called Dexar.
Further on another place called Xahen.
Further on another place called Ygun.[82]
Further on another place called El-guadun.
Further on another place called Nabani,[83] from which place they
carry much water to drink to Ormuz, because there is no drinkable
water there; and from this and all those other places they carry to
Ormuz all its supplies.
Further on is another place called Guan-meda, and from there further
on there are also some other places belonging to the king of Ormuz,
which are the following--Lefete, Quesebi,[84] and from here further
on the coast turns to the north-west by north as far as the mouth of
the river Eufrates, and it begins here to be a wide estuary.
Berohu,[85] Caljar, Xuza, Mohimasim,[86] Lima,[87] Gorbaz, Alguefa,
Carmon.[88] Which lasts two hundred and forty leagues, and then
Bazera, a castle of Sophi. At the entrance of the river Eufrates the
land turns to the sea in a southerly direction eighty leagues, and
then returns as much again to the north, and after that turns again
to the south, when there begin these towns--Cohomo, Barque Guex,[89]
Ganguan, Basido,[90] Goxtaque, Conch, Conga, Ebrahemi,[91] and as
far as this there are one hundred and sixty-five leagues, and after
that Xenase,[92] Menahao Xamile, Leytam, Bamtani, Doani,[93] and
from this point the coast trends to the east for a distance of
thirty leagues as far as Lorom.[94] Between these places there are
many large towns with much trade, and very respectable inhabitants,
and great merchants; and many castles, which the King of Ormuz
maintains for the defence of his country, and they are all on the
coast of the Persian Sea. They are places abundantly supplied with
meat and wheaten bread, barley, vines, and all other things which
are found in our parts, and many dates; and the inhabitants of these
towns are white, and very polite people; they dress in long clothes
of silk and cotton stuffs and camelots; and this is a very rich
country.
THE ISLANDS OF THE KINGDOM OF ORMUZ.
In the mouth of this sea of Persia there are the following islands
belonging to the king of Ormuz. Cuyx, Andrany,[95] Baxeal,
_Quiro_,[96] _Lar_,[97] Cojar,[98] Tomon,[99] _Firror_ Guolar,
Melugan,[100] Gory, Queximi,[101] Baharem.[102]
These two islands of Queximi and Baharem are large; and Queximi has
eight inhabited towns and has plenty of provisions. Baharem has a
large town of many Moors, important and honourable personages. And
it is distant from Lorom to the north-east xxxiv leagues, and to the
island of Queximi fifty leagues of channel; and between it and the
mainland from two to four leagues; and after that the coast turns
between north-east and east, until the island of Ormuz for xxxv
leagues, of which island mention is made lower down.[103]
Merchants from many parts reside in this island, and it is situated
in the middle of this sea, and many ships with great merchandise
sail to it; and here and in the neighbourhood much seed pearl and
many pearls are produced, and they fish them on the island itself,
from which there is a great profit to the inhabitants; and the king
draws from this island and from all the others large revenues. The
merchants of Ormuz go to this island of Baharem to buy the pearls
and seed pearl for India and other parts where they find it
profitable, and for the kingdom of Narsinga; and also those of
Persia and Arabia go there to buy them, and in all this sea of
Persia these pearls are found, but not in such quantity as in this
island of Baharem.
COUNTRY OF SHEIKH ISMAIL.
