He Requested To
Know What These Secrets Were, On Which I Informed Him That I Was
Thoroughly Versant In The Construction Of All Manner Of Guns And
Artillery.
He then praised Mahomet for having directed me to these
parts, as I might do infinite service to the true believers; and he
agreed to allow me to remain secretly in his house along with his wife.
Having thus cemented a friendship with the Mahometan, he requested of me
to obtain permission from the captain of our caravan that he might lead
fifteen camels from Mecca loaded with spices under his name, by which
means he might evade the duties, as thirty gold seraphines are usually
paid to the sultan of Mecca for the custom of such a number of camels. I
gave him great hopes that his request might be complied with, even if he
asked for an hundred camels, as I alleged he was entitled to the
privilege as being a Mameluke. Then finding him in excellent good
humour, I again urged my desire of being concealed in his house; and
having entirely gained his confidence, he gave me many instructions for
the prosecution of my intended journey, and counselled me to repair to
the court of the king of _Decham_, or Deccan, a realm in the greater
India; of which I shall speak hereafter. Wherefore, on the day before
the caravan of Damascus was to depart from Mecca, he concealed me in the
most secret part of his house; and next morning early the trumpeter of
our caravan of Syria gave warning to all the Mamelukes to prepare
themselves and their horses for the immediate prosecution of the
journey, on pain of death to all who should neglect the order. Upon
hearing this proclamation and penalty I was greatly troubled in mind;
yet committing myself by earnest prayer to the merciful protection of
God, I entreated the Mamelukes wife not to betray me. On the Tuesday
following, our caravan departed from Mecca and the Mameluke went along
with it, but I remained concealed in his house. Before his departure,
the friendly Mameluke gave orders to his wife that she should procure me
the means of going along with the pilgrims who were to depart from
_Zide_ or Juddah the port of Mecca for India. This port of Juddah is 40
miles from Mecca. I cannot well express the kindness of the Mamelukes
wife to me during the time I lay hid in her house; and what contributed
mainly to my good entertainment was that a beautiful young maid who
dwelt in the house, being niece to the Mameluke, was in love with me;
but at that time I was so environed with troubles and fear of danger,
that the passion of love was almost extinct in my bosom, yet I kept
myself in her favour by kind words and fair promises.
On the Friday, three days after the departure of the caravan of Syria, I
departed about noon from Mecca along with the caravan of India; and
about midnight we came to an Arabian village, where we rested all the
rest of that night and the next day till noon. From thence continuing
our journey we arrived at Juddah on the second night of our journey. The
city of Juddah has no walls, but the houses are well built, resembling
those in the Italian cities. At this place there is great abundance of
all kinds of merchandise, being in a manner the resort of all nations,
except that it is held unlawful for Jews or Christians to come there. As
soon as I entered Juddah I went to the mosque, where I saw a prodigious
number of poor people, not less than 25,000, who were attending upon
the different pilots, that they might go back to their countries. Here I
suffered much trouble and affliction, being constrained to hide myself
among these poor wretches and to feign myself sick, that no one might be
too inquisitive about who I was, whence I came, or whether I was going.
The city of Juddah is under the dominion of the Soldan of Babylon or
Cairo, the Sultan of Mecca being his brother and his subject. The
inhabitants are all Mahometans; the soil around the town is very
unfruitful, as it wants water; yet this town, which stands on the shore
of the Red Sea, enjoys abundance of all necessaries which are brought
from Egypt, Arabia Felix, and various other places. The heat is so
excessive that the people are in a manner dried up, and there is
generally great sickness among the inhabitants. This city contains about
500 houses. After sojourning here for fifteen days, I at length agreed
for a certain sum with a pilot or ship-master, who engaged to convey me
to Persia. At this time there lay at anchor in the haven of Mecca near
an hundred brigantines and foists, with many barks and boats of various
kinds, some with oars and some with sails.
Three days after I had agreed for my passage, we hoisted sail and began
our voyage down the Red Sea, called by the ancients _Mare
erythraeum_[47]. It is well known to learned men that this sea is not
red, as its name implies and as some have imagined, for it has the same
colour with other seas. We continued our voyage till the going down of
the sun, for this sea cannot be navigated during the night, wherefore
navigators only sail in the day and always come to anchor every night.
This is owing _as they say_, to the many dangerous sands, rocks and
shelves, which require the ships way to be guided with great care and
diligent outlook from the _top castle_, that these dangerous places may
be seen and avoided: But after coming to the island of _Chameran_ or
Kamaran, the navigation may be continued with greater safety and
freedom.
[Footnote 47: The _Mare erythraeum_ of the ancients was of much more
extended dimensions, comprising all the sea of India from Arabia on the
west to Guzerat and the Concan on the east, with the coasts of Persia
and Scindetic India on the north; of which sea the Red Sea and the
Persian gulfs were considered branches or deep bays.
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