To This I May Add The City Or Teyes, Near
Which There Is A Leskar Of Thirty Or Forty Thousand Soldiers,
Commanded By A German Renegado Under The Pacha Of Sinan.
That place,
though only about five days journey from Mokha, is very cold, and much
cloth is worn by the people about that place.
[Footnote 294: This is probably a vast exaggeration, though in words at
length in the Pilgrims; and we ought more likely to read four or
five thousand Turks. - E.]
[Footnote 295: A similar reduction to 3000 is probably needful for this
army. - E.]
On the 2d of August the governor sent a rich vest to our captain by the
chief shabander, attended by drums and trumpets, his boat being decked
out with flags and streamers. This was delivered with great ceremony,
and reverently received. The Dabul nokhada, Melic Marvet, and Roswan,
the nokhada of the Chaul ship, sent us letters of recommendation to
their kings, on the 11th August, according to our desire, certifying the
friendly usage they had experienced from us at Mokha, and our kind
offer to protect them on the homeward voyage, from pirates, and
entreating therefore for us freedom of trade and friendly usage in their
dominions. The 14th, as we had formerly done to others, we gave our
passes to two Malabar captains, Amet ben Mahomet of Cananore, under
Sultan Ala Rajah, and Aba Beker of Calicut, under the Zamorin.
This day there came a galley into the road from Cairo, having many Turks
and Jews as passengers, bringing great store of dollars, chekins, coral,
damask, sattin, camblet, opium, velvets, and taffetas. She had come down
the whole length of the Red Sea in thirty days. I had a conference with
the Jews, one of whom I had formerly known in Barbary. They reported
that the brother of the former Grand Signior, on being made emperor, had
imprisoned his two nephews, and put to death several of the grandees,
and had otherwise given great offence to the great men at
Constantinople, whereupon he was deposed and imprisoned, and his eldest
nephew made emperor in his stead. They said likewise that an army of
200,000 men was sent against the Persians, for the conquest of
Gurgistan, adding various other particulars, some of which turned out
true, and others false, like merchants news in general. Some Turks and
Jews desired to have passage for themselves and goods in our ship to
Surat; and it is likely, when they know us better, much profit may be
made in this way, as their junks are usually pestered with rude people.
Having sold and bartered our goods as well as we could have expected,
considering our cargo, and dispatched all our business, we visited the
governor, and desired to have his testimonials to the lord ambassador,
which he gave us. We took leave of him on the 19th of August, and of the
scrivano and other chief men of the town, from whom we received
protestations of continued kindness on all future occasions.
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