The Inhabitants Of This Country,
Who Are All Mahometans, Are Neither Cruel Nor Barbarous, And Used Us
Exceedingly Well; Having Once Asked Us Who We Were, And Being Answered
That We Were Christians, They Troubled Us With No Farther Inquiries.
My
dress at this time consisted of coarse and much worn cloth, lined with
lambs skin, above which I wore a leathern robe, and my hat was of skin;
in which dress I frequently went to the market to purchase flesh and
other provisions, which I carried home myself.
On one of these occasions
a person eyed me attentively, and, turning to some of his comrades, said,
this man was not born to the employment of carrying meat. Marcus Ruffus,
who happened to be along with me, explained what the man had said; and I
was astonished at being recognized in so shabby a dress, which I thought
must have proved a sufficient concealment: but, in truth, as I have said
before, they are a very good kind of people.
During my residence in Derbent, I was anxious to learn some certain
intelligence respecting the state of affairs at the court of Uzun-Hassan,
for which purpose I sent Demetrius de Seze, my interpreter, with letters
to Josaphat Barbaro at Tauris, which is twenty days journey from Derbent.
He returned at the end of fifty days, bringing answers from Barbaro,
informing me that the king still remained at Tauris, but that he was
utterly ignorant of his affairs.
Spring being arrived, we began to think of pursuing our journey, and
Marcus procured a boat for transporting us to _Curere_[3]. The boats
which are used in this country are drawn up on the shore all winter, as
the sea is then too rough for their use.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 231 of 812
Words from 63055 to 63350
of 224388