After passing these countries along the coast of Persia, there are
many towns, places, and villages of the Moors, very handsome and
rich enough. From here further on it is no longer the country of the
king of Ormuz, but belongs to other lords, of whom we do not possess
so much information, except that Xeque Yzmael[104] subjugates and
governs them. He is a Moor, and a young man, who in a short time has
subjugated these parts, and a great part of Persia and Arabia, and
many kingdoms and lordships of the Moors, not being a king nor the
son of a king, except that he was only a sheikh of the house and
lineage of Aly, the brother-in-law[105] of Mahomed; and, being poor,
he united with other young Moors, and they took up the habit of
going without clothes, which is a custom amongst them; they
abandoned their property, honours, and clothes, and only covered
themselves with skins of goats, and leopards, and deer with the fur,
which many are in the habit of carrying, and they mark their arms
and breasts with many scars of burns; and they carry heavy iron
chains, and in their hands some weapons, different from those of
other people, such as small battle-axes of much workmanship, and
iron maces; they go as pilgrims, and do not sustain themselves
except by alms; and to such people, wherever they go, much honour
and entertainment is shown by the other Moors; and they always go
shouting and crying out in the villages the name of Mahomet. So this
Sheikh Ismail took this habit, and determined to shout and cry out
for Aly, whilst he took no heed of Mahomed. Many people began to
collect round him, so that he began soon to take towns and to grant
property to the persons who flocked to him, and were with him at a
conquest; and, in case they took nothing, he decided on making some
hoods of scarlet wool, of ample dimensions, and ordering them to be
worn by the persons who followed him;[106] thus he collected many
people, and with them he went on taking many towns, and making war
in many parts; and he did not choose to be called king, but the
leveller of property, who took from those who had much, and gave to
those who had little; neither did he choose to rest in any place.
But all that he conquered he gave away and distributed to those who
followed and obeyed him; whenever he found any very rich people
whose riches did not profit any one, he took them away and
distributed them amongst honourable people and the poor; and to the
owners of the property he left a share equal to that which he gave
to each one of the others; this he did many times, on which account
they called him the Equaller. This king sent ambassadors to all the
Moorish kings to persuade them to wear those coloured hoods, and if
they did not choose to accept them, he sent to challenge them, and
to say that he would come against them, to take their country, and
make them believe in Aly. He sent this embassy to the great Sultan
of Cairo and to the Grand Turk, who gave him a hostile answer and
made a league against him. As soon as Sheikh Ismail saw their
answers he determined to go against the Grand Turk, and he went
against him with large forces, horse and foot, and the Turk came out
to receive him, and they had a great battle,[107] in which the Grand
Turk was the conqueror, on account of the quantity of artillery
which he brought with him, which Sheikh Ismail did not bring, and he
only fought with his men with the strength of their arms. They
killed there many of his people, and he took to flight, and the Turk
followed him, killing many of his troops, until he left him within
Persia, when he returned thence to Turkey. This was the first time
that this Sheikh Ismail was routed, for which he said that he wished
to return to Turkey with greater power and provided with artillery.
This king ruled over a part of Babilonia, and Armenia, and Persia,
and a large part of Arabia, and of India, near to the kingdom of
Cambay. His design was to get into his hands the house of Mekkah.
This sheikh sent an embassy with many presents to the captain of the
king of Portugal, who was exercising his functions in India, and
asked him to agree to peace and friendship. And the Portuguese
captain-major received this embassy and presents, and in return sent
another embassy.[108]
At the extremity of this Sea of Persia there is, as has been said, a
fortress called Basera, inhabited by Moors, in subjection to Sheikh
Ismail, at which there comes out from the mainland to the sea a very
large and beautiful river of good fresh water, which is called
Frataha.[109] This is said to be one of the four rivers which flow
out of the terrestrial Paradise, which river is the Eufrates, and
these Moors say it has sixty thousand branches, and that one of the
principal ones comes out at the kingdom of Dahulcino, in which is
the first India, which we call the river Indus; and the river Ganges
is the other branch, which comes out in the second India to the sea;
and the Nile, which is another branch, which comes through the
country of Prester John, and waters Cairo.[110]
ISLAND AND CITY OF ORMUZ.
On coming out of the Sea and Strait of Persia, in its mouth there is
a small island, in which is the city of Ormuz, which is small and
very handsome, and with very pretty houses, lofty, of stone,
whitewash, and mortar, covered with terraces, and because the
country is very hot, they have fans made in such a manner that they
make the air come from their summits to the lower part of the houses
and rooms. It is a very well situated town, which has very good
streets and squares. Outside of this city, in the island itself,
there is a small mountain, which is entirely of rock salt and
sulphur; this salt is in great lumps, and very white and good: they
call it Indian salt, because nature produces it there; and the ships
which come there from all parts take this salt as ballast, because
in all other parts it is worth much money.
