'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.' [‎528] (559/582)

528 ISLANDS OF CURIA-MURIA.—SARAPIS, OR MAZEIRA.
another way of writing the same word. # The Curia-Muria Islands
are called by Edrissi, Kartan-Martan ; and Bochart has observed
that, by a change of points only, this will be Kurian-Murian :
as thus, Jy Kurtan, JsJ Kurian, (the points above the third
letter making it a t, and below making it an i.) By Kurian-Mu
rian would be meant the island of Kurian, and others around it:
as it is common in Arabic, Persian, and Hindoostanee, when speak
ing of several things of the same or a similar kind, to add a word
exactly like the name of the thing expressed, except its always be
ginning with an M, as Bundook-Mundook, for musket and all
accoutrements thereto belonging; Barsun-Marsun, for plates and
dishes, and all other table-ware; which will be recollected by every
one conversant with those languages. The islands of Curia-Muria
are those to which the Arabian fable applies, which speaks of two
islands, one inhabited by men, and the other by women. In Ori
ental geography, they are placed at a great distance to the south;
but the origin of the fable is on the coast, and truly Arabian.
Ptolemy makes these islands seven in number.f
Mazeira, which lies beyond this, is described by the author of
the Periplus to have been in his time not under Arabian, but Per
sian jurisdiction, and the natives were then uncivilized. 4 A ves
sel,' he says, 4 after passing the coast, stands off to sea from the
islands of Zenobius during a course of two thousand stadia, till she
reaches the island of Sarapis, which lies one hundred and twenty
stadia from the main. Sarapis is two hundred stadia in breadth,
and divided into three districts, each of which has its village. The
natives are held sacred, and are ikhtheiophagi; they speak the
language of Arabia, and wear an apron of cocoa leaves. The pro
duce of the island is tortoise-shell, of superior quality, in great
* From Moskha, (which is assumed to be Shahr,) the coast extends fifteen hundred stadia
more to the district of Asikho, (the Hasek of Edrisi : Hasek means weedy, and the sea here
is said to be so,) and at the termination of this tract lie the Seven Islands of Zenobius in suc
cession, which correspond to the Curia-Muria.— Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, vol, i. p. 9^.
f Vincent's Dissertation, vol. ii. p. 347.