JOURNAL

OF

THE ASIATIC SOCIET Y.

No. 35.-November, 1834.

I.-Extracts from the MOHIT, that is the Ocean, a Turkish work on Navigation in the Indian Seas. Translated by the BARON JOSEPH VON HAMMER, Prof. Orient. Lang. Vienna, Hon. Mem. As. Soc. &c. [Presented in Manuscript, and read at the Meeting of the 5th instant.] Si'DI' AL CHELEBI, captain of the fleet of Sultán Suleimán, the legislator in the Red Sea, is already known in Europe and India, by the notice given of his journey overland from the Indian shores to Constantinople*, and by the titles of his works recorded in the history of the Ottoman empiret. The two principal ones are, first, the description of his above-mentioned journey, which bears the title, Mirror of Countries; the second, his work on navigation in general, and particularly in the Indian seas, which forms the subject of this notice.

My attention to the high interest of this nautical work having been first roused thirty years ago, by the article mentioning it in Háл' CALFA'S Bibliographic Dictionary, I spared no kind of exertion to find a copy of it, whether in the libraries, or among the book-sellers of Constantinople: but all my researches were baffled for more than twenty years, until at length I lighted upon it in the library of the Museo Borbonico at Naples, in the year 1825; and after an investigation of seven years more, I was at last fortunate enough to buy at Constantinople, the manuscript serving for this notice. It is written in the fair Neskhi hand, bearing the stamp of Sultán Suleimán's age, and is stated to have been copied but four years after the composition of the original, which was finished at Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujerát, in the last

*In the Transactions of the Bombay Literary Society; in the Asiatic Journal; and the Journal Asiatique; and printed separately.

days of Moharrem of the year 962, (December, 1554,) while the present copy was finished in the town of Amed or Diarbeker, in the first days of Rabi ul awal of the year 966, (December, 1558.) The manuscript consists of 134 leaves or 238 pages, large octavo.

Sídí Alí Capudán's (Captain) work, according to the announcement in its preface, has been compiled out of no less than ten Arabic works on the Geography and Navigation of India, three ancient, and seven modern ones.

:

The ancient ones: 1. The work of LEIS BEN KAHLA'N; 2, of MAHAMMAD BEN SHADÁN; 3, of SAHL BEN ABA'N. The modern 4, the work of JOLFÁR BEN AHMED BEN MA'JED, a native of Ommán; then the five works of SULEIMA'N BEN AHMED, a native of the town of Sheher*, viz. 5, the Fewaidt; 6, the Hauwie; 7, the Tohfetelfohúl§; 8, the Omdet||; 9, the Minháj¶; 10, the Kiládet ul-shomús**.

The interest of its contents may be fairly estimated from the titles of its chapters and sections.

FIRST CHAPTER.—Of the names of the skies and the stars, of the elements and what belongs to them: 1, of the skies, stars, and elements; 2, of the division of the circles of the skies; 3, of the astronomical measures called Essabet†, (inches,) and of the cardinal points of the compass, (Ahnán)‡‡; 4, of the instruments serving to measure the distance of the stars ; 5, of the making of these instruments; 6, of the calculation necessary to take the height of the stars.

SECOND CHAPTER.-Of the Oss§§ (the foundation) of all astronomical calculations: 1, of the solar and lunar years ; 2, of the foundation of the calculation of solar and lunar years; 3, of the foundation of the Roman and Coptic solar year; 4, of the mode of finding the lunar year; 5, of the mode of finding the Romun year; 6, of the mode of finding the Coptic year; 7, of the mode of finding the Persian year.

THIRD CHAPTER.-Of the divisions and subdivisions of the compass, rhumbs (Erwam) and points (Tarfát¶¶); 1, of the rhumbs lying between the cardinal points (Ahnán), 2, of the subdivisions of the rhumbs called Tarfát: 3, of the true circles of the compass.

FOURTH CHAPTER.-Of the Indian Islands above and below the wind, and of America: 1, of the islands situated above the wind, 2, of the absolute cir. cles; 3, of the circles situated below the wind; 4, of the circles of the islands; 5, of America.

useful applications.

(near Aden). †

برز

in the country of شحر *

.the comprehending حاويه .present for classic men تحقه الفحول .c the column ܹܥܛ̈ ܠ

the true road.