The inhabitants of this island and city are Persians and Arabs, and
they speak Arabic and another language which they call Persian. They
are very white, and good-looking people, of handsome bodies, both
men and women; and there are amongst them black and coloured people
also, who are from the country of Arabia. And the Persians, who are
very white, are fat and luxurious people, who live very well. They
are very voluptuous, and have musicians with various instruments.
There are among them very rich merchants, and many ships, because
they have a good port, and they trade in many kinds of goods, which
are imported there from many parts, and exported thence to other
parts of India. They bring there all sorts of spices, drugs,
precious stones, and other goods, such as pepper, ginger, cinnamon,
cloves, mace, nutmeg, long pepper, aloes-wood, sandal-wood,
brasil-wood, balsam, tamarinds, Indian saffron, beeswax, iron,
sugar, rice, cocoa-nuts, rubies, sapphires, giagonzas,[111]
amethysts, topazes, chrysolites, hyacinths, porcelain, benzoin; and
upon all these goods much money is made, and many stuffs from the
kingdom of Cambay, Chaul, Dabul, and Bengala, which are called
Sinabasos, Chautars, Mamonas, Dugasas, Soranatis, which are kinds of
stuffs of cotton very much valued amongst them for caps and shirts,
which are much made use of by the Arabs and Persians, and people of
Cairo, Aden, and Alexandria. They also bring to this city of Ormuz,
quicksilver, vermillion, rose-water, brocade and silk stuffs,
scarlet woollens, coarse camelots, and silk. And from China and
Catuy they bring to this city by land much fine silk in skeins, and
very rare musk and rhubarb;[112] and they bring from Babilonia very
fine torquoises, and some emeralds, and very fine lapis lazuli from
Acar. And from Baharem and Julfar they bring much seed pearl and
large pearls, and many horses from Arabia and Persia, of which they
carry away to India every year as many as five or six hundred, and
at times a thousand; and the ships which export these horses load
much salt, dates, and raisins, and sulphur, and of the other goods
which the Indians are pleased with.
These Moors of Ormuz are very well dressed, with very white, long,
and fine cotton shirts, and their fine drawers[113] of cotton, and
above that, very rich silk clothes and camelots, scarlet cloth, and
very rich gauzes, with which they wrap their waists[114], and they
wear in their girdles daggers and knives, ornamented with gold and
silver, and some heavy short swords, all adorned with gold and
silver, according to the rank of the wearers: and large round
shields, richly garnished with silk, and in their hands they carry
Turkish bows, painted with gold and very pretty colours, and their
cords are of silk. These bows are of stiff wood and of buffaloe's
horn; they carry very far, and these people are very good archers;
their arrows are slender and well worked. Others carry in their
hands iron maces, well wrought and elegant; others again,
battle-axes of various patterns and of very good temper, and inlaid
or enamelled.[115] They are very agreeable and polite people, and
very civil in their mutual relations. Their food is of very good
meats, very well cooked, wheaten bread, and very good rice, and many
other dishes very well prepared, and many kinds of conserves, and
preserved fruits, and others fresh: that is to say, apples,
pomegranates, peaches, apricots, figs, almonds, melons, radishes,
salads, and all the other things which there are in Spain; dates of
many kinds, and other eatables and fruits not used in our parts.
They drink wine of grapes in secret, because their law forbids it
them; and the water which they drink is flavoured with pistachio
nuts, and set to cool, for which purpose they employ and seek many
methods for cooling and preserving it cool. And all the noblemen and
honourable merchants always take, wherever they go, both in the
streets and public places, and on the road, a page with a bottle of
water, which is covered underneath with silver, or with a silver
cup, as much for state and show as for use and comfort. All these
people possess gardens and farms, to which they go to enjoy
themselves for some months of the year.[116]
This city of Ormuz is, as has been said, very rich and well supplied
with everything in the way of provisions, but everything is very
dear, because it is brought by sea from the towns of Arabia and
Persia, for in the island there is nothing that can be made use of
except salt; neither have they water to drink, for they bring it
each day in boats from the mainland or other neighbouring islands.
