The fixth Booke of 



of haiic clotbs,and cnci^mpe under them when and where they lift. Being pafi; them, you meet G 

 with the Nabatxans in the vale^ who inhabite a towne there named Petra^ little le0e than two 

 miles large 5 environned with fteepe mountaines round about, which cut off all the advenues to 

 It : and befides, having a river running through the middeft thereof. Diftanc it is from Gaza (a 

 townc fituate upon our coaft in Syria) ^00 miles : and from thePcrfian gulfe 122. And here at 

 this townc meet both the port high waies, to wit5the one which paffengers travell to Palmyra in 

 Syriajand the other, wherein they goe from GazaiBeyond Peira and the vale ihcreof;,you enter 

 into the Omanes countrey : which reac;hedfometim.c asfarre as to Garax,andinhabited two fa- 

 mous townes built by quecnc i'fW/r^/»//jnamely,Ahefanius^and Soradia. But now all is but a 

 wildcrneflc.Thcn come you to a towne named Forath/ituate upon the river Pafuigris, and fub- 

 je6t to the king of the Caracins or Zarazins : to which towne there is much refort from Petra ^a^ n 

 to a fliicr towne;and from thence to Cbarax,thcy may pafTe with the tide when the water ebbeth, 

 forthcfpace of twelve miles. But they thatcome by water out of theParilii^iitkingdoniej meet 

 with a village called Teredon, lower than the place where Euphrates and ligris meet together 

 in onc.Where the Chaldaeans inhabite the left hand coaft of theriv,er,andiheNoniades called 

 Scenita?,thc right. Some writers affirm^jthat as yccfailc and row upon the river Tigris, ye paflq 

 by two other townes diftant farre afunder : the one called Barbatia iti times paft, and afterwards 

 Thumatajwhich our merchants that trafficke in thofe partSjavouch to be tenne dales faile from 

 Petra,and is under the king of the Gharacenes : and the other namedApamia,fuuate in the ve- 

 ry place whereEuphrates the river fo fwelleth over his bankes, that he joineth with Tigris in one 

 confluent. And therfore the Apamians^at what time as the Parthians are about to make inrodcs j 

 andinvade their territorie/et open the fluces, andbreakeup the wharfes and bankes that keepc 

 thefe two rivers afunder^ and fo impeach their cnterprife by the overflow and innundation of 

 the waters. Now being paft Charax,we will difcourle of the other coafts of Arabia, and namely 

 that which firft was diicQvered and deGlaredby£/'//>^4»<?^. And to begin with the place where 

 fometime the mouth of Euphrates was. When you are once paft it,you meet with a river of fak 

 brackifh water, and the Promontorie or cape Chaldonum: where the fea is morclikeadeepe 

 pit or whirlepoole than a fea^for 50 miles. Vpon this coaft you find the river Achann^ and be- 

 yond it jdeferts for 100 miles,untill you come to the Ifland Ichara.Then fheweth it felfe the gulfc 

 or armc of the fea named Capeus, upon which inhabite the Gaulopes and Chateni. Beyond 

 them another crceke called Gerraicus, and the towne Gerrae upon it,fivs miles large : and forti- 

 fied with turrets made of great huge ftones f<]uaredjoffalt minerall.Fiftie miles from the fea fide 

 is the region Attenc : and overagainft it the Ifland Tylos^as many miles from the fliorc, with a 

 towne in it, bearing the name of thelflandg much frequented by merchants foriheplentie of 

 pcarles that there bee fold : and not farre from it there is another Ibmewhat lefTe, not paft twelve 

 miles from the cape of the forefaid Tylos. Beyond thefe there are dilcovered by report certaine 

 great niandsjbut as yet they have not ben landed upon by our merchants. As for this laft Ifland, 

 it containeth as they fay 1 1 2 miles and an halfe in circuit,and is farre from Perfis , but no accefTe 

 there is unto it,but onely by one narrow gutter or channell.Then flieweth it feife the Ifland Af^ 

 gilia,Andin thcfe parts likewife are other nations,name]yjthe NochetijZurachijBorgodijCa- 

 tari]ei,and Nomades : and withall the river Cynos. Beyond thatj as king lubd faith, there is no 

 more dilcovered upon this fea of that fide, by rcafon of the daungerous rockes therein . And I 

 marvell much that hee hath made no mention at all of the towne Batrafabe in theOmanians 

 countrey,nc yet of Omana, which the auncient Geographers have held to be an haven of great 

 importance in the kingdome of Carmania . Jtemj hee faith not a word of Omne and Athan;^, 

 which our merchants report to bee at this day two famous mart townes, much frequented by 

 thofe that trafficke from the Perfian gulfe . Beyond the rivet Caius, as king luba writeth, there is 

 an hill, which fecmeth allfcorchcd and burnt. Paft which,you enter into the countrey of theE- 

 pimaranites : and anone after into the region of the Ichtbyophagi :and paft them there is difco- 

 vered a defert Iflandjand the Batbymians countrey. And fo forward,the mountaines Eblitasi arc 

 difcovered, and the Ifland Omoenus, the haven Machorbie, the IflandsEtaKalos,Onchobricc, {vl 

 and the people called Chad^i. Many otherlflands alio of no account, andnamelefle : but of 

 importancejIfurajRhinnea ] and one other very neere thereto,wh'erein are ftanding certaine co- 

 lumries or pillers of ftone engraven with unknownc charaders and letters . A little beyond, the 

 port-towneGoboea, and the defert unpeopled IflandsBraga;. The nation of die: Thaludasans: 



the 



