the country, the great kingdom of Prester John is to be found, whom
the Moors of Arabia call Abexi;[41] this kingdom is very large, and
peopled with many cities, towns, and villages, with many
inhabitants: and it has many kings subject to it and tributary
kings. And in their country there are many who live in the fields
and mountains, like Beduins: they are black men, very well made:
they have many horses, and make use of them, and are good riders,
and there are great sportsmen and hunters amongst them. Their
provisions are flesh of all kinds, milk, butter, and wheaten bread,
and of these things there is a great abundance. Their clothes are of
hides because the country is wanting in cloths; and there is a law
amongst them by which certain families and ranks of persons may wear
cloths, and the rest of the people may wear only hides well dressed
and tanned. Amongst them there are men and women who have never
drunk water, but only milk, which greatly supports them, and
quenches the thirst, on account of its being more healthy and
substantial, and there is great abundance of it in the country.
These people are Christians of the doctrine of the blessed Saint
Bartholomew, as they say; and their baptism is in three kinds, of
blood, fire, and water: that is to say, that they circumcise
themselves, and mark themselves on the temples and forehead with
fire, and also in water, like the Catholic Christians. Many of them
are deficient in our true faith, because the country is very large,
and whilst in the principal city of Babel Malech, where Prester John
resides, they may be Christians, in many other distant parts they
live in error and without being taught; so that they are only
Christians in name.
BABEL MELECH.
In the interior of this country is the great city of Babel
Melech,[42] where Prester John holds his residence. The Moors call
him the great King of the Habeshys: he is Christian, and lord of
many extensive countries and numerous people, with whom he makes
subject many great kings. He is very rich, and possesses more gold
than any other prince. This Prester John holds a very large court,
and he keeps many men at arms continually in his pay, whom he takes
about with him. He goes out very rarely from his dwelling; many
kings and great lords come to visit him. In this city a great feast
takes place in the month of August, for which so many kings and
nobles come together, and so many people that they are innumerable:
and on this day of the feast in August they take an image out of a
church, which is believed to be that of Our Lady, or that of St.
Bartholomew, which image is of gold and of the size of a man; its
eyes are of very large and beautiful rubies of great value, and the
whole of it is adorned with many precious stones of much value, and
placing it in a great chariot of gold, they carry it in procession
with very great veneration and ceremony, and Prester John goes in
front of this car in another gold car, very richly dressed in cloth
of gold with much jewellery. And they begin to go out thus in the
morning, and go in procession through all the city with much music
of all sorts of instruments, until the evening, when they go home.
And so many people throng to this procession, that in order to
arrive at the car of the image many die of being squeezed and
suffocated; and those who die in this wise are held as saints and
martyrs; and many old men and old women go with a good will to die
in this manner.
SUEZ.
Leaving this country of Prester John and the coast of the sea of
Arabia Felix, and turning to the other part of the Red Sea, which is
also called Arabia, and the Moors call it Barra Arab, there is a
village, a seaport called Suez,[43] and thither the Moors of Guida,
the port of Mecca, bring all the spices, drugs, precious stones,
seed pearl, amber, musk, and other merchandise of great value from
the parts about India; and from there they load them on camels to
carry them by land to Cairo, and from Cairo other merchants carry
them to Alexandria; and from there the Venetians and other
Christians usually export them. And this trade now, in a great
measure, ceases on account of the Portuguese, whose fleets prohibit
the navigation of the Moors from India to the Red Sea.[44] And the
Great Sultan, lord of Cairo, who loses most by this, ordered a fleet
to be built in the port of Suez, for which he had the wood and
artillery, and other equipments transported by land, in which much
money was expended; and this fleet was of ships and galleys, in
order to pass with it to India and there forbid the Portuguese from
cruising. And when this fleet was built many people of different
nations went with it to the first India, which is the Kingdom of
Cambay; and the Captain of it was Amir Ucen,[45] and with this fleet
they met that of Portugal in front of a city named Dyu, and there
they fought vigorously, and many people were killed, and at last the
Moors, Turks, and Mamelukes were conquered and all their fleet was
taken and part of it burned, and on this account and several other
victories which the Portuguese gained over the before-mentioned
Moors, they lost their navigation in the Red Sea, and the said port
of Suez remains without the trade in spices.
MOUNT SINAI.