But for all that, the squares are full of all sorts of things, and
everything is sold by weight, and with great order and regulation.
And they give a very proper punishment to whoever falsifies the
weights or sells above the regulation price; and they also sell
cooked and roasted meat by weight, and so with all other cooked
victuals; and all these so well arranged and so clean that many
people do not have cooking done in their houses, but eat in the
squares.
The king is always in this city of Ormuz, in which he has some
beautiful palaces, and a fortress, where he has his residence, and
where he keeps his treasury; and there he holds all his court, and
out of it provides governors or judges for all his states and
lordships. But it is his council that does everything; and he does
not meddle with any affair, but only amuses himself, neither would
it have been in his power to do otherwise; for if he wished to
govern in person, and wished to be free and exempt like other kings,
immediately they would put his eyes out, and would put him in a
house with his wife, and maintain him there miserably; and they
would raise up another son of his as king, or some one else more
fitting for it, of his lineage, in order that his council may govern
all his kingdoms and territories peacefully in his name. And with
respect to all the other heirs of the kingdom, as they grow up and
become persons able to command and govern, if it should appear to
the council that they desire to meddle with the government, they
take them and put their eyes out also, and put them also in a house;
so that there are always ten or twelve of these blind men, and those
who reign live with this fear before them.[117] They give food there
to them and to their wives and children. This king has many
men-at-arms, and many gentlemen who guard and serve him, and they
receive very good pay and rations, and are always at the court with
their arms; and they send some to the frontiers on the mainland
whenever they are required.
They make gold and silver money in this city; the gold coins are
called Sarafin, and are worth three hundred maravedis, and most of
them are halves, which are worth a hundred and fifty, a round coin
like ours,[118] and with Moorish letters on both sides, and about
the size of a fanon of Calicut, with Moorish letters, and it is
worth fifty-five maravedis; they call these tanga, and they are of
very fine silver, and of the standard of twelve dinars.[119] There
is a large quantity of this money, both gold and silver, and much of
it goes out to India, where it has much currency.
There came a Portuguese fleet to this kingdom of Ormuz, and its
captain-major was Alfonso de Alborquerque, who attempted to come to
an understanding with this kingdom of Ormuz, but the Moors would not
agree, and on that account this captain began to make war upon the
whole kingdom at all the seaports, and he did them much injury, and
at last he came and touched at the port of Ormuz with his fleet, and
there was a great battle there, with many and great ships full of
many and smart well-armed men. And the said captain routed the fleet
of the Moors, and killed many of them, and sunk many of their ships,
and took and burned many which were moored in the harbour, drawn up
by the wall of the city. And when the king and the governors of the
country saw such great destruction of their people and ships,
without being able to assist them, they offered peace to the
before-mentioned captain, who accepted it under the condition that
they should let him make a fortress at one extremity of the city;
and they agreed, and this began to be done; and the work having
commenced, the Moors repented again, and did not choose that more
should be built; and then the Portuguese began again to make war
upon them, and they did them so great damage, and slaughtered so
many people, that they made them tributary to the King of Portugal
to the amount of fifteen thousand serafins of gold each year.
