Page 135 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

European Accounts of Muscat 125
Matapo, a town a league distant and then to Bruxel belonging
to the Catani ‘Head of a Hord of Arabs’. His officer stopped
the tribesmen from looting the refugees. In a previous
reference to Muscat (i, 272) this author recounted a tradition
that the Three Wise Men had met off the coast of Muscat. In
a subsequent reference (ii, 510) he says, ‘At Muscat there are
such sorcerors that they Eat a thing inwardly only fixing their
Eyes upon it; with their sight draw the entrails of any Human
body and so kill many. One of these, fixing his Eyes on a
Bateca or Water-Mellon, sucked out all the inside, it being cut
open to try the experiment, was found hollow, and he, the
more to satisfy the beholders, vomitted it up.’
1583(?) The voyage of John Huyghcn van Linschoten to the East
Indies, Hakluyt Series, London, 1885, i, 47. Description of
Hormuz ‘which trades out of Arabia divers sortes of Drugges
for Poficaries, as Sanguis Draconis, Manna, Mirre, Frankin­
cense and such like, divers goodly horses ... all manner of
most excellent Orientall Pearles out of Mascatte . . . divers
sortes of Dates and Marmalades.’ Marmalade is presumably
Halwah.
1587 The Travels of Pedro Teixeira, Hakluyt Series, London, 1902,
222. It is so easy to catch fish that a hungry cat can come to
the sea, put in its tail and when fish come to bite it, swish
them ashore. He saw slaves put their hands in the sea with a
piece of fish attached to one finger: doing it himself he caught
several fish.
1611 A document printed in the Twelfth Voyage of the East India
Company in Purchas His Pilgrimes, Edinburgh, 20 volumes,
1905-7, iv, 188, is worth producing because of the light that it
gives on Portuguese administration and trade. The Expedition
was ordered to land Sir Robert Sherley in Persia and captured
a terrada of about 15 tons, manned by Baluch and laden with
rice, wheat and dates. ‘The Captain carried a pass which
showed in what subjection the Portuguese keep all the natives
because without a pass they are not allowed to navigate on
pain of confiscation or death.
Antonio Pereira de Laserda, Captain of the Castle of
Muscat, etc. Know all to whome these presents are shown,
that I have hereby given secure licence to this terada, of the
burden of 50 candies, whereof is master Noradin, a
Mahmodan balloche, dwelling in Guadal, of the age of 50
years who carries for his defence, 4 swords, 3 bucklers, 5
bows with their arrows, 3 calivers, 2 lances and 12 oars.
And that in this manner following: She may pass and sail
from this castle of Muscat, to Soar, Dobar, Mustmacoraon,
Sinde, Cache, Naguna, Diu, Chaul and Cor. In going she
carries goods of Conga, as raisins, dates and such like; but
not without dispatch from the custom-house of this castle,