Travels into the Levant. Part II. 
torn of the Sea and picking up the Shell-Fifh or Nacres^ and the reft ferve to 
draw them up, for all are not Divers. The Barks go fifteen, twenty, or thirty 
Leagues off of Bahem^ along the Coaft, ard when they are at a place where 
they think there may be good Hdiing, they come to an Anchor in rive Fathom 
water i and then two Divers make ready one on each fide, to go down tor Nacres. 
All their preparatives conGft in ftripping themfelves naked, and taking a piece of 
Horn cloven in the manner of a pair o{ Pincers, as the Gentleman reprefented it to 
me, which they always hang about their Necks by a piece of Pack thread i before 
thty jump into the water they put it upon their Nofe like a pair of Spectacles, and 
that keeps their Noftrils fo dofe that the water cannot enter them, nor can they 
fetch breath above water by the Nofe neither, Belides this accoutrement, every 
Diver provides himfelf of a great ftone, vvhich he faftcns to a long Rope, and 
•of a Basket tied to another i and puting the Pvope to which the ftone is tied be- 
twixt the Toes of one of his Feet, and taking the Basket in his Hand, he leaves 
the ends of the two Ropes on Board, and Dives into the Sea. The ftone carries 
him immediately to the bottom, where being come, he caftsloofe the Fuope of the 
ftone from his Foot, which they on Board pull up, and without lofiing time he 
quickly picks up all the Nacres he fees, and puts them in his Basket, and when it 
is full, comes up again. The reft hall up the Basket, whilft betakes a little breath, 
and fmoaks a Pipe of Tobacco ^ and having done fo he returns again to the bot- 
tom in the fame manner, coming and going fo from eight a Clock in the Morning 
till Eleven. Then he goes to Dinner, with his comrades and feeds on Pilau and 
Dates, which are their common Food i and about Noon he goes a Diving again, 
and continues at work till three a Clock, but no longer, becaufe the water is 
then too cold. When they have got on Board a good quantity of thefe Narres, 
they unload them upon fome bank of Sand, and there open them, every one 
having an Iron Inftrument purpofcîy for that -, the Mafter of the Bark, in the 
mean time, never taking his Eyes off of them, leaft they might purloin a Pearl, 
for if they be not carefully lookt to, they will cunningly whip them into their Mouth 
as foon as they have opened the Nacre. Now if the Malltr made them open them 
on Board, it would be worfe ftill for if any of them found a fair Pcail, he would 
nimbly throw the Nacre down into the hold without being perceived, and when 
the Bark were to be made clean, he would not fail to be Swabber, and throwing 
all the Shells and Fifti into the Sea, (for they know not what it is^o make any 
Works of Mother of Pearl) he would hide the Pearls he had thrown down, and 
then go fell them for 4 fmall matter in the Town -, and (which would be worft 
of all,) he would Work no more after h becaufe when thefe Blades have once got 
at little mony by fuch means, it is not poffible to make them Fifli any more i fo 
long as it lafts. 
The Revenue But to return to the Bafha of BaJIvra\ he has a confiderablc Revenue, and I 
of the Ba(ha have been affured that it amounts to no lefs than eight hundred thoufand Piajfres j 
of Baffora. though in exadling it he be a little Tyrannical. The Cuftom-houfe of Baffora yields 
him a great deal, and he lets it not out to Farm, as is ufual in other places, but 
entertains a Cuftom.er or Schab Bender^ (as they call him,) who has a Salary from 
him, and is accountable for all he receives. Befides he has from every Palm- Tree 
half a Schat a year, and that branch of his Revenue he lets out to a Man, who 
yearly pays him for it rifty thoufand Piajires. Ke gets moreover, a great deal of 
Pilgrims of the Perfians who go every year to Mecha, for all of them pafs by Bajfora, and the 
Mcha. Bafha fells them the Camels they ftand in need of, at what price he pleafes -, befides, 
they give him thirty rive Chequint a Head for which he fends with them a Guard 
of three hundred Troopers to wait upon them to Mecha, and back again to Bajfora. 
Thefe Pilgrim.s willingly pay the mony to be fecured from the Arabian Robber?. 
In five and twenty days time they go from BaJJora to Mecha, and when they are come . 
back, the Bajha buys their Camels at an eafie rate, and fells them Hoifes very dear 
to carry them home» he takes The fame courfe with the Merchants, who during 
the Mok/Î/« buy Horfes from him to be Tranfportcd i theymuft buy them at what 
price he pleafes to demand if they would have them^ becaufe it is Prohibited that 
any man whofoever fell Horfes during that time, nor dare they fell at any other 
time without a Licence from him, which is never obtained without a Prefenr. , 
Indeed, laft year the Bajha of Bagdad did him a bad and un-neighbour!y Office", 
for by Letters he invited the Perfians that intended to go to Mech'a to come and pafs 
