Page 662 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

C18 NAVIGATION OF TIIE

WITHOUT THE GULF.—ARABIAN COAST.
In Part I. of this Memoir I have mentioned that the high land form­
ing the southern entrance into the Gulf is by the Arabs called Ras-ool-
Jibbul. It is the same as seen by Alexander’s fleet, as described by
Arrian, from the seventy-eighth station of the fleet from the mouth of the
Indus, and which I believe to be under Ras-ool-Khorc, near Kohurba-
reak. It was about the fleet standing over to this promontory that
the dispute arose between Nearchus and Onesicrilus, his colleague.
It was by the Greeks called Maceta—it was also called Asabo; and the
whole ridge from Iluffar to Musseldom is the Black Mountains of
Ptolemy, Musseldom, or that part near the termination or cape, being
named Maceta or Maketa. Having premised so far, it is necessary to
add that at present two points of the same ridge of land bear the same
name. The whole of these mountains arc indented with coves and in­
lets, some small, others very extensive, and all with deep water within
them, even close to the rocks: they produce nothing.
The inhabitants are a difiere'nt race in many respects from the
Arabs in the neighbourhood, and have a different language ; they live
upon fish, dates, and a little barley when they are rich enough to pro­
cure it; they are excessively poor, and rice is nearly unknown to them.
Most of the women have never left the hills and coves. They are very
ignorant, and their huts, which are built of loose stones, about four feet
high, are little better than pigsties.
A small pocket looking-glass was given away at one of the villages,
and was evidently the first that had ever been seen at that place : the
!
men and women assembled in crowds, and were like a set ol monkeys,
examining it on both sides—sometimes shouting with laughter, at other
times looking very serious.
They are very civil, and at the changes of the season emigrate from
one side of the hills to the other. They have little clothing, and appear
in the extreme of poverty, yet contented. Some of the men in the dale
season em ploy themselves in Batinah and other parts of the low coun­
try, in getting in the date harvest, yet all return to their barren hills,
and so much does the love of this miserable place seem to be implanted
in the inhabitants, that I was informed seldom or never is a man known
to leave his home further than a few short voyages in the Gulf. During
the period the pirates were in power, about two hundred of the people
of these mountains were in their boats. The people have some sinal
flocks of lean goats, which are allowed to run about the rocks, but come
when called by their owners. There is little water among the hills,

and that brackish.

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