Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 277

over-ran all the coafts of the Red Sea , and made them tributaries to them. Theyruined all the trade from India to Zibet, and fettled their emporium at Aden, about 35leagues without Babelmandel, to the ealhvard: and the Immaum holds his kingdom infeoff from the Turk at this time; and when the Turks come to Betlefackee, none darebreak the price of the market, nor buy before they are firft ferved.

The Immaum or King keeps his court generally at a town called Mohaib, about 200Englifh miles to the eaft, north-eafhvard of Mocha. He has little fplendour about it,and he that reigned in anno 1714, was about 80 years of age. His government hasbeen of a long time very ill-managed. His luff having the afcendant over his reafon,he had feldom lefs than three hundred wives married to him, of the molt beautifulyoung women in his dominions. He often marries one, at one new moon, and, on thenext new-moon, remarries her to one of his minions, and bellows a good patrimonyon her to help her off; fo that with his own frequent marriages, and thofe of his mi-nions, he exhaufts all his revenues, and is always neceffitous, which forces him onmany unjuft and mean ways to exact money from his miferable fubjects. And, inanno 1720, their heavy burdens made them rebel, and involved the whole country ina civil war. One part w'as for depofing him, and another for keeping him on thethrone; but what the event was I never heard.

The Turks being baffled in feveral projects and expeditions from Aden, and thatthey could not well maintain their ground in that part of Arabia (being fo very fardiftant from their own dominions) without much charge and trouble, they, in thelatter end of the fixteenth century, withdrew their garrifon from Aden, and left it,with all its fortifications and buildings, to the Immaum; who finding Aden to lie in-convenient for the trade of the Red Sea , becaufe of the frefh wands ufually blowing atits mouth, in both eafterly and wefterly monfoons, made him remove the trade about15 leagues within its mouth, in a bay not very commodious for Ihipping, to a filhingtown called Mocha.

Chap. V.— Gives a Defcription of the Immaum of Mocha's Country , particularly of

Mocha , its Situation, Laws , Cuftoms and Commerce; with fame hijlorical Obfer-

vations.

MOCHA, upon the foregoing account, was built for an emporium or mart for thetrade of India to the Red Sea , and was mightily forwarded by the perfuafion of a fheek,who bore the character of a faint amongft his countrymen. His name was Sheek Sedd-■ ley; and he pretended to prophecy, that Mocha lhould be a place of great trade tothe country, and consequently of great profit to the Immaum. They had fuch a ve-neration for him, that the greateft mofque in the town, and the greateft gate, bear hisname, and did, even in his own lifetime, fee the town walled, though but very weakly,ft is fituated clofe to the fea, in a large, dry, fandy plain, that affords no good wel-ter within 20 miles, all the wells nearer the city being brackifh, fo that nothing offruits grows near it, but a few dates and water melons. The water for drinking comesfrom. Mofa, about 20 miles off, as I faid before, and by that time we get it to the town,n cofts us as dear as fmall beer is fold for in England. Thofe who are obliged to drink°f the wells near the town, are in danger of having a long fmall worm breed in theirfegs or feet, that inflames the place' where it breeds, which is accompanied with ex-treme burning pains. In 5 or 6 days it appears between the cutany and outward fkin,an d then puts its head through, which when the patient obferves, he takes hold of it