ABSTRACT
CostaremainedconvincedthatthetermreferstoBahrain,andhe confirmedthisfactinaletterdated26October1982,inwhichhe stated:'ThediagramofBahraindoesnotincludecommentsasis usuallythecasewithsimilardiagramsinthesamecollection.'We bothcontactedProfessorAntonioDiasFarinha,whoisknownforhis publicationsonPortuguese-Arabrelations,andwhoisinchargeof thePortugueseNationalArchives,andIreceivedaletterfromhimin whichheraisedsimilardoubtsasIhaveontheissue.11Professor ShereenRathnajaraskedsimilarquestionsconcerningIndia,butshe didnotapplythemtotheArabworld. 12
OnanhistoricalmapthatIcameacrossinthearchivesofthe GeographicalAcademyatLisbon,IfoundadiagramofBahrainnear Qatar,13butthetermusedwasParemwitha'P'insteadofa'B'.Da SousareferstotheterminhisDocumentosasBoharim,whileJoao DeBarrosspellsitasBahareminhisbookonAsia,usingthesame spellingasAntonioCorrea,whowasgiventhetitleofBaharemby theKingofPortugaltohonourhimforconqueringBahrainin Sha'ban927A.H./August1521afterabloodybattlethatcostShaikh Muqrinhislife,accordingtothePortuguesedocuments. 14
Consequently,itbecameclearthatthetermBaremwas derivedfromBahrain,becauseitsactualplanresemblesthediagram wearediscussing.ShouldwethenconcludethatthePortuguese diagramwearediscussingisofBahrain?Itincludesmanyislandsof differentsizesthatwerenotfarfromeachother:thelargesthassmall isolatedvillagesinthemidstofhills,valleysandpalmtrees,aswellas fortressesonthecoastwhereboatslanded.Therearealsosmall islandsthatarepopulatedandothersthatarebarrenandempty.The diagramincludesthirteenlettersdistributedindifferentparts,each ofwhichrepresentsaspecificgeographicalpoint.Thelettersin questionare:A,B,C,F,G,I,M,N,P,0,K,S,andT.