Near the said city of Suez there is in the country of Arabia on the
Red Sea, the mountain of Sinai, where lies the blessed Saint
Catharine in a church, in which there are Christian friars, under
the lordship of the Sultan, to which building the devout of all
Christian countries come in pilgrimage, and the chief part of those
that throng thither are from the country of Prester John and
Armenia, Babilonia, Constantinople, and Jerusalem.
ELIOBON AND MEDINA.
Having passed Mount Sinai, which the Moors call Tur, along the coast
of the Red Sea going out of it, there is a village of the Moors, a
seaport called Eliobon,[46] and it is a port where they disembark
for Medina, which is another town of the Moors, up the country at
three days' journey from the port, and the body of Mahomed is buried
in it.
GUIDA PORT OF MECA.
Leaving the port of Eliobon to go out of the Red Sea, there is a
town of the Moors, called Guida, and it is the port of Mecca,
whither the ships used to come every year from India with spices and
drugs, and they returned thence to Calicut with much copper,
quicksilver, vermillion, saffron, rose-water, scarlet silks,
camelots, tafetans and other goods, of stuffs used in India, and
also with much gold and silver; and the trade was very great and
profitable. And from this port of Guida these spices and drugs were
transported in small vessels to Suez, as has been already said.
MECA.
At one day's journey up the country from the port of Guida is the
great city of Meca, in which there is a very large mosque, to which
all the Moors from all parts go in pilgrimage, and they hold for
certain that they are saved by washing with the water of a well
which is in this mosque: and they carry it away from there in
bottles to their countries as a great relic. In the aforesaid Guida
port of Mecca a fortress has been lately built by Emir Hussein, the
Moorish captain of the ships of the Sultan, which the Portuguese
destroyed in India: this captain when he saw himself defeated, did
not dare return to his country without performing some service to
his king, and he decided on begging of the King of Cambay (who is
called Sultan Mahamud) assistance in money, and so also from the
nobles and merchants of his kingdom and from other Moorish kings, in
order to construct this fortress, saying: that since the Portuguese,
(whom they call Franks) were so powerful, it would not be wonderful
if they were to come into this port and were to go and destroy the
house of Mahomet. And these Moorish kings and people hearing his
petition, and seeing the power of the King of Portugal, it seemed to
them that this might come to pass, and thus all gave him great
gifts, by means of which he loaded three ships with spices and other
merchandise, and went with them to the Red Sea, and arrived at
Guida, where he sold them, and with the money he made the said
fortress, and during the time that he was building it, the
Portuguese were making another inside the town of Calicut,[47] and
the King of Calicut begged the Captain Major of the King of Portugal
to give him permission to send then a ship laden with spices to
Mecca. And this permission was given him, and the ship was sent. And
there went in it as captain an honourable person of the Moors named
Califa, and he arrived at Guida the port of Mecca, where he came on
shore very well dressed out, along with his people, and he found
Emir Hussein building his fortress, and was asked by him news of the
Portuguese. And this Califa answered him, telling him how they were
in great peace at Calicut, and making a handsome fortress. And Emir
Hussein asked him, how dare you come to Mecca being a friend of the
Portuguese? Califa answered him, I am a merchant and am unable to do
anything, but you who are a captain of the great Sultan if you go to
India to turn them out of it, how came you to leave them there, and
to make a fortress here? At which Emir Hussein was much put out, and
ordered Califa immediately, and well dressed as he was, to take
stones and mortar, he and his people, and help to build the
fortress: and he made him work for the space of an hour.[48] And
Califa related this in Calicut later when he returned there.[49]
JAZAN, HALI, ALHOR.
Leaving Jiddah the port of Mekkah, to go out of the Red Sea there
are three towns of the Moors, which have got kings over them, one is
called Jazan,[50] another Hali, and the other Alhor; in these there
are many horses and plenty of provisions. This king does not obey
the Sultan nor any other king whatever; he holds many countries
under him in which he has many towns with many sea ports, from which
the Moorish merchants used to export a few horses to India in their
merchant ships, because there they are worth a good deal.
HODEYDA, MAHA, BABEL MENDE.
Having passed these places and kingdom, there are three places
further on the coast which belong to the kingdom of Aden; the one
they call Hodeyda, the other Maha,[51] the other Babelmende, which
is in the mouth of the strait of the Red Sea where the ships enter
it, and at this place the ships take pilots as far as Jiddah, who
live by it.
