Ra's al MADRAKA and MATERQUA
Ra's al Madraka in early Portuguese charts compared with other later maps.
Following digram is the coastline from Ras al Hadd on the left to Dhoar on the right.
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{map#931 Chart of the Indian Ocean, Jorge (?) Reinel, 1510, Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel, Cod. Guelf. 98 Aug. 2º}
bay 1 – shallow empty
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «Ylha dimçira»
bay 3 – larger empty
bay 4 – large contains small inner bay
bay 5 – in centre bay «gobobatal»
to south and small bay «azequy» shows opposite Kuria Muria islands «cste illya herhamada / «cu?»riamurya»
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in #2588 Jorge Reinel; Lopo Homem; António de Holanda, Atlas miller, M. Moleiro, Barcelona, 2003 ~ pp 306-307 and {map#823 Nautical Atlas of the World, Folio 3 Recto, Northern Indian Ocean with Arabia and India, Reinel, Pedro, Reinel, Jorge & de Holanda, António, 1519, Collection Marcel Destombes, Rés. Ge. DD. 683 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris}
Ylha dimçira, materca, materqua, ylhas de caria muria, azequy, ambez, marbato, diufar
bay 1 – shallow empty
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «Ylha dimçira»
bay 3 – larger empty
point - materca
bay 4 – large contains small inner bay «materqua»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «jlhasdemuriacuira» and azequy
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{map#932 Chart of the Indian Ocean and the Moluccas, Pedro Reinel, 1522, British Library, Additional MS. 9812}
bay 1 – shallow empty
bay 2 – contains Masirah island
bay 3 – large empty
bay 4 – large contains small inner bay
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «jlhasdemuriacuira»
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in {map#936 Chart of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, Gaspar Viegas, 1537, Archivio di Stato, Firenze, CN 17}
bays all shallow
bay 1 – short and not defined contains «guobaa»
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «J. damaqa»
point – C: de matraca
bay 3 – empty
point – «pta dasereadas»
bay 4 – empty
point – double «duas pōtas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «Jlhas de curia muria»
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{map#575 Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf in "Vallard Atlas", Anonymous, 1547, The Huntington Library, San Marino, HM 29}
bay 1 –
point – «c: Resaliate»
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «Illa bassa»
point – C: de matraca
bay 3 – larger «cn 9 bassib»
point – «matraqua»
bay 4 – «bassa pea»
point – double «port y cora»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «curiamuria»
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{map#930 Nautical planisphere, Anonymous (Portugal), 1550, Biblioteca Vallicelliana, Invent. Gen. 103}
bay 1 – shallow «emfeadade fao p°»
bay 2 – feint marks Masirah island ? not clear
bay 3 – larger but part of bay 2 «emfeada das bai«x?»as»
point – «C dematra«??»»
bay 4 – large
point – double «as d«a?»?? potas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands
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in {map#824 Livro de Marinharia, de João de Lisboa, João de Lisboa, 1560, PT/TT/CRT/166, Arquivo Nacional, Lisbon} clearly places as duas pontus at the north end of the bay containing islands marked jlhasdemuriacuira and the next north cape as c.dematraca
bay 1 – shallow «emfeadade fao p°»
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «j.damasei«r?»a»
bay 3 – larger but part of bay 2 «emfeadadas baiyas»
bay 4 – large
point – double «asduaspontus»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «jlhasdemuriacuira»
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in {map#653 Aden in Il Disegno Della Seconda Parte Dell' Asia, Giacomo 1555-1559aldi, 1561 Venice, Il Disegno Della Seconda Parte Dell' Asia}
bay 1 – not defined
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «Mazira»
point – C: Matracha
bay 3 – contains islands «Treysole»
point – «c: de isolot»
bay 4 – large empty
point – double C de due ponte
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands, river, Materqua inland
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{map#884 FOL. 5V. «O-E», Lazaro Luis, 1563, Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, atlas de dez folhas}
bay 1 – short and shallow «emseada dos p°»
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «Ilha da masteira»
bay 3 – «emseada das baxas»
point – «c malraca»
bay 4 – empty
point – double «as duas pomtas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «Ilhas de curia muria»
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{map#510 Chart of the western Indian Ocean, Sebastiao Lopes, 1565, Manuscript portolan atlas of the world, fol. 18r} see PMC vol. 4 EST 400
bay 1 – short «enceada de s.º p. º»
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «J: damaseira»
bay 3 – «enceada das / baixas»
point – «C: de matraca»
bay 4 – «enceada»
point – double «as duas pōtas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «I: de curia / muria»
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{map#567 Chart of northeastern Africa, the Red Sea, Arabian Peninsula, and Persian Gulf, Sebastião Lopes, 1565, Manuscript portolan atlas of the world fol. 17v} see PMC vol. 4 EST 400
bay 1 – short «enceada de s.º p. º»
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «J: damaseira»
bay 3 – «enceada das / baixas»
