When The People Of
Asvan Make Expeditions Into These Parts For The Sake Of Plunder, They
Constantly Take With Them
Bread, rice, raisins, and figs, which they throw
among the half-famished negroes, and while they scramble for the
provisions,
Like a parcel of dogs, the Asvanians seize them, and carry them
as prisoners into Egypt, where they are sold as slaves. It is twelve days
journey from Asvan to Chelvan, in which there are about three hundred Jews.
From Chelvan they go, in fifty days journey, through the desert Al Tsachra,
or Zara, to Zuila or Havilah, in the land of Gana[27]. In these deserts,
there are vast mountains of sand, which, being sometimes carried by the
force of violent winds, overwhelm whole caravans. The merchants who escape
this perilous journey, bring with them from that country, iron, copper,
salt, and all sorts of fruits and pulse, and likewise gold and precious
stones. This country is part of the land of Chus, and is to the west of
Abyssinia.
It is thirteen days journey from Chelvan to the city of Kous, which is the
first in the land of Egypt, and where 30,000 Jews are settled. At the
distance of five days journey is Phium, anciently Pithom, in the
neighbourhood of which city the ruins of the structures built by our
ancestors, during their captivity in Egypt, are still to be seen[28].
Four days journey from thence is the great city of Misraim[29], on the
banks of the Nile, in which above 2000 Jews are settled.
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