Affyrmyng Furthermore, That I Knewe
Certain Secretes Greatly To Be Esteemed, Which If They Were Knowen To
The Sayde Kynges, I Doubted Not But That In Shorte Tyme I Should Bee
Sent For From Mecha.
Astonyshed at these woordes, he sayde vnto mee, I
pray you what arte or secrete doe you know?
I answered, that I would
giue place to no man in makyng of all manner of gunnes and artillerie.
Then sayde hee, “praysed be Mahumet who sent thee hyther, to do hym and
his saintes good seruice:” and willed me to remayne secretly in his
[p.355] house with his wyfe, and requyred me earnestly to obtayne leaue
of our Captayne that under his name he myght leade from Mecha fifteine
camelles laden with spices, without paying any custome: for they
ordinarily paye to the Soltan thirtie seraphes[FN#48] of golde, for
transportyng of such merchandies for the charge of so many camelles. I
put him in good hope of his request, he greatly reioyced, although he
would ask for a hundred, affyrmyng that might easily be obteyned by the
priuileges of the Mamalukes, and therefore desyred hym that I might
safely remayne in his house. Then nothyng doubtyng to obtayn his
request, he greatly reioyced, and talkyng with me yet more freely, gaue
me further instructions and counsayled me to repayre to a certayne kyng
of the greater India, in the kyngdome and realme of Decham[FN#49]
whereof we will speake hereafter. Therefore the day before the carauana
departed from Mecha, he willed me to lye hydde in the most secrete
parte of his house. The day folowyng, early in the mornyng the
trumpetter of the carauana gaue warning to all the Mamalukes to make
ready their horses, to directe their journey toward Syria, with
proclamation of death to all that should refuse so to doe. When I
hearde the sounde of the trumpet, and was aduertised of the streight
commaundement, I was marueylously troubled in minde, and with heauy
countenaunce desired the Mahumetan’s wife not to bewraye me, and with
earnest prayer committed myselfe to the mercie of God. On the Tuesday
folowyng, our carauana departed from Mecha, and I remayned in the
Mahumetans house with his wyfe, but he folowed the carauana. Yet before
he departed, he gaue commaundement to his wyfe to bryng me to the
carauana, which shoulde departe from Zida[FN#50] the porte of Mecha to
goe into India. This porte is distant from Mecha 40 miles. Whilest I
laye
[p.356] thus hyd in the Mahumetans house, I can not expresse how
friendly his wyfe vsed me. This also furthered my good enterteynement,
that there was in the house a fayre young mayde, the niese of the
Mahumetan, who was greatly in loue with me. But at that tyme, in the
myddest of those troubles and feare, the fyre of Venus was almost
extincte in mee: and therefore with daliaunce of fayre woordes and
promises, I styll kepte my selfe in her fauour. Therefore the Friday
folowyng, about noone tyde, I departed, folowyng the carauana of India.
And about myd nyght we came to a certayne village of the Arabians, and
there remayned the rest of that nyght, and the next day tyll noone.
From hence we went forwarde on our journey toward Zida, and
came thyther in the silence of the nyght. This citie hath no walles,
yet fayre houses, somewhat after the buyldyng of Italie. Here is great
aboundaunce of all kynd of merchandies, by reason of resorte in manner
of all nations thyther, except jewes and christians, to whom it is not
lawfull to come thyther. As soone as I entered into the citie, I went
to their temple or Meschita, where I sawe a great multitude of poore
people, as about the number of 25 thousande, attendyng a certayne pilot
who should bryng them into their countrey. Heere I suffered muche
trouble and affliction, beyng enforced to hyde myselfe among these
poore folkes, fayning myselfe very sicke, to the ende that none should
be inquisityue what I was, whence I came, or whyther I would. The lord
of this citie is the Soltan of Babylon, brother to the Soltan of Mecha,
who is his subiecte. The inhabitauntes are Mahumetans. The soyle is
vnfruitfull, and lacketh freshe water. The sea beateth agaynst the
towne. There is neuerthelesse aboundance of all thinges: but brought
thyther from other places, as from Babylon of Nilus, Arabia F[æ]lix, and
dyuers other places. The heate is here so great, that men are in maner
dryed up therewith.
[p.357] And therefore there is euer a great number of sicke folkes. The
citie conteyneth about fyue hundred houses.
After fyftiene dayes were past, I couenaunted with a pilot, who was
ready to departe from thence into Persia, and agreed of the price, to
goe with him. There lay at anker in the hauen almost a hundred
brigantines and foistes,[FN#51] with diuers boates and barkes of sundry
sortes, both with ores and without ores. Therefore after three days,
gyuyng wynde to our sayles, we entered into the Redde Sea, otherwise
named Mare Erythræum.
[FN#1] I have consulted the “Navigation and Voyages of Lewes Wertomannus
to the Regions of Arabia, Egypt, Persia, Syria, Ethiopia, and East
India, both within and without the River of Ganges, &c., conteyning
many notable and straunge things both Historicall and Natural.
Translated out of Latine into Englyshe by Richarde Eden. In the year of
our Lord, 1576.”—(Hakluyt’s Voyages, vol. iv.) The curious reader will also
find the work in Purchas (Pilgrimmes and Pilgrimage, vol. ii.) and
Ramusio (Raccolta delle Navigasioni e Viaggi, tom. i.). The Travels of
Bartema were first published at Milan, A.D. 1511, and the first English
translation appeared in Willes and Eden’s Decades, 4to. A.D. 1555.
[FN#2] The number of pilgrims in this Caravan is still grossly
exaggerated. I cannot believe that it contains more than 7000 of both
sexes, and all ages.
[FN#3] This may confirm Strabo’s account of [Æ]lius Gallus’ loss, after a
conflict with a host of Arabs—two Roman soldiers.
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