Whole coast of
the Persian Gulf; all of which land they may be more properly said to
occupy than to inhabit. In Good Arabic, Badwi signifies one who lives
only by cattle[329]. Those who dwell along the Red Sea from Zeyla to
Swakem, and thence to al Kossir, are continually at war with the
Nubii or Nubians; while those from Kossir to Suez perpetually
molest the Egyptians. On the eastern coast of the Red Sea the Badwis
have incessant contests with the Arabians. They are wild men, among whom
there is no king or great lord, but they live in tribes or factions,
allowing of no towns in their country, neither have they any fixed
habitations, but live a vagabond life, wandering from place to place
with their cattle. They abhor all laws and ordinances, neither will they
admit of their differences being judged of by any permanent customs or
traditions, but rather that their sheiks or chiefs shall determine
according to their pleasure. They dwell in caves and holes, but most of
them in tents or huts. In colour they are very black, and their language
is Arabic. They worship Mahomet, but are very bad Mahometans, being
addicted beyond all other people on earth to thievery and rapine. They
eat raw flesh, and milk is their usual drink. Their habits are vile and
filthy; but they run with wonderful swiftness. They fight afoot or on
horseback, darts being their chief weapons, and are almost continually
at war with their neighbours.
[Footnote 329: Badwi, or more properly Badawi, signifies a dweller
in the field or in the desert; corruptly called by us Bedouin. - Astl.]
By day-light of the 10th May we weighed anchor from the port of
Igidid[330], and an hour before sunset we fastened our barks to a
shoal about four leagues south of Farate. In this shoal there is an
excellent harbour, lying almost E.S.E. and W.N.W. but very crooked and
winding, so large that we could not see to the other end. The 22d of
May[331], by day-break, we were a league short of the grove which stands
four leagues north of Massua, having the wind from the land. At nine
o'clock it began to blow fair from the N.N.E. and we entered the port of
Massua at noon, where we were joyfully received by the fleet and army.
From the 22d of May, when we entered Massua, the winds were always from
the easterly points, either E. or S.E. or E.S.E. often with great
storms. On the last day of June we had so violent a gale from S.E. that
the galleons drifted and were in great danger of grounding. This storm
was attended by heavy rain and fearful thunders, and a thunderbolt
struck the mast of one of our galleons, which furrowed it in its whole
length. On the 2d of July we had another great storm from the east which
lasted most of the day, and drove many of our vessels from their
anchors. From thence to the 7th of July we had other storms, but small
in comparison. On the 8th and 9th we had two desperate gales from the
land.
[Footnote 330: Either Don Juan or his abbreviator has omitted part of
the Journal at this place, from the port of Azallaihe to that of
Igidid - E.]
[Footnote 331: Here again a considerable portion of the Journal is
emitted. - E.]
SECTION X.
Return of the Expedition from Massua to India.
Having remained 48 days at Massua, we set sail from thence on our return
to India on the 9th of July 1541, one hour before sunrise, and by
day-break we were two or three leagues short of the north point of
Dallak, and among some flat islands that have some woods, which
islands are scattered in the sea to the north of Dallak. We sailed
through a channel between two of these islands, having a fair wind
almost N.W. our course being N.E. by N. After doubling a shoal we came
to anchor, and at two in the afternoon we sailed again with a fair wind
at N.N.E. coasting the island of Dallak. An hour before sunset we came
to a very flat sandy island, called Dorat Melkuna, from which on all
sides extended great shoals. When the sun set we were a league short of
the island of Shamoa, between which and the west side of Dallak,
opposite the Abyssinian coast, is the most frequented channel for such
as sail to Massua. All the coast of Dallak which we sailed along this
day trends N.N.W. and S.S.E. and is very low. The 18th of July by day
break we saw the mouth of the straits[332], about three leagues distant,
"and we saw all the fleet lye at hull, and presently we set sail
altogether[333]."
[Footnote 332: A large portion of the Journal is again omitted at this
place, either by Don Juan or his abbreviator, Purchas. - E.]
[Footnote 333: Perhaps in coming in sight of the Strait, the ship of Don
Juan was so much in advance as barely to see the hulls of the rest; and
lay to till the rest came up. - E.]
Before leaving the Gulf of Arabia or of Mecca, it may be proper to
consider the reason why the ancients called this Gulf the Red Sea, and
to give my own opinion founded on what I actually saw, whether it differ
in colour from the great ocean. In the sixth book of his Natural
History, Pliny quotes several opinions as the origin of the name
Erythros given to this sea by the ancients[334]. The first is, that it
took its name from Erythra, a king who once reigned on its borders,
whence came Erythros which signifies red in the Greek.
