Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

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ferve for table and chairs. Their viands are a dilh of rice, either plain, or made inpillaw, and a difh or two more of ftewed or fried flelh, filh or fowl, placed near thedifh of rice: and he, with his table companions, fit on the fame mat, with their but-tocks on their heels, apd, in that pofture, they feed very plentifully. Their righthand ferves them for fpoon, knife and fork, exfcept when they eat broth or milk, andthen they have large wooden fpoons. Ther ufual drink is water, or four milk, and inhot weather Iherbets.

They make no great difference about table guefts; for the king and a common fol-dier, the mafter and Have, fit promifcuoufly, and dip in the fame difli: but womennever eat in company with men. The men’s apparel is a pair of breeches down to theirancles, with a loofe veft on their backs, with very large lleeves, and the body of theveft girded about their bodies with a falh, and a large turban carelefsly wreathed abouttheir heads, and a poniard, or a fhort broad fword ftuck into their girdle perpendicu-larly, their lhoes clumfily made, and very low and ftiff at the quarter-heels; and thusa gentleman is equipped ; but in cold weather they ufe camelins, a fort of loofe coat,without lleeves, made of camel’s wool. Their women wear breeches to their heels, offiner llulfs, and better colours than the men. The body of the veft made for theirufe, is ftraight, but fhort waifted, and gathered above the navel in plaits, which makesthe lower part look like a petticoat. Their fhoes are fliaped like the men’s, flat andbroad.

The reafon why their lhoes are made fo, is for their eafier flipping off or on, whenthey enter, or come out of a room, that they may not dirty the carpets or mats where-with the rooms are fpread, which ferve them for beds in cold weather. And, exceptfome large round pillows of broad cloth or velvet, fluffed with cotton, for the eafe ofthofe who fit on the carpets or mats, to lean upon as they fit crofs-legged, there is noother furniture in a room.

Over all the three Arabias, their cuftom in treating ftrangers or friends, is the fame;for as foon as every one is feated, a fervant brings a pot of coffee, and ferves it about infmall cups, that contain not a quarter of a gill; but as foon as one cup is out, they fillagain, and perhaps a third time: then a pipe of tobacco is prefented, their pipes differ-ing much from ours in Europe , in fhape and magnitude; which fervice lafts till nearthe time of breaking up company, when comes in a little pot of hot burning coals, onwhich they throw fome chips of Agala wood, or fome powder of benjoin, myrrh, orfrankincenfe, which produces a thick fmoke, that incenfes or perfumes the wholer oom. And, as I obferved before, it is the cuftom of wearing very great lleeves totheir garments. They open their lleeves as wide as they can, and hold them over thefnaoke, which perfumes their arms, Ihoulders, neck and beard. And the laft courfeis fome rofe-water to befprinkle the company, which is the fignal to be gone every oneabout their bufinefs; fo, without any forms of ceremony, every one walks off.

The products of Arabia Petrea for exportation, are but few, as horfes, dates, linebrimftone, fome coffee, but not fo good as at Mocha; fome ruinofs, which is the root°f a fmall Ihrub, that dies crimfon, and fome pearl. Their manufacture is fome coarfecotton, linen, and camelins, which they confume moll in their own country; but theftadows need none, fince they wear none. The Arabs wear no pearl or gold; but thew omen of diftinction wear pearl of a fmall price, though I faw one there as big as ai ar ge hazel-nut, exactly round, and of a fine water. It was valued at 1000 tomans,Xv hich is above 3000I. fterling. I have fometimes gone in a boat to fee them dive forpearl and have bought fome pearl oyfters of them; but the divers are cheats, puttingthe oyfters in the fun, which makes them gape, and then the rogues rummage them,