منهاج

६

ག

**

.the collar of suns قلادة الشموس اصابع ++ اس SS

ترفات 11

احنان #

FIFTH CHAPTER.-Of the calculations and the technical terms of mariners ; 1, of measurement in general, 2, of the fundamental measure ; 3, of the measurement of stars which rise and set together; 4, of the names of the stars, from which are taken the names of the rhumbs and points of the compass; 5, of the circuit of the two highest stars in Ursa Minor (Farkadain) round the pole; 6, of the lunar stations; 7, requisites of the pilot; 8, measures of the most celebrated stars.

SIXTH CHAPTER.Of the measures of the most celebrated continents: 1, of the difference of polar measures; 2, of the measurement by the north pole; 3, of the measurement by the two highest stars in Ursa Minor (6, 7); 4, of the measurement by the four stars of Ursa Major (a, B, y, d.)

SEVENTH CHAPTER.-Of distances: 1, of the original distances; 2, of the different manners of calculation; 3, of the difference of distance for two ships sailing on two different points of the compass; 4, of the composition of charts and maps; 5, of the distances of certain places situated in the direc tion up to within one Esba (astronomical inch) from the pole ; 6, of the distances of some places between them.

EIGHTH CHAPTER.Of the winds and monsoons: 1, of the winds; 2, of the monsoons and their time; 3, of the monsoon called headwind and monsoon of the olives, (Mausim zaitúní*); 4, of the monsoon called by some Damánít and its time; 5, of the monsoon called the Eastern Sabát, Ezib§, and Rihi qabúl||.

NINTH CHAPTER.-Notice of certain islands and voyages, and the signs of vicinity of land necessary to be known by pilots: 1, of the islands of the Ara. bian continent; 2, of the islands of the Persian continent; 3, of the voyages along shore, and the signs of vicinity of land.

TENTH CHAPTER.—Of accidents and dangers to be warded off by reason and experience, and of hurricanes (Tufán): 1, of accidents and dangers to be warded off by reason and experience; 2, of the hurricanes.

The most interesting of these ten chapters are the fourth, on the continents and islands, above and below the wind; the eighth, on the monsoons; and the ninth, on the Indian voyages, wherein the direction and steering of thirty voyages, with all the intermediate points, which are to be touched on, or taken care of, are given in detail. As a specimen of the practical interest of this curious and useful book follows the translation of the eighth chapter, on the monsoons, as being one of the shortest, and not least interesting.

CHAPTER VIII.-OF THE WINDS AND MONSOONS.

Section 1. Of the Winds.

The cause of the wind is the motion of the air; don't you see that agitating a fan you do produce wind? It is also produced by cold, as may be

*

ريح قبول || از یب و صبا | دمانی 1 موسم زيتوني

shown from numerous proofs. If you sail under a cloudy sky, with a strong wind, and a cloud approaches the ship from one side, so that the cold of the cloud is sensible, the first wind ceases, and with its ceasing, the cold ceases also; further, winds blowing from the land set in at night, and those blowing during the day come from the sea, and cease when night approaches; the cause of which is, that at night the earth grows cool, and the sea remains warm, the contrary of which is the case during day-time, because, by the reverberation of the rays of the sun, mountains and deserts are heated during the day. Another proof is, that the coldness of sandy deserts is stronger than that of a mountainous country, and ground watered by rain is colder than ground which is not drenched by rain. Another proof is, that a cloud, particularly when in motion, produces wind, arising from the cold which is hoarded up in the cloud. The principal winds are four, according to the Arabs, the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western; those between them are called sidewinds (Nokeba); but the pilots call them by names taken from the rising and setting of certain stars, and assign them certain limits, within which they begin or attain their greatest strength, and cease. These winds, limited by space and time, are called Mausim (Monsoon); viz. seasons.

The following Arabic verses give the names of the four cardinal winds: Saba (the East) blows from the rising of the sun. From the Polar Star comes the North wind, called Shemeul; and from Canopus, the South wind, called Janúb; opposite to the East blows the West wind, Dobúr.

