Along With Each Caravan There Is A Captain, Who
Dispenses Justice To All Men, And Every Night There Is A Guard
Appointed To Keep Watch For The Security Of The Whole.
From Aleppo we
went to Tripoli, in Syria, where M. Florinasca, M. Andrea Polo, and I,
with a friar in company, hired a bark to carry us towards Jerusalem.
We
accordingly sailed from Tripoli to Jaffa, from which place we travelled
in a day and a half to Jerusalem, leaving orders that the bark should
wait for our return. We remained 14 days at Jerusalem visiting the holy
places, whence we returned to Jaffa, and thence back to Tripoli, and
there we embarked in a ship belonging to Venice, called the Bajazzana;
and, by the aid of the divine goodness, we safely arrived in Venice on
the 5th of November 1581.
Should any one incline to travel into those parts of India to which I
went, let him not be astonished or deterred by the troubles,
entanglements, and long delays which I underwent, owing to my poverty.
On leaving Venice, I had 1200 ducats invested in merchandise; but while
at Tripoli in my way out I fell sick in the house of M. Regaly Oratio,
who sent away my goods with a small caravan to Aleppo. This caravan was
robbed, and all my goods lost, except four chests of glasses, which cost
me 200 ducats. Even of my glasses many were broken, as the thieves had
broken up the boxes in hopes of getting goods more suitable for their
purpose. Even with this small remaining stock I adventured to proceed
for the Indies, where, by exchange and re-exchange, with much patient
diligence, and with the blessing of God, I at length acquired a
respectable stock.
It may be proper to mention, for the sake of others who may follow my
example, by what means they may secure their goods and effects to their
heirs, in case of their death. In all the cities belonging to the
Portuguese in India, there is a house or establishment called the school
of the _Santa Misericordia comissaria_, the governors of which, on
payment of a certain fee, take a copy of your testament, which you ought
always to carry along with you when travelling in the Indies. There
always goes into the different countries of the Gentiles and Mahometans
a captain or consul, to administer justice to the Portuguese, and other
Christians connected with them, and this captain has authority to
recover the goods of all merchants who chance to die on these voyages.
Should any of these not have their wills along with them, or not have
them registered in one of the before-mentioned schools, these captains
are sure to consume their goods in such a way that little or nothing
will remain for their heirs. There are always also on such voyages some
merchants who are commissaries of the _Sancta Misericardia_, who take
charge of the goods of those who have registered their wills in that
office, and having sold them the money is remitted to the head office of
the Misericordia at Lisbon, whence intelligence is sent to any part of
Christendom whence the deceased may have come, so that on the heirs of
such persons going to Lisbon with satisfactory testimonials, they will
receive the full value of what was left by their relation.
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