'282

Hamilton’s account or the east indies.

names and terms in his book, which cofts but a (hilling, <or thereabouts : and joininghands before him, the marriage is valid, for better for worfe, till the expiration of theterm agreed on. And if they have a mind to part, or renew the contract, they are atliberty to choofe for themfelves what they judge molt proper; but if either want tobe feparated during the term limited, there mull be a commutation of money paid bythe feparating party to the other, according as they can agree; and fo they becomefree to make a new marriage elfewhere.

Chap. IV.— Contains a Defcription of Aden, with fome hijlorical Remarks about theTurkijh Expedition from thence into India : alfo an Account of the Sea-coaft of ArabiaPetrea, as far as Mufkat and Bajfora ; with a particular Account of an Englif Shiploft on the IJland of Maceira.

THE eaftmoll town of note in the Immaum of Mocha’s dominions on the fea-coaft,is Aden, built by the Turks in the fourteenth century, as has been hinted before. It isbuilt on the ealt-fide of a barren illand, and has no frefh water but what the rains af-ford them, which they keep in cifterns. The Turks had great defigns when they builtit, for they thought of driving the Portugueze out of their fettlements in India , and tohave polfelfed them themfelves. Accordingly about the middle of the fixteenth cen-tury, they made an expedition into India , againlt the Portugueze, but were unfucceflf-ful, and fo have never attempted fince to fettle in India . It continued many years afterthe ftaple port for the Red Sea commerce, but the charges of keeping it, fo far fromthe Turkifh dominions, made them leave it to the Immaum, as was already obferved,and he removed the trade to Mocha.

It has a good road for Ihipping in the welterly monfoons, and a pretty good mould,or bafon, for the ealterly, clofe to the town, and the road is not half gun-lhot from it.It has been well fortified, being naturally ftrong in its lituation; but the Badows, orwild Arabs , who inhabit about the fea-coaft of Arabia Petrea, have feveral times takenand plundered it, fince it fell into the Immaum’s hands. The country adjacent pro-duces barley, wheat, and legumen, and ftore of fruits and roots, camels, afles, mules, andhorfes, all very finely fhaped and mettlefome; but money being pretty plenty in thatpart of the country, their horfes are very dear, for 50 or 60I. fterling is reckoned buta fmall price for one. They have alfo plenty of Iheep, with large broad tails, thatreach almoft to the ground, and their goats are the fineft, both for beauty and tafte,that ever I faw. And they have poultry and Guinea-hens in abundance. And thefea affords variety of good fifh. The Immaum’s dominions reach about 20 leagues tothe eaftward of Aden, along the fea-coaft; but there are no places of trade till wecome to

Caflin, that lies almoft under the meridian of Cape Guardafoy, and under the pro-digious high mountains of Megiddo, on the coaft of Arabia. I have feen thofe moun-tains, in a clear day, above 40 leagues off.

The religion of Caflin is Mahometan, and the civil government democracy. Deathis capital, and is punilhed with death, but not by the civil magiftrate ; for the tribe orclan of the defunct purfues the murderer or homicide, and when they have found him,he is immediately beheaded, and his head put upon the point of a lance, and broughtto his relations in triumph, with mufick and dancing. And the tragi-comedy ends infeafting.

The