We Might Have Extended
This Article To A Much Greater Length From The Same Source, As De Faria
Continues This
History to the year 1640; but his work after the year
1539 is generally filled with an infinite multiplicity of
Uninteresting
events, petty wars, arrivals and dispatch of trading ships, and such
minute matters, unconnected and tending to no useful information. We now
take up an original document of much interest, and most directly
connected with the object of our collection, as an actual journal of a
voyage. In a separate future division of our arrangement, we propose to
give an abridged extract from De Faria of every thing his work contains
worthy of notice, as tending to discovery, but leaving out all
uninteresting details.
[Footnote 210: Astleys Collection of Voyages and Travels, I. 88.]
There are two published copies of the voyage which constitutes the
essence of our present chapter. The earliest of these was published by
Aldus at Venice in 1540, along with other tracts of a similar nature,
under the name of A Voyage from Alexandria to India[211]. The other
was given by Ramusio in the first Volume of his Collection, under the
title of A Voyage written by a Venetian officer[212] of the Gallies,
who was carried prisoner from Alexandria to Diu in India, &c. These
copies differ in several respects besides the title. That by Ramusio is
altered in several places both in the substance and diction, which in
many parts of that edited by Aldus is obscure. Yet that edition is of
use to correct some errors of the press in Ramusio. Our translation is
from the text of Aldus, but we have marked the variations in that of
Ramusio, and have likewise divided the journal into sections, as done by
Ramusio.
[Footnote 211: The title of the book published by Aldus in which this
voyage is contained is Viaggi alla Tana, Persia, India, &c. - Astley, I.
88. a.]
[Footnote 212: The word designating the rank of this officer in Ramusio
is Comito, signifying Boatswain, or the officer who superintended the
galley-slaves. - Ast. I. 88. b.]
Though not made by the Portuguese, this voyage certainly claims to be
inserted in this place, as having a near connection with their affairs;
besides which, it serves to complete the information contained in the
article next succeeding; as the present voyage was made along the
eastern side of the Red Sea, while the other was along its western side:
So that the two together give a tolerable account of the whole of that
sea; and they are in fact the more valuable, as being the only minute
journals or relations extant of voyages performed along the whole length
of the Arabian Gulf; except that by Mr Daniel in 1700, which is very
superficial. Yet geographers, with the exception of M. de Lisle, and one
or two since, seem to have made no use of these helps. It is however
very surprising that neither of these two journals take the smallest
notice of that great bay or arm at the head of the Red Sea, anciently
called the Elanitic, a little to the east of Tor or Al Tur, which
passing by the foot of Mount Sinai, penetrates a great way into Arabia.
This has been described by the Arabian geographers, and confirmed by two
eminent travellers of our own country, Dr Shaw and Dr Pococke, both of
whom have delineated it in their maps[213].
[Footnote 213:
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