Nowe, Therefore, I Wyll Declare What Prouision
They Have For Victuales.
The most part is brought them from the citie
of Babylon, otherwyse named Memphis, Cayrus, or Alcayr, a citie
Of the
ryuer of Nilus in Egypt as we have sayde before, and is brought by the
Red Sea (called Mare Erythreum) from a certayne port named Gida,
distaunt from Mecha fourtie myles.[FN#32] The rest of theyr prouisions
is brought from Arabia Faelix, (that is) the happye or blessed Arabia:
so named for the fruitfulnesse thereof, in respect of the other two
Arabiaes, called Petrea and Diserta, that is, stonye and desart. They
haue also muche corne from Ethyopia. Here we found a marueylous number
of straungers and peregrynes, or pylgryms; of the whiche some came from
Syria, some from Persia, and other from both the East Indiaes, (that is
to say) both India within the ryuer of Ganges, and also the other India
without the same ryuer. I neuer sawe in anye place greater abundaunce
and frequentation of people, forasmuche as I could perceyue by tarrying
there the space of 20 dayes. These people resort thyther for diuers
causes, as some for merchandies, some to obserue theyr vowe of
pylgrymage, and other to haue pardon for theyr sinnes: as touchyng the
whiche we wyll speake more hereafter.
[p.348]CHAPTER XVII.—Of the Pardons or Indulgences of Mecha.
Let vs now returne to speake of the pardons of pilgryms, for the which
so many strange nations resort thither.
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