After Making Us Drink Coffee And
Sherbet, We Took Our Leaves, And Remained All Night With The Jew.
Next morning we spent an hour in viewing the town, and observing the
countenances of the people towards us, whom we found gentle and
courteous, especially the Banians and Guzerats, many of whom reside here
as merchants, shopkeepers, and mechanics, having neatly-built shops and
warehouses.
Their market or bazar seemed well furnished with all manner
of necessaries, among which were plenty of fruits, which are brought
daily from the country. Most of the town is built of brick and stone,
neatly plastered over with Paris plaster, some of the houses being two
stories high, and all flat-roofed, with terraces on the top, on which in
summer they construct lodges of canes and mats, in which they sleep and
spend the first quarter of the day, having at that time a fresh breeze
from the sea. All the rest of the day at that season is so hot that they
can hardly endure even a shirt. Mokha lies quite level along the
sea-shore, being about two miles from north to south, and contains many
good-looking houses, with three principal mosques. The streets are kept
clean, every person having to sweep and water before his door every
morning and evening, so that they resemble sandy alleys for bowling,
more than streets. No filth is allowed to be thrown into the streets,
but must all be carried to an appointed place, where it is scoured out
by the sea. In fine, I have never seen a sweeter, cleaner, or better
ordered town any where.
The wharf is situated between the governor's house and that of the
scrivano, and is about twelve score square.[289] Near this, and
adjoining the governor's house, there is a platform or fort, built of
hewn stones, having battlements towards the sea, being about forty paces
square, in which there are thirteen or fourteen pieces of ordnance of
little value. Over against the landing-place two fair brass cannons are
planted, above five feet long. At the other end, is the Alfandica, where
there is a brass gun six feet long, carrying a large ball. Besides these
defences, there is a stone house at the north end of the town, built
like a sconce or redoubt, with a few pieces of ordnance; but they trust
little in their ordnance, relying mostly on their soldiers, of whom they
have always 200 in the town, and about 300 more in the country, within a
day or two days march, who are all constantly in readiness for service.
[Footnote 289: This is obscure, as it is not said whether it be 240
feet, yards, or paces. - E.]
The son of Cojah Nassan, the principal India merchant of the town, whom
we waited upon at his house, promised us all kindness, and regaled us
with tobacco and coffee, as is usual among these people. We went
afterwards to wait upon the governor before we returned on board.
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