Chapter MADURA FOOT to MAHRATTA of M by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

MADURA FOOT to MAHRATTA

MADURA FOOT, s. A fungoidal disease of the foot, apparently incurable except by amputation, which occurs in the Madura district, and especially in places where the ‘Black soil’ prevails. Medical authorities have not yet decided on the causes or precise nature of the disease. See Nelson, Madura, Pt. i. pp. 91–94; [Gribble, Cuddapah, 193].

MAGADOXO, n.p. This is the Portuguese representation, which has passed into general European use, of Makdashau, the name of a town and State on the Somali coast in E. Africa, now subject to Zanzibar. It has been shown by one of the present writers that Marco Polo, in his chapter on Madagascar, has made some confusion between Magadoxo and that island, mixing up particulars relating to both. It is possible that the name of Madagascar was really given from Makdashau, as Sir R. Burton supposes; but he does not give any authority for his statement that the name of Madagascar “came from Makdishú (Magadoxo) .…. whose Sheikh invaded it” (Comment. on Camões, ii. 520). [Owen (Narrative, i. 357) writes the name Mukdeesha, and Boteler (Narrative, ii. 215) says it is pronounced by the Arabs Makodisha. The name is said to be Magaad-el-Shata, “Harbour of the Sheep,” and the first syllable has been identified with that of Maqdala and is said to mean “door” in some of the Galla dialects (Notes & Queries, 9 ser ii. 193, 310. Also see Mr. Gray’s note on Pyrard, Hak. Soc. i. 29, and Dr. Burnell on Linschoten, Hak. Soc. i. 19.]

c. 1330.—“On departing from Zaila, we sailed on the sea for 15 days, and then arrived at Makdashau, a town of great size. The inhabitants possess a great number of camels, and of these they slaughter (for food) several hundreds every day.”—Ibn Batuta, ii. 181.

1498.—“And we found ourselves before a great city with houses of several stories, and in the midst of the city certain great palaces; and about it a wall with four towers; and this city stood close upon the sea, and the Moors call it Magadoxó. And when we were come well abreast of it, we discharged many bombards (at it), and kept on our way along the coast with a fine wind on the poop.”—Roteiro, 102.

1505.—“And the Viceroy (Don Francísco D’Almeida) made sail, ordering the course to be made for Magadaxo, which he had instructions also to make tributary. But the pilots objected saying that they would miss the season for crossing to India, as it was already the 26th of August. …”—Correa, i. 560.

1514.—“…The most of them are Moors such as inhabit the city of Zofalla…and these people continue to be found in Mazambic, Melinda, Mogodecio, Marachilue (read Brava Chilve, i.e. Brava and Quiloa), and Mombazza; which are all walled cities on the main land, with houses and streets like our own; except Mazambich.”—Letter of Giov. da Empoli, in Archiv. Stor. Ital.

1516.—“Further on towards the Red Sea there is another very large and beautiful town called Magadoxo, belonging to the Moors, and it has a King over it, and is a place of great trade and merchandise.”—Barbosa, 16.

1532.—“…and after they had passed Cape Guardafu, Dom Estevão was going along in such depression that he was like to die of grief, on arriving at Magadoxo, they stopped to water. And the King of the country, hearing that there had come a son of the Count Admiral, of whom all had ample knowledge as being the first to discover and navigate on that coast, came to the shore to see him, and made great offers of all that he could require.”—Couto, IV. viii. 2.

1727.—“Magadoxa, or as the Portuguese call it, Magadocia, is a pretty large City, about 2 or 3 Miles from the Sea, from whence it has a very fine Aspect, being adorn’d with many high Steeples and Mosques.”—A. Hamilton, i. 12–13, [ed. 1744].

MAGAZINE, s. This word is, of course, not Anglo-Indian, but may find a place here because of its origin from Ar. makhazin, plur. of al-makhzan, whence Sp. almacen, almagacen, magacen, Port. almazem, armazem, Ital. magazzino, Fr. magazin.

c. 1340.—“The Sultan…made him a grant of t he whole city of Siri and all its houses with the gardens and fields of the treasury (makhzan) adjacent to the city (of Delhi).”—Ibn Batuta, iii. 262.

1539.—“A que Pero de Faria respondea, que lhe desse elle commissão per mandar nos almazes, et que logo proveria no socorro que entendia ser necessario.”—Pinto, cap. xxi.