of this a very large proportion are small craft, having but a few ships and brigs. The naval force of the sultan is very respectable in point of numbers, and they are daily becoming better _ship_ sailors.