'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.' [‎516] (547/582)

516
INHABITANTS OF MUSCAT.
the natural colour, and not dyed, as with the Persians; though
henna, the stain used for that purpose, is here applied freely to
the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands; as well as cohel,
or surmeh, the Arabic and Turkish names of antimony, to the eyes,
from an idea that it increases their sparkling effect, and preserves
the sight. Rings are sometimes worn, with the turquoise or firouzi
stone set in them. # The dress of the men is simply a shirt and
trowsers of fine muslin, slightly girded round the waist, open
sandals of worked leather, and a turban of small blue checked
cotton, with a silk and cotton border of red and yellow, a manu
facture peculiar to the town of Sahar, to the north-west of Muscat,
on the coast. In the girdle is worn a crooked dagger; and over
the shoulders of the merchants is thrown a purple cotton cloth of
Surat; while the military, or people of government, wear a neatly
made wooden shield, hung by a leathern strap over the shoulder,
and either hang the sword loosely above it, or carry it in their
hand. Nothing can surpass the simplicity of their appearance, or
the equality of value between the dresses of the wealthiest and
the lowest classes of the people. The garments of the Prince,
taken altogether, without his arms, could not have cost more, I
should conceive, than about an English guinea ; and his arms were
* Pliny describes this stone under the name of Gallais, which is translated ' turquois.' His
observations on it are these :—It has a certain green, inclining to a yellow. It is found
among the inhabitants of Caucasus, and here they grow to a large size, but are imperfect. The
finest and the best are those of Carmania. In both countries they are found softly imbedded
in earth, and, when seen in cliffs, project out like bosses. They are mostly found in places
difficult of access, and were, for that reason, formerly slung at with slings ; so that a mass of
earth falling, brought them down with it. This stone was in such esteem among the rich
people of the countries themselves in which they were found, that no jewel was preferred
above it, for collars, chains, or necklaces. They must be fashioned into the desired shape by
the lapidary, and are easy to be wrought upon. The best stones were thought to be those
that came nearest the grass-green of an emerald (though now the .bluest are preferred, and a
green tinge is held an imperfection). Their chief beauty was however considered to be given
by art, and it was admitted that no stone became setting in gold better than it. The finer
colour a turquoise was, the sooner it was thought to lose its hue; and the baser it was, the
longer to retain it. It was added that there was no stone more easily to be counterfeited by
art than this was.— Plin. Nat. Hist. b. 37, c, viii.