ISLAND OF CAMARON.
In the sea of these other places, there is a small island called
Camaron,[52] inhabited by Moors, in which the ships were accustomed
to take refreshments when they passed by it to Jiddah. This island
was ravaged by Alonso de Alboquerque, captain of the King of
Portugal; and he staid there for some days repairing his fleet in
order to leave the Red Sea, for the season did not allow him to go
as far as Jiddah, to which he wished to arrive.
ADEM.
Coming out of the Red Sea by Babelmendel, which is in the straits,
as has been said, towards the open sea, further on the coast there
are several towns of Moors, which all belong to the kingdom of Aden,
and having passed these villages you arrive at the town of Aden,
which belongs to the Moors, and has a king over it. It is a very
handsome city, with very large and fine houses, and a place of much
trade, with good streets, and surrounded with a strong wall in their
fashion. This city is on a point between a mountain and the sea; and
this mountain ridge on the side of the main land is a precipitous
rock, in such manner that on that side it has no more than one
entrance, and on the top of this ridge, where the town is, there are
many small towers, which look very pretty from the sea. Inside the
city there is no water at all, and outside of the gate towards the
main land there is a building to which they make water come in pipes
from another mountain at some little distance from there, and
between one ridge and the other ridge there was a great plain. In
this city there are great Moorish merchants, and many Jews.[53] They
are white men, a few of them black, they dress in cloth of cotton,
silk, scarlet wool, and camelots. Their clothes are long robes, and
they wear caps on their heads, and with low shoes on their feet.
Their victuals are plenty of meat, wheaten bread, and rice which
comes from India: there is plenty of fruit as in our parts, and
there are in this place many horses and camels. The king is always
in the interior of the country, and he maintains his governor in
this city. Many ships, great and small, come there from many parts;
that is to say, from Jiddah, whence they bring them much copper and
quicksilver, and vermillion, coral, cloths of wool and silk. And
they take from here in return spices, drugs, cotton cloths, and
other things from Cambay, with provisions and other goods. Many
ships also touch there from Zeyla and Berbera with provisions and
other goods, and carry away from there stuffs from Cambay,
alaquequas,[54] and large and small beads perforated for stringing,
with which they trade in Arabia Felix, and in the country of Prester
John. Some ships from Ormuz likewise touch there to trade, and also
from Cambay, whence they bring much cotton stuff, spices, drugs,
jewels and pearls, alaquequas, spun cotton, and unspun; and they
take from these madder, opium, raisins, copper, quicksilver,
vermillion, rose-water which they make there, woollen and silk
stuffs, coloured stuffs from Mecca, and gold in ingots or coined,
and thread and camelots. And these ships of Cambay are so many and
so large, and with so much merchandise, that it is a terrible thing
to think of so great an expenditure of cotton stuffs as they bring.
There come likewise to this port of Aden many ships from Chaul and
Dabul, and from Bengal and the country of Calicut; they used to come
there with the before-mentioned goods and with a large quantity of
rice and sugar, and cocoa-nuts which grow on the palm trees, and
which are like nuts in flavour, and with the kernels[55] they make
drinking cups. There also arrive there ships from Bengal, Samatra,
and Malaca, which bring much spices and drugs, silks, benzoin,
alacar,[56] sandal-wood, aloes-wood, rhubarb, musk, and much cotton
stuffs from Bengal and Mangala,[57] so that it is a place of as much
trade as there can be in the world, and of the richest merchandise.
The fleet and armament of the King of Portugal came to this city,
and took and burned in its harbour several ships laden with much
merchandise, and several empty ships, and it made an assault to
enter the town, and mounted the walls with scaling ladders, which
broke with the weight of the many people on them; so that the
Portuguese went out again, and abandoned the town: and at this entry
the Moors defended themselves very vigorously, and many of them
died, and some of the Christians.
KINGDOM OF FARTACH.
Having passed the said kingdom of Aden, going out of the strait
towards the East, there is another kingdom of the Moors about
twenty-five leagues off, near the sea, it has three or four towns on
the coast, and they are called Xebech, Diufar,[58] and Fartach.[59]
These Moors have got a king over them and are very good fighting
men: they have got horses which they make use of in war, and good
arms with short blades; the said king is subject to the King of Aden
and is his servant.
CAPE FARTACH AND THE ISLAND OF SACOTORA.
