﻿MUKET. 



MTCEN^. 



8H 



The houses are geaerally low and flat-roofed ; those of the piincipal 

 square, or plaza, have highly-wrought-iroa balconies, and iu this pUza 

 ia the episcopal palace, also painted. The cathedral was begun in 

 1353, and received additions and alterations in 1521 and subsequently. 

 The architecture is consequently of mixed styles of gothia The 

 belfry-tower was begun in 1522 and completed iu 17i>tJ. It is of a 

 square form, rises in diminishing stages, and ia crowned by a dome. 

 It ia 1 feet higher than the tower of the cathedral of Sevilla ; and, 

 like that tower, U ascended by an inclined plane 320 paces in length 

 and gradually increasing iu steepness as far as the top of the first 

 stage, where there is a gallery with a balustrade. A narrow staircase 

 of 40 steps conducts thence to the belfry, and there are 70 steps more 

 to the hiijhest gallery, whence the view is truly magnificent, embracing 

 not only the Huerta of Murcia, but the whole extent of the vale, a 

 distance of about 30 mile.'i. The interior of the cathedral contains 

 some gothic ch.ipels of delicate workmanship. There are no pictures ; 

 they were carrieid off by the French. There are ten other churches, 

 several colleges, a town-hall, a plaza de toroa, an hospital, a botanic 

 garden, and two or three public libraries. It had upwards of 20 

 conventual buildingii, which since the suppreaaion have been taken 

 down or converted to secular uses. The promenades are the Alameda 

 del Carmi'n aud the Arenal, 



The tra/lo aud manufactures of the city are inconsiderable. There 

 are oil-millri, white-lead works, potteries, and tannericj. The govern- 

 ment mauufiu:tories of nitre and gunpowder are nearly inactive. The 

 esparto-rush is wrought into boskets, mats, cordage, aud sandals. 

 Some silk thread is spun, and small quantities of silk fabrics woven. 

 There are also a few establishmeute for the manufacture of coarse 

 linen-cloth. Fruits are exported. 



(Ford, handbook of Spain; Inglia, Spain in 1S30; Hoakini, Spoilt 

 a* it M, ISol.) 



MUKET. [Oaronxe, Hactb.] 

 MUKO. [Basiwcata.] 



MUKR.A.Y, HIVER. [Adstbalia; Sovra Austbaua.] 

 MUKRUMBIDGEK. [Adsibaua.] 

 MURVIKUKO. [Valencia.] 



MUSCAT, or M.A.SC'ATE, a sea-port town on the cast coast of 

 Arabia, in the province of Umao, is situated on a peninsula which is 

 joine<l to the ii'land of Muscat by a reef of rocks, iu 23° iS' N. Ut., 

 68° 10' K. long., and has about 60,000 inhabitants. High landa to the 

 south and west, and the island towaris the east shelter the harbour, 

 the entrance to which is from the northward, and protected by forts 

 on each side ; within there is room enough for a large Seet to moor 

 in 4 or 5 fathoms water. A fort close t j the town, and two otherforts 

 on the western side of the harbour command the whole of the port. 

 The town is surrounded with walls and otherwise strongly fortified. 

 The houses are only one story high, with the exception of some hand- 

 some stone buildings erected by the Portuguese. There are also some 

 houses built in the Persian style, and an aqueduct. 



Muscat is a great commercial entrepAt, and has a very active trade. 