Section 2. Of the different sorts of monsoons, and the time they blow in. Be it known, that the ancient masters of navigation have fixed the time of the monsoon, that is to say, the time of voyages at sea, according the year of Yazdajird, and that the pilots of recent time follow their steps; but as there is in every true solar, that is to say Jalálian, year, near the fourth of a degree more, every four years, a day is intercalated, so that this day is deficient in the Yazdajirdian year. The late master SULEIMA'N BEN AHMAD wrote his book Omdat (the column) in the year of the Hijra 917 (1511), and fixed then the time of the monsoons according to that year, since which, up to that of this translation, 961 (1753), more than forty years have elapsed, so that the time fixed by him for the monsoon, falls now short by ten days. For example, the monsoon which set then in on the 120th day of the Yazdajirdian year, sets in now on the 130th, and that which was fixed then on the 160th, falls now on the 170th. The rest must be calculated in the same way, in order to avoid error and confusion; but even the intercalation of a day every fourth or fifth year is not free of error; it is, therefore, the most expedient to calculate according to the zodiacal year*, that is to say, the Jalálian year, which requires no intercalary days. The monsoon of each country is limited by its fixed time. Remark further, that wherever the word fi (about) is added, it is to be understood, that the monsoon sets in about the time stated; for example, if it is said about the tenth of the year, means that it does not exactly set in on A the year of the constellations.

بروج

Naurôz (the new-year's day), but within the first ten days of the year; but if about is not added, it means exactly the day mentioned; for example, it sets in on the tenth day of the year, means that it sets regularly in on the tenth. At the time when the ancient Arabic pilots wrote their works, the radical Jalálian year was not yet established, neither were the Roman months known in these countries, and they calculated, therefore, according to the Yazdajirdian year; but the calculation of the Jalálian year is much easier. Be it known, that at the time when the above said book (the Column of SULEIMA'n Ben Ahmad) was translated, the Naurôze Sultáni, that is to say, the Jalálian new-year's day, fell on the 135th day of the Yazdajirdian year, that is to say, on the 15th of Mordád*.

The monsoons are of two sorts, the western ones, called by the seamen Rihi Kewst, the second, the eastern ones called Ríhi Azíb‡, and Sabá§. The eastern monsoons sub-divide again in two classes; during the first, the Indian seas are shut; nevertheless, they are called Mausim|| (season). Section 3. The first sub-division of the first sort called Ráser_rík*. ; (headwind), or the monsoon of the olives, (Mausimí zaitúni.) The monsoon of Aden, Gujerat, and Concona, from the 130th day of the Yazdajirdian year, which is the 360th of the Jalálian, that is, five days before the next new-year's day (16th March). The point from which it arises is Aden; sometimes it ceases within the 170th of the Yazdajirian year, which is the 35th Jal. (24th April). From Aden ships set out within the 150th or 160th day of the Yazdajirdian year, which answer to the 15th or 25th Jal. (4-14th April), they arrive on the 180th of the Yazdajirdian, or 45th of the Jalálian year (4th May), at Sheher; proceed from thence to Gujurat and Concona, but not onwards to Manibartt (Malabar), where there is much rain and danger.

2. The monsoon of Sheher, Gujerat, Malabar and Concan. The highest monsoon of Gujerat sets in within the 150th of the Yazdajirdian, or 18th of the Jalálian year (7th April). The highest monsoon of Concan sets in within the 140th Yazdajirdian or 5th Jalálian (25th March). The monsoon of Malabar within the 130th Yazdajirdian or 360th Jalálian (16th March), five days before the beginning of next year‡‡.

3. The monsoon of Dhofár, Gujerat, and Malabar, sets in within the 100th Yazdajirdian = 330th Jalálian (14th February): when the navigation is open to all India, for Dhofar is the place from whence the Ríhi Kews (the western monsoon) sets forth, which blows within the 70th day of the Yazd. year, equal to the 300th of the Jalálian (15th Jan.)

* The Yazdajirdian Naurôz falling in the year 1553, on the 28th October, the Jalálian, on the 135th day, answered to the 12th of March, 1554; this is, however, not the true equinox, which in the year 1554 fell on the 11th, on which day the Jongitude of the sun was 0.

موسم منيبار + + راس الريح

|| صباي ريح اذيب + ريح كوس 1

‡‡ Here the calculation does not answer, as the number of the one or the other must be changed if the difference of 135 should be made out: this is also the case with the two following ones.