'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎375] (406/582)

INHABITANTS OF BUSSORAH.
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perseverance of the Armenians, a meanness, a cunning, and a disre
gard of principle, which are peculiar to them, they insinuate them
selves into all affairs of business that are transacted even between
strangers, and are not only in general the greatest gainers in every
affair, but often derive a profit as brokers and agents, when the
principals for whom they treat may lose. They form here as sepa
rate a body as in all other parts of the globe, living only among
themselves, and preserving, by intermarriages among their own
immediate offspring, that peculiarity of feature as well as of
character, which distinguishes them from the one end of the
world to the other. Their dress differs very little from that of
the wealthy natives of the place, except in their confining them
selves, like the' Armenians, to dark-coloured garments. Their
turban is, however, peculiar; and instead of the overhanging
tarboosh and full shawl of the Armenians, it is formed of a
flower-striped silk and cotton cloth, bound tightly round a red cap
in flat folds, with sometimes a border of fringe at the edge. The
rich, of whom there are many, are always well-dressed; the poor
go from mediocrity down to filth and rags ; and all classes wear
their beards and the hanging side-locks which distinguish their
sect from all others. Their common language is Arabic ; though
among themselves, and in correspondence with other Jews, they
write this in the Hebrew character ; but of Turkish, Persian, or
any other tongue, there are few who know enough to transact the
most common business, which forms a great feature of difference
between them and the Armenians.
The Catholic Christians are much fewer in number than
either of the last mentioned, and do not at present exceed twenty
families. Some of these are natives of Bussorah, and others are
recent settlers from Bagdad and Aleppo. They are all merchants
and traders, and are distinguished from the mass only by their
wearing dark turbans ; since in manners and language they re
semble the other inhabitants of the place. These have a chuich
attached to the hospital of the Carmelite Friars, which has long