 A large number of ships belong to it, and trade to British India, 

 Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, the Red Sea, and eastern coast of 

 Africa, the Comoro Isles, and Madagascar. Indeed wherever Arab 

 traders are met with, between Africa and China, they may be set down 

 as belonging to Muscat. The port is resorted to by ships from every 

 port of Persia and Arabia. British and French merchantmen trading 

 to the Persian Oulf stop at Muscat to sell and purchase goods. Besides 

 its maritime commerce, Muscat carries on an extensive trade with the 

 Arab tribes of the interior. The principal articles of the commerce 

 of Muscat are — asafoctida, almonds, raisins, pistachio nuts, socotrine 

 aloes, gum ammoniac, sulphur, gum copal, and saltpetre. Other arti- 

 cles aro frankincense, pearls, gall-nuts, coffee, cocoa-nut-oil, galbanum, 

 hides, cotton-wool, mother-o'-pearl, gum, bees'-wax, raw-silk, indigo, 

 tortoine-shell, rhinoceros-horns, pepper, cochineal, cinnamon, sugar, 

 rice, sandal-wood, dates, saffron, wheat, horses, salt, dried-fish, &c 

 Most of these artiolcs are imported in Arab vessels from Persia, 

 Zanzibar, Africa, and Western Arabia, and are exported to India, the 

 Mauritius, Bourbon, Calcutta, Bombay, America, prance, Zanzibar, 4c. 

 The tissues imported at Muscat are Britith and Americiin long-cloths, 

 British calico-prints, India shawls, Chinese silks, &c. The country near 

 the town is barren, but provisions, fruits, vegetables, and fresh-fish 

 are abundant in the markets. Bullocks, sheep, aud fowls are to be 

 had at a rea-ionable price. The annual imports into Muscat aro pro- 

 bably under-estimated at a million sterling. Imports pay a duty of 

 S per cent, if coining from Arabia, America, or Great Britain ; 4 per 

 cent, if coming from Bourbon. No duties are charged on exports. 

 There is a large town called Muttra, 3 miles to the westward, nearly 

 OS large as Muscat There is a good road between the two |)laoe8. At 

 Muttra Teasels can be hauled ashore. In the interior there is another 

 large town called Rottak. 



Muscat was a place of considerable trade before the arrival of the 

 Portuguese in the Indian Ocean, and it was then subject to Ormuz. 

 Albuquerque took it in 1507, but had immediately to put down a 

 bloody insurrection of the Arabs. On the destruction of Ormuz 

 Muscat became the principal centre of trade in this part of the East, 

 and yielded enormous profits to the Portuguese, who held the town 

 till 1648. During this interval they built the fortifications and greatly 

 fanproTed the city, having erected a handsome church, a college, 



aud many other public structures, besides many superb stone houses- 

 After being gorged with wealth the Portugueao treated the natives so 

 badly and put so many restrictions on their commerce, that they took 

 up arms and drove the Portuguese to their ships. Many unsuccessful 

 attempts were made by the Portuguese to recover the town. 



Left to themselves, the Aiabs of Muscat — expert seamen, skilled in 

 the use of fire-arms — soon raised a maritime force which overawed not 

 only the neighbouring coasts, but also the European powers iu ludia. 

 By 1694 they had made thenxselves masters of several places iu the 

 Persian Gulf, and were threatening Gombroon ; and the British 

 government, acting upon the repoit of their resident at tiiat place, 

 proposed to send out an armamaut to clear the Indian seas, aud " to 

 root out that nest of pirates tlie Mascate Arabs." In 1707 the Arabs 

 obtained permission to build ships at the ports of Pegu from the king 

 of that country ; and their fleets, comprising ships of from 30 to 50 

 guns, annoyed trade in the lu'lian Ocean, and frequently made descents 

 on the towns along the Malabar coast. With the Persians they were 

 almost continually at war, although Persian traders were always per- 

 mitted to trade at Muscat or any of its dependencies ; all Persian ships 

 of war were considered fair game. Since the beginning of the present 

 century they have laid aside their piratical practices, and have confined 

 themselves principally to commerce ; and during the rule of the 

 present Imam the territorial dominions, naval power, aud commer- 

 cial importance of Muscat have increased so vastly as to entitle 

 him to be numbered among the great powtrs of the world. Uo lias 

 commercial treaties with Great Britain aud the Uuited States, and 

 has opened intercourse with several European powers. 



