Note 29 — THE THREE CALENDERS, SONS OF KINGS, AND THE FIVE LADIES OF BAGDAD (continued 2)

Bussorah was built by the caliph Omar. The city has four kinds of inhabitants—Jews, Persians, Mohammedans, and Christians. It is looked upon by the Arabs as one of the most delightful spots in Asia. The commerce of Bussorah consisted in the interchange of rice, sugar, spices from Ceylon, coarse white and blue cottons from Coromandel, cardamom, pepper, sandalwood from Malabar, gold and silver stuffs, brocades, turbans, shawls, indigo from Surat, pearls from Bahara, coffee from Mocha, iron, lead, woolen cloths, etc.