Respecting The Places Whence Ships Depart And Those They Touch At, Many
Persons Affirm That The Navigation Is Performed In
The following order:
Most of the Chinese ships take in their cargoes at Siraff[7], where also
they ship their
Goods which come from Basra, Oman, and other ports; and
this is done because there are frequent storms and many shallows in those
seas. From Basra to Siraff is an hundred and twenty leagues; and when ships
have loaded at this latter place they take in water there also. From thence
they sail to a place called Mascat, in the extremity of the province of
Oman, which is about two hundred leagues from Siraff. On the east coast of
this sea, between Siraff and Mascat, is a place called Nasir Bani al
Sasack, and an island called Ebn Kahowan, and in this sea there are rocks
called Oman, and a narrow strait called Dordur between two rocks, through
which ships often venture to pass, but the Chinese snips dare not. There
are also two rocks called Kossir and Howare, which scarce appear above the
water's edge. After they are clear of these rocks, they steer to a place
called Shitu Oman, and take in water at Muscat, which is drawn up from
wells, and are here also supplied with cattle from the province of Oman.
From Mascat the ships take their departure for India, and first touch at
Kaucammali, which is a month's sail from Mascat with a fair wind. This is a
frontier place, and the chief arsenal in the province of that name; and
here the Chinese ships put in and are in safety, and procure fresh water.
The Chinese ships pay here a thousand drams for duties, whereas others pay
only from one dinar to ten. From thence they begin to enter the sea of
Herkend, and having sailed through it, they touch at a place called
Lajabalus, where the inhabitants do not understand Arabic, or any other
language in use among merchants. They wear no clothes, are white, and weak
in their feet. It is said their women are not to be seen, and that the men
leave the island in canoes, hollowed out of one piece, to go in quest of
them, and carry them cocoa nuts, mousa, and palm wine. This last liquor is
white, and when drank fresh is sweet like honey, and has the taste of cocoa
nut milk; if kept some time, it becomes as strong as wine, but after some
days changes to vinegar. These people give this wine, and the small
quantities of amber which is thrown up on their coasts, for bits of iron,
the bargains being made by signs; but they are extremely alert, and are
very apt to carry off iron from the merchants without making any return.
From Lajabalus the ships steer for Calabar, the name of a kingdom on the
right hand beyond the Indies, which depends on the kingdom of Zabage, bar
signifying a coast in the language of the country.
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