and eastward.1 Rather a large fishing village (once Pasira) is
situated on a low sandy isthmus, forming another bay on the
western side of the promontory, now Cape ’Arabah. The
people, who are Baluches, have little trade and are very poor,
Sr^Tadies. chiefly huts °f cajan2 sticks, covered with date-tree
leaves; they are hospitable, and have some goats, fowls, and
dried fish, but melons are the only thing grown.3
After halting one day, the fleet sailed round the adjoining
high and rugged promontory, and having gained 200 stadia it
came to Kolta, whence departing at day-light it made 600
Jrrivefat stadia more to the village of Kalama, where were found some
th?L?an“ d dates and green figs. Here there was an island about 100
Kamine. stadia from the shore, called Karnine, where Nearchus was
hospitably entertained, receiving presents of cattle and fish. But
the former, says Nearchus (probably sheep), eat fishy, not much
unlike sea-fowl, being fed upon fish,4 there being no grass upon
the island. Ashtola, a desolate island of about five miles in
circumference, and twelve miles from the coast of Mekran,
represents this station: it is. inaccessible except at one place
where there is a sandy beach, being surrounded by cliffs rising
abruptly about 300 feet; latterly it was a rendezvous of the
Jawasfmi pirates.5
Making 200 stadia from Karnine, the fleet put to shore on
the coast of Karbis, not far from the inland village of Cysa or
Kysa,' where were found some small boats belonging to poor
fishermen who had fled, but no corn. From thence, sailing
round a high rocky promontory, now Passense, running 150
stadia into the sea, the fleet came to the safe fishing haven of
p u X w i . Mosama> where was obtained a Gedrosian pilot, who engaged
to conduct them safely to the coast of Carmania, with which
doubtless this port had commercial intercourse.6 Under the
1 Lieut. Kempthorne, Indian Navy, vol. V., pp. 264, 265, of Royal Geographical
Journal. s Cytisus cajan. Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 In many places, both here and in Arabia, the cattle are fed entirely on
dried fish and dates mixed together.—Lieut. Kempthorne, Indian Navy,
vol. V., p. 270, of Royal Geographical Journal. Arrian, Ind., cap. xxvi.
5 Ibid., and vol. Y., p. 266, of Royal Geographical Journal.
* Arrian, Ind., cap. xxvii.
guidance of the Gedrosian, the fleet made, in one stage of 750
stadia, the coast of Balomus, and from thence another of 400
stadia brought it to Barna, a village with palm and other fruit
trees, also myrtles and various flowers. In another stage of
200 stadia it reached Dendrobosa, and 400 stadia onward the
haven of Kophas or Kophanta. This was probably the bay
westward of Ras Gwadel; and it appears to have been a large
fishing station, where the people had slight boats with paddles,
which were used, says Arrian, as diggers do their spades.1
Making 800 stadia from thence, the fleet anchored near The fleet
Kyiza, which being a barren rocky coast, it proceeded onward Kyiza.
without landing; and having by fraud surprised a small town,
situated on a hill, probably at or near Gwutter bay, there was
obtained a small supply , of corn, and, what wrs more common,
some meal made of dried fish ground to powder.2 Thence the
fleet proceeded to the rock or island of Bagia, probably Ras-
Briefs, and onward, 1,000 stadia from thence, to the commodious
haven of Talmona, where the crews were permitted to land.
This seems to coincide with the existing bay of Charbar or Talmona pro-
Choubar, in which there is a walled town of the former name, present Bay
subject to the Imam of Maskat, and having an extensive trade of Ctarbir.
with different parts of India, which is chiefly carried on by
Banian merchants. It contains about 1,500 inhabitants, living
in meanly-built houses, chiefly mud, with flat roofs. The streets
are narrow and dirty, and in the vicinity are some date groves,
also a few fields producing corn and vegetables.3
At 400 stadia from thence the fleet came to the ruined city
of Kanasis, where there was found a well and some palm trees;
and sailing all night and the day following along a barren coast
to Kanates, it anchored, the crews being unable to land for the
usual purpose of cooking and refreshing themselves: it then
made 750 stadia to the country of the Trassi, which contained The fleet
some poor villages, with a little corn and some dates, and herec™ n try o fth e
the followers of Nearchus captured or plundered seven camels.4 Tr!csi-
1 Arrian, Ind., cap. xxvii. a Ibid., cap. xxviii.
3 Lieut. Kempthorne, Indian Navy, vol. V., p. 271, of Royal Geographical
Journal.
4 Arrian, Ind., cap. xxix.