تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.88.1

13.88.1

When I reached them I landed at the island of Kannalūs, a fine island with many mosques, and I stayed at the house of one of its pious men. The jurist ʿAlī, a man of merit whose sons were students of learning, gave me hospitality there. I also met there a man named Muḥammad, from Ẓafār al-Ḥumūḍ, who gave me hospitality and said to me: "If you enter the island of al-Mahal, the vizier will detain you there, for they have no qāḍī." My intention was to travel from there to al-Maʿbar, Sarandīb and Banjāla, and then to China. I had come to them in the ship of the nākhudha ʿUmar al-Hinawrī, one of the virtuous pilgrims. When we reached Kannalūs he stayed there ten days, then hired a kundura in which to sail to al-Mahal with a gift for the sultana and her husband. I wished to travel with him, but he said: "The kundura will not hold you and your companions; if you want to travel apart from them, it is yours." I refused that! He set sail, the wind played with him, and he came back to us after four days having met with hardships! He apologised to me and pressed me to travel with him with my companions. We would set out in the early morning and stop at midday at one of the islands, then set out again and spend the night at another. After four days we reached the district of al-Taym, where the kardawī was called