In this country and kingdom there is a cape which is called Cape
Fartach, where the coast turns and makes a bend towards the said sea
between north-east and east,[60] and between this cape and that of
Guardafun, is the mouth of the strait of Mecca, which runs
north-west and south-east,[61] and it is xl leagues in width, where
all the ships pass for those voyages and to the Red Sea. Above Cape
Guardafun, to the north-east by east, twenty-seven leagues off, is
an island called Sacotora, with very high mountains, it is inhabited
by dusky people, who are said to be Christians; but they are
deficient in the teaching of the Christian law and baptism, and have
got only the name of Christians: they have in their chapels crosses,
+.[62] It was in former times a country of Christians, and the
Christian doctrine was lost there on account of Christian navigation
having ceased there; and the Moors say that this was an island of
Amazons, who later in the course of time mixed with men, and
something of this appears to be the case, since there the women
administer property and manage it, without the husbands having a
voice in the matter. These people have a language of their own; they
go without clothes, and only cover their nakedness with cotton
cloths and skins: they have many cows and sheep, and date palms.
Their victuals are meat, milk, and dates. In this island there is
much dragon's blood[63] and aloes of Socotra. And the Moors of
Fartach built in it a fortress, to subjugate them, and turn them
Moors; and some of those that lived around the fortress were Moors,
and served the Moors of the fort like their slaves, both in their
persons and property. A fleet of the King of Portugal arrived at
this island, and took this fortress by force of arms from the Moors
of Fartach, fighting with them: and they defended themselves much
more vigorously than any men of these parts; so that they never
would give themselves up, and all died in the fight, for none of
them escaped; so that they are very good and daring fighting men.
The Captain of this fleet left troops and artillery in this fortress
in order to keep it in the name of the King of Portugal. And quite
near to this island of Sacotora there are two other islands
inhabited by coloured people and blacks, like the people of the
Canary Islands, without law or knowledge, and they have no dealings
with any other people. In these two islands much amber and of good
quality is found, and many shells of the valuable and precious kind
in the mine, and much dragon's blood and aloes of Socotra; and there
are large flocks of sheep and oxen.
DIUFAR.
Leaving Cape Fartach towards the coast of the open sea to the
north-east by east, going along the coast L leagues off is a town of
the Moors and seaport called Diufar,[64] a city of the kingdom of
Fartach, in which the Moors of Cambay trade in cotton stuffs, rice,
and other goods.
XEHER.[65]
Further on from this place, in the direction of the same wind, at xx
leagues off, along the same coast, is another town of the Moors,
called Xeher; it also belongs to the kingdom of Fartach, and is very
large; it has a large trade in the stuffs, which the Moors of
Cambay, Chaul, Dabul, and Baticala, and the country of Malabar,
bring in their ships to this port and town of Xeher; these are
coarse and fine cotton stuffs, with which they clothe themselves;
granates on strings and several other jewels of small value, much
rice, sugar, and spice of all kinds, cocoa-nuts, and other goods,
which they sell there to the merchants of the country, who carry
them from there to Aden and all this part of Arabia. And the
importers afterwards employ the money in horses for India: these are
very large and very good, and each one of them in India is worth
five or six hundred ducats. And they also take from there much
wormwood,[66] which grows in that country. And in the interior of
the country all the people are Beduins: in this country there is
much wheat and plenty of meat and dates, grapes, and all other
fruits which are in our parts. And all the ships which sail from
India for the Red Sea, and having been delayed cannot arrive in good
time[67] with their merchandise at the place of their destination,
remain to sell them in this port of Xeher, and from there they go to
India along the coast to Cambay. And so this port is large and of
much trade at all times. This King of Fartach is, with the whole of
his kingdom, in obedience to the King of Aden, because he holds a
brother of his a prisoner. The wormwood which grows in this country
of Xeher is carried from here to all the world, and the ships of
this place load[68] the said wormwood, which is there worth a
hundred and fifty maravedis the hundred weight.
FASALHAD.
Having passed this town of Xeher, along the coast there are other
small towns, and Beduins in the interior of the country. This coast
lasts as far as Cape Fasalhat, which is xxv leagues from Xeher,
between north-east and east, where the kingdom and rule of the King
of Ormuz begins. At this cape there is a fortress which the King of
Ormuz holds there which is called Cor: and from there the coast
begins to bend inwards towards Ormuz.
