This Is A
Great Mart Of Commerce, And Is Governed By A Person Named
_Menacheas_, Being Subject To The Sultan Of Cambaia.
It is well
fortified with good walls, and defended by a numerous artillery.
The
barks and brigantines used at this place are smaller than ours of Italy.
Departing thence we came in three days to _Zoar_[54], which also is a
well frequented mart in a fertile country inhabited by Mahometans. Near
this place are two other good cities and ports named _Gieulfar_ and
_Meschet_ or _Maskat_.
[Footnote 53: From the context, this place appears to have been on that
part of the oceanic coast of Arabia called the kingdom of Maskat,
towards Cape Ras-al-gat and the entrance to the Persian gulf. The name
seems compounded of these words _Div_ or _Diu_, an island, _Bander_ a
port, and _Rumi_ the term in the east for the Turks as successors of the
Romans. It is said in the text to have been subject to the sultan of
Cambaia, but was more probably tributary to the king or sultan of
Ormuz. - E.]
[Footnote 54: In the text of Hakluyt this place is called _Goa_,
assuredly by mistake, as it immediately afterwards appears to have been
in the neighbourhood of Maskat, and in the direct voyage between Aden
and Ormus, by creeping along the coast from port to port. - E.]
Proceeding on our voyage we came to the fair city of _Ormuz_ or
_Armusium_, second to none in excellence of situation, and abundance of
pearls. It stands in an island twelve miles from the Continent, being in
itself very scarce of water and corn, so that all things required for
the sustenance of the inhabitants are brought from other places. At the
distance of three days sail from thence those muscles are procured which
produce the fairest and largest pearls. There are certain people who
gain their living by fishing for these muscles in the following manner:
Going in small boats to that part of the sea where these are found, they
cast a large stone into the sea on each side of the boat fastened to
strong ropes, by which they fix their boat steadily in one place like a
ship at anchor. Then another stone with a cord fastened to it is cast
into the sea, and a man having a sack hung upon his shoulder both before
and behind, and a stone hung to his feet, leaps into the water, and
immediately sinks to the bottom to the depth of 15 paces or more, where
he remains gathering the pearl muscles and putting them into his sack.
He then casts off the stone that is tied to his feet and comes up by
means of the rope. At _Ormuz_ there are sometimes seen almost three
hundred ships and vessels of various sorts at one time, which come from
many different places and countries. The sultan of the city is a
Mahometan. There are not less than four hundred merchants and factors
continually residing here for the sake of trade in silks, pearls,
precious stones, spices, and the like.
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