point – «C: de matraca»
bay 4 –
point – double «as duas pomtas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «I: de curia muria»
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{map#875 Deliniantur in hac Tabula, Orae Maritimae Abexiae, Freti Mecani: al Maris Rubri: Arabiae, Ormi, Persiae, Supra Sindam usque …, published by J.H. van Linschoten, 1596, Sanderus, Item Number: 5934}
bay 1 – «Spallheiro
bay 2 – Enseada de S. Perro – contains Masirah island «I. de Macyera»
bay 3 – «Enseada das Bayxar»
point – «C. de Marraca»
bay 4 – empty
point – «C. de Pontas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «J. de Curia: / muria»
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{map#650 Carte de l'Océan Indien, des cotes de l'Afrique et de l'Asie depuis le cap de Bonne-Espérance jusqu'au Japon, João Teixeira Albernaz, 16.., Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Cartes et plans, GE SH 18 PF 213 DIV 3 P 2/2}
bay 1 – short «enceada / di s.º p. º»
bay 2 – contains Masirah island «J’dama / ceira»
bay 3 – «enceada / das baixas»
point – «c. dama / traca»
bay 4 – empty
point – double «duas pontas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «I.de curia / muria»
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{map#895 Map of Arabia, H Petrus Berthelot, 1635, British Library, Sloane MS. 197, fo.154}
bay 1&2&3 – long and shallow contains Masirah island «I/a domaceiro» and «Enceade S. Pedro «H?»e S Paolo» and «emseada das baxas»
point – C de matraqua
bay 4 – empty
point – double «As duas Pontas»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands «I de curia muria»
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in {map#858 Dell´Arcano del Mare, Dudley, Robert, 1646, } Dudley groups (north to south) Matreque, R. Matreque, C Matreque and La Costa di Matraque then Costa Peri colosa, C: di Dua Punta, B: di Matqua, Matqua, R. Matqua opposite I. di Comiana «Kuria Muria»
bay 1 – shallow
bay 2 – contains Masirah island
point – «C. dell Isola»
bay 3 – distinct from bay 2
point – «C Matreque»
bay 4 – large
point - double head «C: di Dua Punta»
bay 5 - contains Kuria Muria islands
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{map#897 Carte de l'Océan Indien, John Burston, 1665, Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Cartes et plans, CPL GE SH 18E PF 213 DIV 3 P 4 RES}
bay 1 –flat with some “W” indentations in coastline «Enseada: Da: S: Pedro»
bay 2 –Masirah island «Is: Da: Maćira» offset
bay 3 – inlet «Matriaćha»
point – «C: De: Isolette»
bay 4 – shows inlet at centre of bay «Mattarkua»
point – substial inlet as double head «C: De: Ponta»
bay 5 - Kuria Muria islands offset «Matkoa»
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SUMMARY
It is clear that the point (current modern names, Ras Qarwas and Ra's as Sauqara) between bay 4 and bay 5 is as «duas pontas».
The following is a summary of the various placenames at the point (current modern name, Ras al Madraka) between bay 3 and 4:
#931
#823 point – «materca»
#932
#936 point – «pta dasereadas» below point – C: de matraca
#575 point – «matraqua» below point – C: de matraca
#930 point – «C dematra«?»
#824
#653 point – «c: de isolot»
#884 point – «c malraca»
#510 point – «C: de matraca»
#567 point – «C: de matraca»
#875 point – «C. de Marraca»
#650 point – «c. dama / traca»
#895 point – C de matraqua
#858 point - C Matreque
#897 point – «C: De: Isolette»
#823 point – «materca»
#932
#936 point – «pta dasereadas» below point – C: de matraca
#575 point – «matraqua» below point – C: de matraca
#930 point – «C dematra«?»
#824
#653 point – «c: de isolot»
#884 point – «c malraca»
#510 point – «C: de matraca»
#567 point – «C: de matraca»
#875 point – «C. de Marraca»
#650 point – «c. dama / traca»
#895 point – C de matraqua
#858 point - C Matreque
#897 point – «C: De: Isolette»
In {map#823 Nautical Atlas of the World, Folio 3 Recto, Northern Indian Ocean with Arabia and India, Reinel, Pedro, Reinel, Jorge & de Holanda, António, 1519, Collection Marcel Destombes, Rés. Ge. DD. 683 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris} see PMC vol. 1 EST 19, «materca» is next to the headland and «materqua» (in red) in the centre of the bay just south. Denucé lists the 2 placenames and adds a variation, in Nomenclature de l'océan Indien (Suite): #2218 Denucé, Jean, Les origines de la cartographie portugaise et les cartes des Reinel, E. van Goethem, 1908 ~p. 129
| REINEL (Paris). |
REINEL (Munich). |
PORTUG. ANON. (1520). |
Fr RODRIGUEZ. |
| materqua 18°25' |
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| materca 19° |
matearca |
«Besides this, the end is great and broad, at the beginning of which is the port of Materqua (once called Metacum by Ptolemy), where the Prin river flows. (formerly called Hormanus) enters the sea.» #2738 Flavius Arrianus, Ponti Euxini et maris Erythraei periplus primum e graeco sermone in latinum versus etc. Jo. Guilielmo Stuckio, Eustathius Vignon, 1577 ~ Pt. 2 p. 49
«Metacum vicus» #2703 P.-F.-J. Gossellin, Recherches sur la géographie systématique et positive des anciens. Tome 3 / ; pour servir de base à l'histoire de la géographie ancienne., Impr. de la République, 1798-1813 ~ p. 46
«METACUM, porto de ― Nome dado, segundo João de Barros, por Ptolemeu ao porto de Calaiate ou Kalhat, em 22° 42' lato N. e 59° 22' longo E., no litoral da Arabia. [João de Barros - Da Asia]. » #2603 Visconde De Lagoa, Glossario Toponimico Da Antiga Historiografia Portuguesa Ultramarina, Oficina Grafica, Casa Portuguesa Rua Das Gaveas, 1953 ~ vol. D-N p. 264