Page 110 - Arabian Studies (I)

94 Arabian Studies /

the navigators to Malabar, Konkan, Gujerat, Sind and Malacca.
Sailing dates arc not mentioned to places to the west.
The coast of Oman is dealt with in some detail in various places.
The latitude is now so high that Pole star altitudes become difficult
to measure. Occasionally values on other stars are mentioned, and it
it probable that the Pole Star values obtained are converted from
those taken on other stars. Only Sulaiman’s ‘Umdah gives a complete
sequence of altitude values for the coast and these only at Vi isba'
intervals. These and the bearings given allow us to reconstruct the
coast together with the general shape of the Gulf of Oman. This
shape is reasonably accurate but the bearings given for the Arabian
coast over-emphasise the bays each side of Maskat.
Of the places on this coast other than Maskat, Qalhat stands out as
a port of some fame. It is mentioned by name in the tables of sailing
dates, times being given for sailing to Gujerat and Konkan and
Sulaiman describes the course from Qalhat to Gujerat. Suhar is also
mentioned. Several features apart from place names are mentioned
like al-Fahl, the red island outside the harbour of Maskat, al-Sa‘tarah
and Ja‘lan which are most likely prominent peaks in the mountain
range of the Jabal Akhdar, as are Qahwan and Jawadir. Ibn Majid in
his ninth Ja'idah gives a brief description of the coast. From Cape
Musandam in the north to Suhar was SSW. and the journey took ten
days by land. It is interesting to estimate how long this would have
taken by sea. According to Sulaiman al-Mahrl the two places were
four watches (zdm) apart in latitude and on the bearing given above
the direct distance would have been six watches or eighteen hours’
sailing. According to my reconstructed chart using latitudes arrived
at by triangulation from Sulaiman’s bearings the two places would be
sixteen watches apart and the resulting bearing being more like S. by
W., the direct distance apart would be not more than twenty watches
or 2Vi days’ sailing.9 Maskat is another ten days by land from Suhar
although my estimations would only place the sailing time as one
day. In actual fact Suhar is much nearer half way between Maskat
and Musandam. Ibn Majid states that between Musandam and Suhar
there are many towns as opposed to the area around Musandam
where there are only found habitations of al-Kamarah wa-ahmaj
al-Arab. This must be a reference to the primitive Shihuh people of
Musandam peninsula.1 0 Musandam itself is described as an island off
Ra’s Dijlah, presumably the cape now known as Ra’s al-Bab.
After Suhar comes the end of palms and other trees, people, ports
and inhabited places, presumably until one reaches Maskat where he
enthuses in the words given above, i.e. not about its geography and
beauty but about the extent of its trade and hospitality of its people.
No detail is mentioned of the coast between Maskat and al-Hadd.
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