Some years from that time the king and governors of Ormuz sent an
ambassador with offers of services and letters to the King of
Portugal, and the before-named captain returned with his answer and
a good fleet to the city of Ormuz,[120] and there they received him
very peacefully in this city, and at once gave him permission and a
place in which to built the fortress, which on a former occasion the
Portuguese had begun to build: and he ordered it to be built at
once, very large and magnificent. At this time the king, who was a
Moor, and very young, and in the power of the governors, and so
ruined that he did not dare do anything of himself, found the means
to inform the captain-major secretly of the little liberty he
enjoyed, and that the governors kept him like a prisoner, and that
they had forcibly taken the government which belongs to others who
were accustomed to exercise it, and that it appeared that they were
exchanging letters with Sheikh Ismail in order to give him the
kingdom. The captain-major kept this very secret, and determined to
have an interview with the king; and they agreed that this interview
should be in some large houses near the sea. On the day on which the
interview was to take place, the captain-major entered the houses
with ten or fifteen captains, leaving his people well arranged, and
all concerted as was most convenient. So the king and his principal
governor came there with many people, and the king and the governor
entered the houses with ten or twelve honourable Moors, and the door
was well shut and guarded. Then the captain-major ordered them to
kill the governor[121] with their daggers in his presence and that
of the king: and he said to the king, "Have no fear, Sir, for I do
this to make you absolute king." However those who were without
heard the noise, and began to raise a disturbance, that it to say,
the relations, servants, and friends of the said governor, who were
many in number, and all came armed, so that it was necessary for the
captain-major to take the king by the hand; they went up on to the
roof, both of them armed, in order that the king might speak thence
to the Moors, and might pacify them; so he spoke to them, but could
do nothing with them. They, on the contrary, required that he should
confide to them his brother and lord: and they went thence to
establish themselves in the king's palace, saying they would make
another king. The captain-major wished to lay hands upon them, and
thus they remained a great part of the day, and the king sought how
to turn them out, and the captain-major determined to kill them by
force or to drive them out, as they did not choose to go out of the
fortress. So when the Moors saw that the captain-major, with the
king, was determined to attack them, they resolved to give the
fortress to the king; and when they gave it up, the king commanded
that they should be banished immediately, they and their families;
and this was done, and they went to the mainland.
The captain-major conducted the king from these houses to the palace
in triumph and honourably, and with many people, both of ours and of
his, and entrusted him to the other governor who was so before. He
then committed to him his palaces and the city very freely, and told
the governor to serve the king very honourably, and to leave him to
govern his country at his pleasure, and only give him advice, as
happens with other Moorish kings: and thus he put him at liberty. He
then left in the fortress that was built a captain and many men of
Portugal, and ships, in order to favour this king, who does nothing
without the advice of the captain of the fort. And he is in
submission to the King of Portugal, with all his kingdoms and
territories.
After the captain-major had put everything in quiet and order, and
under his command, he then had banished by the public crier, and
turned out of the island all the paiderastoi, with a warning that if
they returned there again they would be burned, at which the king
showed great satisfaction. He likewise ordered all the blind kings
who were in the city to be taken, and there were thirteen or
fourteen of them, and put in a large ship, and he sent them to
India, and they were landed at Goa, where he gave orders for them to
be maintained at the expense of his revenues, so that they might end
their days there, and not cause any disturbance in the kingdom of
Ormuz, and be in peace and quietness.
DIULCINDI.
Leaving the kingdom of Ormuz, from the mouth of the Sea of Persia
the coast goes to the south-east for a hundred and seventy-two
leagues as far as Diulcinde,[122] entering the kingdom of
Ulcinde,[123] which is between Persia and India. It is a kingdom,
and has a Moorish king over it, and most of the inhabitants of the
country are Moors, and there are some Gentiles subject to the Moors.
This king has an extended rule over the country in the interior, and
few seaports. They have many horses. On the eastern side this
country is bounded by the kingdom of Cambay, and on the west by
Persia. It is in obedience to Sheikh Ismail. The Moors are white and
coloured; they have a language of their own, and also speak that of
the Persians and of Arabia. There is much wheat and barley in this
country, and plenty of meat. It is a level country, with little
timber. They make little practice of navigating the sea; they
possess extensive sea-beaches, where there are great fisheries, and
they catch large fish, which they dry and salt, both for consumption
in the country and for exportation in small vessels to other
kingdoms. In this country they give dried fish to their horses to
eat. A few ships which sail to this country from India, bring rice,
sugar, and some spices, timber, planks, and Indian canes, which are
as thick as a man's leg. And in all this trade they make much money;
and from this place they carry away cotton, horses, and cloth. A
great river comes into the sea through this kingdom; it comes
through the middle of Persia, and they say that it comes out of the
river Eufrates. Along this river there are many large and rich towns
of Moors. It is a very fertile and fruitful land, and very abundant
in provisions.
KINGDOM OF GUZERAT, IN INDIA.