Part IL Travels into the Levant. 
no more but the two Towns Catif and Léhfa^ it is neverthelefs very confidera- 
ble and of great extent, having a great many good Villages: but the principsl 
Riches of that Country confifts in the the Traffick of Indian Commodities, which 
are Trîfiçortcd from Majcat^ to Port Catif \ from whence they come to Lehhfa^ indidn Com- 
and thence aredifperfed all over Arabia Fœlix, and chiefly at Mecba, where they modities at 
fell very well, when the Caravans come from all Parts to perform their Devotions ^Hi^'t- 
there. 
Port Catif is on the main Land in Arabia Fœlix, over againft the Ifle of Bah- Catlf. 
rin^ by corruption called Bahrein^ which is only feven Leagues diftant from it, TJic Ifle of 
though it belong not totheTwj^, being under the Dominion of the King of ?er- 
fia. This Ifland is very famous for the Fifliing of Pearls there, in the months of 
jf««e, July^ Augttfit and September. It muft needs be great, if one mr/ judge 
of it, by the great number of Barks that are employed therein, wlitch amount to 
two or three thoufand. In the Ifle of Bahrin there is a Town, and a Fort di- 
flant from it a large League and a half. Though there be good water in that Town, 
yet the Fifhermen take not in frefli water there j they find it more commodious to 
draw it out of the bottom of the Sea , where there are three Springs of good Three Springs 
water, yet not all in one place, but here and there, and all above two Leagues di- of frefh wa- 
ftant from the Town. ter in the Sea. 
Signor Emanuel Mendez Hemiquez^ Agent for the King of Portugal Congo^hsith 
often told me the way how they draw this water, which is thus. The Barks go Anextraordi- 
near to the place where the Springs are, which they know by the bearing of the "^""y . "'^y of 
Ifland : at high water, there is two Fathom water in thofe places, but when the '^""""8 '^^^ 
Sea is out, they have not above three Fo'ot water, and many times they are on dry bottom of 
Ground : for Bahrem is encompafled with Banks of Sand, that run out a great the Sea. 
way, where there are fuch flats that Veflels cannot pafs them : but amongft thefe 
Banks there are deep Channels, which the Veflels keep » and whatfoever ftorm 
may blow at Sea, the Veflels that are in thefe Channels are fafe and fecure. When 
thefe Barks are come near the Wells, they flay till low water, and then they plant 
two Oars in the Sand, one on each fide of the Well where they intend to wafer 
at j then they ftrain a Rope under water from one Oar to the other. We muft 
know that upon every one of thefe Wells, the Arabs have always the half of a 
Jarr, to wit the upper half where the mouth is, which may be called an Earthen 
Pipe ; they fut the wider end upon the mouth of the Spring, and thruft it down 
above four inches in the Sandi they dawb it bcfides, all round with Plafter and 
Bitumen, that the Salt water may not get in : when thefe half Jars break or are 
worn out, they take care to put another in the place of them ; after that the Fiflier- 
men then have planted the Oars, and faftened the Rope, a Man goes down into 
the Sea, with a Borrachio ftopt, and Diving down his Head, puts himfelf under 
the ftrained Rope, that fo the force of the frefh water, that gufhes out of the 
Jarr may not raife him up again -, for it guflies out with great impetuolîty -, and 
then he claps the mouth of his Borrachio to the mouth of the Jarr, which being 
narrow and opened, is immediatly filled with freOi water i when it is full, he 
he flops it again, and brings it up to the Bark, where he empties his frefli water, 
and then goes down again for more, till the Bark be fupplied. This Fortuguefe 
Gentleman told me that it was very eafie to be done, and that he himfelf had been 
fo curious as to go and fill a Borrachio there. 
Now I amfpeakingof Bahrem^ I will here relate the manner of the Pearl Fifli- The way of 
ing, as the fame Emanuel Mendez Henriquez-, (who hath been at it,) told me. This ^'^'^8 for 
Fifliing begins about the end of June^ and lafts till the end of September. During 
this time there are to be feen about Bahrem above two or three thoufand Fiflier- 
mens Barks, all Arabs who pay feverally a due to the Prince whofe Subjeds they 
are, for their permiflion to Fifli i and befides, each Bark pays to the Sultan or Go- 
vernourof Bahrem fifteen Abaffis a years the King of Perfta has not one penny of The King of 
that Revenue, for it all belongs to Mofques: only all the Pearls that weigh a half 'P^'"/?i's Right 
Medical or more, belong to him i and neverthelefs, he makes a liberal Prefent to Pearls, 
the Fi(her-man, that brings him fuch : but alfo if any of them fail to do it, and 
fell fuch a Pearl out of his Dominions, were it even at the Worlds end, the King 
ÎS foon acquainted with it i and to be revenged he puts to death the whole Family, 
and all the Kindred of the Fiflier-man , even to the feventh Generation, both 
Males and Females. Every one of thefe Barks hath Men for Diving to the bot- 
Y torn 
