Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

CARMANIA.

CARMANIA is bounded on the East, with Gedrosia, and some part of Aria; on the West, with part of Persis, and the Gulf of Persia, from hence called also by the name of Sinus Carmanicus; on the North, with Parthia; and on the South, with the main Indian Ocean. So cal∣led from the Carmani, a chief People of it: but the reason of that name I sind not. It is now generally called Chyrman; those parts of it which lie next to Parthia, which Ptolomy calleth Car∣mania Deserta, being now named Mingia, and by some Dulcinde.

The Countrey for the most part barren, and but ill inhabited. That part which Ptolomy calleth Car∣mania Deserta, being truly such; a wilderness or very Desart, having in it neither Town nor village, but some scattered houses, and those but ill provided of food and necessaries, full of unprofitable sands, de∣stitute of water; and of a very hot and unhealthy air. And though the other part hereof which lieth to∣wards the Ocean, hath a Sea coast of above 200 leagues in length, and many Rivers emptying themselves into it, yet are they not the richer by it: the shores being full of rocks, and the Rivers small; so that they neither have good Port nor safe coming to it. The best commodities here of (besides their Manufac∣tures) are Dates, Myrrhe, Arsenic, some few mines of silver, more of brass and iron, and good store of Alabaster. In which regard, the Inhabitants hereof were antiently called Ichihyophagi, because they lived wholly upon fish, the Countrey yielding little else for the life of man. Carmani sine veste ac frage, sine pecore ac sedibus, piscium cute se velant, carne vescuntur, praeter capita toto cor∣pore hirsuti. The Carmans (saith Pomponius Mela) have neither fruits, nor rayment, nor house, not cattel; but cloth themselves with the skins, and feed themselves with the flesh of fishes; hairie not onely in their heads, but over all their bodies also. Where by the way, Ammianus Marcellinus must be out in his informations, who telleth us of these very Carmans, that their Countrey though far less than that of Arabia Felix, and far more obscure, was as well replenished with Rivers, and for fertility of soil not inferior to it. But we must understand the one of the best parts of Carmania; the other of Deserta onely.

Amongst the Rivers which he reckoneth of greater name than the rest, he mentioneth 1. Saganis, 2. Sagareus, and 3. Hydriacus. Of which Saganis onely is named by Prolomy, the other Rivers or the same under divers names, being 1. Dara, 2. Andanius, 3. Cathrappis, 4. Achindura, 5. Salarus (the Sagareus as I take it of Ammianus) 6. Caudriaces, 7. Zoromba, and 8. Samida∣ce, most of them falling into the Gulf of Persia, few navigable, or of any use in the way of tra∣ding.

Mountains of most note 1. that called Semiramis, from some exploit of that great Lady. 2. Stron∣geius, so named from the roundness of it; and 3. a continued ridge of hills, dividing this Countrey from Gedrosia.

Places of most observation in it, 1. Cantharis, 2. Agris, 3. Tisa, honoured by Ptolomy with the names of Cities. 4. Cyrza, and 5. Gocharta, two Port-Towas. 6. Alexandera, bearing the name of that great Conquerour, who here or hereabouts kept his Bacchanalia, whereof more anon. 7. Por∣tospant, by Ammianus called Ortospana, and by him reckoned amongst the fairest and richest of all the Countrey. 8. Armuzt, (or Armuzium as Pliny calleth it,) on the shore of the Gulf, giving name to a Promoatory neer-adjoining, and to the Noble Isle of Ormus, of which more anon. 9. Guntroone, not longsince a poor village; but since the fall of Ormus (from which not above nine miles distant) grown a populous Town, consisting at the least of a thousand houses. 10. Jasques, at the opening of the Par∣sian Gulf into which it looketh, whence the Promontory of it called Carpella, is of late named Capodi Jasques. 11. Carmania, the Metropolis or mother City of the Province, in former times of good e∣steem; and now of passing good repute both for cloth of gold, and the making of the best Scymitars. A weapon of such value amongst the Mahometans, and so esteemed of by the Turks, that at the overthrow of their Navy at the battle of Corsu, Anno 1574. most of them who were taken Prisoners threw their Scymnars into the Sea, for fear the Christians should be masters of such excellent weapons. It is now called Chyrman, by the name of the Province, as in former times; with very little difference from the antient name. 12. Lar, more within the land towards Persis, seated in a barren and inhospitable Countrey, full of huge heaps of sands, both loose and dangerous, moved and removed as the wind sitteth into plains and Mountains; without grass, water, herbs, or any other necessary for the use of Travellers, the City being served with rain-water only, entertained with great joy when it falleth, and kept in cisterns. The City notwithstanding large, and of good capacity, containing not long since to the namber of 5000 hou∣ses; of which the greatest part, in the year 1590. were thrown down by an earthquake: now most re∣markable for a fair Market-place of about 180 paces square; a goodly Mosque, adorned with Masaick work, and a strong Castle seated on the top of an hill, furnished with great plenty of Ordinance brought hither from Ormus. This once a Kingdome of it self, or the head City of a Kingdome, acknowledging no sub∣jection to the Persian Sophies: till conquered to that Crown by Emangoli Chawn Duke of Shyras, who sent hence as much treasure as was said to load 700 Camels; and put to death the poor King with his whole posterity, Anno 1604. or thereabouts. 13. Tecoa, or Dea-chow, a Town of the jurisdiction of Lar, not far from which is a huge wall cut out of the solid rock by incredible labour, which served formerly both for the boundary and desence of that sandy Kingdome against the Per∣sians.

The antient Inha bitants hereof, were the posterity of Sabta, the sonne of Chus, who wanting room on the coast of Arabta Felix, where they were first planted, passed over into Sophta (from them so named) an Island of the Persian Gulf, and afterwards into the main land of Carmania, where they built and gave name to the City of Sabis, which we find in Ptolomy. Divided in some tract of time into the severall Nations of the Sazota, Ara, Charadra, Chelonophagi, Cabadinae, and Pasa∣garda.

Neither the People nor the Countrey memorable in the way of story; but by Accident onely: it being here that Alexander being returned out of India, kept his Baechanalia, in imitation of Bacchus, who first conquered that Nation. Night and day he was continually feasting with his friends, on a scaffold drawn with eight horses; his Companions following in their Chariots: some adorned with Purple and Silk; others with Flowers and Green Boughs; themselves wearing Garlands on their heads, and carrying their Carowsing Cups in their hands. In this Army there was neither Helmet, Sword, Ar∣row, or Buckler seen: all their Armour, was Cups, Barrells, and Flaggons; their Skirmishing Ea∣ting, Drinking, Laughing, and Singing. Attended they were by Minstrells, playing on their Fluits; by Women, dancing; Boyes, shouting; all playing the drunken Foolls most naturally. Thus march they through the Countrey of Carmania, in as great dissoluteness, as if BACCHUS himself had indeed been there, and led the Mummery; and for seaven whole daies this sottishness continued. So that Curtius well observeth, Si quid victis saltem adversus comessantes animi fuisset, mille hercule viri, modo & sobrii, septem dierum crapula graves in suo tri∣umpho capere potuerunt: a thousand Persians, sober and well provided, had their hearts been answerable to so good an opportunity, might have destroyed this drunken Army, and redeemed at once the honour of their Countrey, and their own liberty.