1673.—"Old Goa ... her Soil is luxurious and Campaign, and abounds with Rich Inhabitants, whose Rural Palaces are immured with Groves and Hortos."—Fryer, 154.
[1749.—"... as well Vargems (Port. vargem, 'a field') lands as Hortas."—Letter in Logan, Malabar, iii. 48.]
c. 1760.—"As to the Oarts, or Coco-nut groves, they make the most considerable part of the landed property."—Grose, i. 47.
1793.—"For sale.... That neat and commodious Dwelling House built by Mr. William Beal; it is situated in a most lovely Oart...."—Bombay Courier, Jan. 12.
OBANG, s. Jap. Oh'o-ban, lit. 'greater division.' The name of a large oblong Japanese gold piece, similar to the [kobang] (q.v.), but of 10 times the value; 5 to 6 inches in length and 3 to 4 inches in width, with an average weight of 2564 grs. troy. First issued in 1580, and last in 1860. Tavernier has a representation of one.
[1662.—"A thousand Oebans of gold, which amount to forty seven thousand Thayls, or Crowns."—Mandelslo, E.T. Bk. ii. 147 (Stanf. Dict.).
[1859.—"The largest gold coin known is the Obang, a most inconvenient circulating medium, as it is nearly six inches in length, and three inches and a half in breadth."—Oliphant, Narrative of Mission, ii. 232.]
OLD STRAIT, n.p. This is an old name of the narrow strait between the island of Singapore and the mainland, which was the old passage followed by ships passing towards China, but has long been abandoned for the wider strait south of Singapore and north of Bintang. It is called by the Malays Salāt Tambrau, from an edible fish called by the last name. It is the Strait of Singapura of some of the old navigators; whilst the wider southern strait was known as New Strait or [Governor's Straits] (q.v.).
1727.—"... Johore Lami, which is sometimes the Place of that King's Residence, and has the Benefit of a fine deep large River, which admits of two Entrances into it. The smallest is from the Westward, called by Europeans the Streights of Sincapore, but by the Natives Salleta de Brew" (i.e. Salāt Tambrau, as above).—A. Hamilton, ii. 92; [ed. 1744].
1860.—"The Old Straits, through which formerly our Indiamen passed on their way to China, are from 1 to 2 miles in width, and except where a few clearings have been made ... with the shores on both sides covered with dense jungle ... doubtless, in old times, an isolated vessel ... must have kept a good look out against attack from piratical prahus darting out from one of the numerous creeks."—Cavenagh, Rem. of an Indian Official, 285-6.