Some Hold That This Country Is Washed By
The Nikpha, Or Coagulated Sea, Which Is Liable To Prodigious Storms; By
Which, When Mariners Are Surprised, They Are Reduced To Such Extremity,
That, Not Being Able To Get Out, They Are Miserably Starved To Death, After
Expending All Their Provisions[24].
From Cinrog, it is three days journey to Gingala, where there are above a
thousand Jews.
From thence, in seven days, one may sail to Coulan, where
there are none of our nation. It is twelve days journey to Zabid, where
there are some Jews; and in eight days more, you get to the opposite coast,
where there are very high mountains, inhabited by multitudes of Israelites,
who are not under the yoke of the Gentiles, but have great cities and
strong fortresses of their own.
They descend from thence in parties into the flat countries of Abyssinia,
whence they return with their plunder into the mountains, where they are
secure against pursuit. Many of these Jews travel for the purposes of trade
into Persia and Egypt[25].
From thence, it is twenty days journey to Asvan[26], through the deserts of
Saba, on the Phison, which river comes from the country of Chus, in the
dominions of Shah-Abasch, or the king of Abyssinia. Part of the inhabitants
of this country live like beasts, going entirely naked, and feeding only on
the grass and herbs that grow by the river side, and propagate with their
sisters and nearest relations, without shame or scruple. 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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