The Imam of Muscat claims as his possessions in Asia all the south- 

 Mat coast of Arabia from the frontier of the British settlement of 

 Aden to IhiS-el-Hiul ; all the territory of Oman along the e.ist coast of 

 Arabia, the sea-coaat and islauds iu the Persian GiUf, including the 

 Bahrein Islands aud the pearl-fishery contiguous to them ; and the coast 

 of the Mukrau. In Africa he cUiins sovereignty over all the coast 

 from Cape Delgailo to Cape Gardafui, including the ports of Mon- 

 gallow, Lindi, Quiloah, Melinda, Lamoo, Bravo, Magadoxa, &c. ; and 

 the valuable islauds of Mafea, Zanzibar, liemba, Socotra, &c. Only a 

 small part of this immense territory is garrisoned by his troops, but 

 all, or nearly all, of it is tributary to him. Uo rules with patriarchal 

 and despotic sway, but it is said in a just and liberal spirit. His 

 government is strict and to Europeans courteous. A foreigner may 

 walk the streets of Muscat at any hour of the night unmolested. 

 Goods are piled up in the streets exposed night and day, aud pilfering 

 ia never attempted. 



The Imam derives his revenue, which is more than adequate to his 

 expenditure, chiefly from commerce, in which he employs a great 

 number of merchant vessels ; from import dues on foreign merchan- 

 dise ; and from tribute money or the equivalent presents made him by 

 princes under his sway. His naval force, more eflicient tiian that of 

 all the native emperors and princes from the Cape of Good Hope to 

 Japan, numbered in 1837 15 vessels, carrying from 6 to 74 guns ; 50 

 baghelaa (une-masted vessels of 200 to 300 tons), carrying 8 to IS 

 guns; and 10 balits (one-masted vessels of 100 to 200 tone) carrying 

 4 to 6 guns. The number of vessels belonging to the port of Muscat 

 at the same time, was estimated at 2000 of all sizes, a very large pro- 

 portion of these being small craft. He has intelligent o6Scers and 

 abundance of sailors ; but he keeps only a small number of regular 

 troops a* he can hive any number of Bedouins, whenever he wants 

 them, merely for the clothing and maiutenance. His nav.il force 

 however is sufficient to enable him to maintain his power against all 

 native protetuions over all the territories he claims ns hia own. 



MUSCATINE. [Iow.i.] 



MUSKERUY MOUNTAINS. [CoBK.] 



MUSKlNGU.vr. [Mississippi, River.] 



MUSSELBURGH. [EDiNBUBuasmuK.] 



MUSSIDAN. [DoRDOGXE.] 



MUSSOWA. [fABVssiNiA.] 



MUSSY-L'EVEQUE. [Adbe.] 



MUSTIGANNEM. [ALofeBiE.] 



MUTFORD and LOTHINGLAND, a hundred in the county of 

 Suffolk which has been constituted a Poor-Law Uniou. It is bounded 

 N. and W. by Norfolk, E. by the North Sea, and S. by the hundreds 

 of Blything and Wangford, and comprises 26 parishes and hamleti^ 

 with an area of 33,315 acres, and a population iu 1851 of 16,161, 

 Mutford and Lothingland Poor-Law Union comprises 24 parishes aud 

 townships, with an area of 32,732 acres, and a population iu 1851 of 

 19,854. 



MUTTRA. [HiNDUSTAir; Moscat.] 



MYCE'N^, an ancient town and atate in the north of the Pelopon- 

 nesus, founded, it is said, by Perseus, and which in the time of its 

 king Agamemnon was the most powerful state of Greece, ruling over 

 the greater part of the Peloponnesus, and many islands. The small 

 kingdom of Argos was then subject to Mycenae. But after the death 

 of Agamemuon and the extinction of the dynasty uf Atreus, Argos 

 gained the ascendancy over MyueniE, which however protected by 

 Si<arta still maintained a sort of independence. During the Persian 

 war, Argos did not send any assistance to the Northern Greeks, but 

 the coutingeut from Mycense was present at ThermopyUo. This added 

 to the grudge which Argos bore against Mycenie for its pride of 