KINGDOM OF ORMUZ.
After passing this Cape of Fasalhat along the coast to the
north-east, there are many towns and castles of the kingdom of Ormuz
in Arabia, fifty leagues to the north-east, and then twenty-five
leagues to the east, and as much again to the north-east and north,
and then it makes a bay to the north-west for twelve leagues, and
turns to the north-east twenty-five leagues as far as Cape
Refalcate,[69] and then it turns to the north-west, making bays
until Madea, which are eighty-six leagues off, and from there it
trends to the north-east by north thirty leagues until Cape
Mocondon,[70] which is at the mouth of the sea of Persia, which is
twelve leagues in width, and on this sea also further on, this rule
and lordship continue to extend, and there are in it many towns and
forts; and islands which are in the midst of the said sea of Persia,
inhabited by Moors. These places belonging to this kingdom are the
following. In the beginning of this kingdom on the coast outside of
this sea of Persia, is:--
First Calhat,[71] a very large town of handsome houses, and well
situated; the inhabitants are rich nobles and merchants: it is
forty-four leagues from Cape Fasalhat. Thirty-two leagues further on
there is another small place called Tybi, which has good water with
which the ships navigating all this coast provide themselves.
Twenty-five leagues further on is another small place called Daxnia,
also a seaport.
Thirty leagues further on is another large place which is a very
good town of much trade in merchandise, which is called Curiat,[72]
in which, as well as in the others in the neighbourhood, there is
plenty of meat, wheat, dates, and other fruit in abundance: there
are plenty of horses, which are bred in the country, and they are
very good, and the Moors of Ormuz come to buy them for exportation
to India.
Leaving this town of Curiat, at twelve leagues along the coast is
another place with a fortress which is called Sar,[73] which the
King of Ormuz keeps there.
Having doubled the Cape of Resalcate, the coast turns to the sea of
Persia. Forty leagues further on from this cape is another town upon
the coast itself called Mazquate. It is a large town, and of very
honourable people, and of much trade in merchandise, and a place of
great fisheries: they catch large fish there, which they export
dried and salted to other parts.
Going along the coast further on to the sea of Persia there is at a
distance of ten leagues another place called Sohar.[74]
Leaving this town of Sohar, further inland from the coast, at
fourteen leagues off is another fortress of the King of Ormuz called
Rosach; and with these fortresses this king is better able to keep
all this country in subjection.
Having passed the fortress of Rosach, there is another fortress
called Nahel twelve leagues off.
Twelve leagues further on is another place they call Madeha; it is a
small place, of few inhabitants, inside the mouth of the Sea of
Persia, thirty leagues to the south-west.[75]
Further on, there is a large place of many inhabitants called
Corfasan,[76] around which and the other neighbouring places are
many very agreeable country houses belonging to the chief men and
most honoured of the Moors of Ormuz, who come during certain months
of the year there to repose, and to collect their provisions, and
enjoy their fruit.
Fifteen leagues further on there is another place on the coast,
called Dadena.
As much again further on to the south-west, another place called
Daba. Further on, on the coast to the south-west by west, at a
distance of lxxxv leagues, is another very large town called
Julfar,[77] where there are many very respectable people, and many
merchants and sailors. And there they fish up many large pearls and
seed pearls, which the merchants of the city of Ormuz come there to
buy, to carry them to India and other parts. This place is one of
much trade, and produces a great deal to the king of Ormuz.
Further along the coast of the Persian Sea, in the before-mentioned
inner part, are three other places belonging to the king of Ormuz:
Racolhiman,[78] which is a good town, at a distance of twenty-four
leagues, and another beyond this, called Melquehoan,[79] and six
leagues further on there is a fortress called Calba,[80] which the
king maintains to defend his country from the Bedouins, who live in
the interior of the country, and who are governed by sheikhs; and at
times they go against these towns of the kingdom of Ormuz, and make
war upon them, and sometimes they make them rebel against the king.
This king of Ormuz possesses, besides these places already
mentioned, on the coast of Arabia, many other towns in the country
of Persia, on the sea-coast, and in the midst of the Persian Sea
many islands inhabited by Moors, in which he has many large towns,
very rich and handsome, all of which are named separately further
on, and afterwards the island and city of Ormuz and its customs are
mentioned.
On this coast the king of Ormuz has a town called Baha,[81] in which
he maintains his governors.