And when the King had greatly wasted and
destroyed the kingdom of his enemy, and had remained in it more than a
month with all his host, continually slaying the Saracens, and ravaging
their lands (so that great numbers of them perished), he thought it time
to return to his own kingdom, which he could now do with great honour.
Indeed he could tarry no longer, nor could he, as he was aware, do more
injury to the enemy; for he would have had to force a way by still
stronger passes, where, in the narrow defiles, a handful of men might
cause him heavy loss. So he quitted the enemy's Kingdom of Aden and began
to retire. And he with his host got back to their own country of Abash in
great triumph and rejoicing; for he had well avenged the shame cast on him
and on his Bishop for his sake. For they had slain so many Saracens, and
so wasted and harried the land, that 'twas something to be astonished at.
And in sooth 'twas a deed well done! For it is not to be borne that the
dogs of Saracens should lord it over good Christian people! Now you have
heard the story.[NOTE 5]
I have still some particulars to tell you of the same province. It abounds
greatly in all kinds of victual; and the people live on flesh and rice and
milk and sesame. They have plenty of elephants, not that they are bred in
the country, but they are brought from the Islands of the other India.
They have however many giraffes, which are produced in the country;
besides bears, leopards, lions in abundance, and many other passing
strange beasts. They have also numerous wild asses; and cocks and hens the
most beautiful that exist, and many other kind of birds. For instance,
they have ostriches that are nearly as big as asses; and plenty of
beautiful parrots, with apes of sundry kinds, and baboons and other
monkeys that have countenances all but human.[NOTE 6]
There are numerous cities and villages in this province of Abash, and many
merchants; for there is much trade to be done there. The people also
manufacture very fine buckrams and other cloths of cotton.
There is no more to say on the subject; so now let us go forward and tell
you of the province of Aden.
NOTE 1. - Abash (Abasce) is a close enough representation of the Arabic
Habsh or Habash, i.e. Abyssinia. He gives as an alternative title
Middle India. I am not aware that the term India is applied to Abyssinia
by any Oriental (Arabic or Persian) writer, and one feels curious to know
where our Traveller got the appellation.
