297 The BALUCHIS GALUSH)* (Baluchi or Balushi)* A middle-sized tribe Sunnites (mainly Hanbalites) Hinawis Settled Thousands of emigrants from Baluchistan have crossed the narrow waters that separate their homeland from eastern Arabia and settled among the Arabs. The industrious nature of these Baluchis has enabled them to maintain themselves successfully in their new surroundings, and some observers believe that they will be among the most influential elements in determining the future of Muscat and Oman. One meets them almost everywhere in the domains of both the Sultan and the Imam, sometimes in small groups and at other times in fairly large communities. In general they are of two sorts, those who have come over recently and those who have been long established in Arabia. The newcomers often find employment as mercenary soldiers, particularly in the towns of the Trucial Coast, where some of them are enrolled in this capacity by the British Government. The Baluchis under consideration here, however, all belong to the other sort, the old settlers. The Baluchis resident in the southeastern part of the Dhahirah have been there so long and have so thoroughly adopted the indig enous ways of life that it is virtually impossible to distinguish them from the neighboring Arabs. They themselves say that they are of Arab stock, their ancestors being men of Qahtan who left Arabia for Baluchistan centuries ago. Some of the Arabs of Oman agree that the Baluchis are to be reckoned as Arabs, while others dispute this. The first of theğe two forms is the common one in English while the second is the one used by the Arabs of Oman.
