288

Hamilton’s account cf the east indies.

and (hake out the pearl; and, after they are robbed of their treafure, they put theminto water again, and they clofe. I bought at times above x oo oyfters, and got no-thing; they cod me but feven-pence halfpenny a-piece. At laft I found one that hadan excrefcence growing to the Ihell on the infide, which I carefully took off; and, atCarwar in India , I fold it for 9!. fielding.

The women in this country have fome peculiar privileges beyond the men ; for ifone complain that a man has offered violence to her perfon, without further proofthan her word of honour, he is punilheJ with 100 baftinadoes on the foies of the feet,or put into a dungeon under ground, which has only an hole at the top, big enoughto receive a man; and when he is in, there is a (lone put over the hole, too big to beremoved by a Angle perfon, and there he mu ft flay three days and as many nights,without meat or water, or room to lie at his length. And if a wife complain of herhuiband for unkindnefs in any kind, particularly of due benevolence, as by law efta-blifhed in the Jewiffi and Mahometan churches, the huiband mult undergo the punilh-ment of the dungeon. But if a lady trefpaffes, and her fpoufe deteft her crime, hehas the law in his own hand, and may chaftife her with the whip feverely; but mullnot touch her life, on pain of death.

The Mufkat Arabs are remarkable for their humility and urbanity. I had oneinftance of their civility. As I was one morning walking the ftreets, I met acci-dentally the governor of the city, by them called the waaly, and according to myduty, I went into the door of a fhop, to let him and his guards have the flreet,which generally are narrow; but hs obferving, by my complexion and garb, that Iwas a llranger, made his guard go on one fide, and beckoned me to come forward,and flood till I paft by him. And for an inftance of their cool temper, in hearing de-bates and rectifying miftakes between parties difagreeing about commerce : the beforementioned interpreter at Maceira, w’as commander of a Ihip from India , and hadfreighted her to Mufkat. The freighter, who was a Mahometan, delayed paying thefreight, long after it was due by the tenor of the charter-party; upon which he beingin a paffion with the freighter for his continued delays, went to the waaly to complain.He obferving by the gentleman’s countenance, that his mind was difeompofed, an-fvvered him, that being at that time very bufy about fome of the King’s affairs, hehad not time to fend for his freighter, but defired that he would come fome othertime, and he would hear him, and order the payment. The delays ftill continuing,the captain went again in an angry mood to make his complaint, but was ftill put offwith gentle excufes: but at laft addreffing the waaly with coolnefs, he was defired tofit down, and he would fend for the freighter, which accordingly he did ; and on hisappearance, the waaly allied him why he did not comply with his contract, as was fti-pulated by charter-party; and his excufes being thought infufficient, he was orderedto make payment forthwith, or go to prifon; but the freighter chofe rather tobring the money, and end the difpute. The captain afked the waaly why he didnot do him juftice fooner, who received for aniwer, that it was his own fault forcoming drunk to make complaint. The captain protefted that he had not beendrunk in many years; but the waaly replied, that he faw him drunk with paffion,which was the mo ft dangerous fort of drunkennefs.

Ihe countries to the fouthward of Mulkat, as far as Curia Maria, are under thedominions of Mulkat, and the Ikeeks or princes are their tributaries. The land ismountainous; but the plains and vallies very fertile and well watered, and con-fequently well peopled. And to the northward of Mulkat, the fame chain of rockymountains continue as high as Zoar, above Cape Mufenden, which Cape and Cape

3 Jaques