A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Which way we went into the Ship, and ſailed to Racka; and how the Son of the King of Arabia with his Retinue came to our Ship to demand his Cuſtoms: What elſe we ſaw by the way, and what we did ſuffer from the Arabians and their Mendicants.
AFter our Ship as well as the others was ſufficiently loaden, and with all Neceſſaries provided, we went aboard, and began our Voyage in the Name of God, the 30th. Day of Auguſt, Anno 74. (having ſtay'd there and loſt Seventeen Days) in the Evening, with an intention to go that Night three Leagues further. But two of our Ships got into a branch of the River, whereof there are ſeveral in the very beginning: Our Watermen took great pains to bring them into the right way again, and ſtayed for them, which retarded us ſo long, that we were forced to ſtay all Night, at a Market-Town, called Caffra, which lieth a good League below, on the top of a Hill, where we landed.
The next morning at break of Day, we got in again and in the beginning we went on very fortunately, and began to leave by degrees on our left Hand, the Mountain Taurus, which extendeth its ſelf Eaſtward, and went more to the right, through the great Deſarts and Sandy Places of Arabia, where that River divideth it ſelf into ſeveral broad Branches, that the Skippers knew hardly how to ſteer the right way. When we went on ſo, thinking of no danger, for the Turkiſh Ship was got already very ſafe through one of them, the ſecond (which we followed) ſtuck upon the Sand, by the neglect of their Pilot towards the right, ſo that it did not only ſtick there, but took away the Stream from us, which turned their Ship croſs very violently, after ſuch a manner, that we were forced (becauſe we were too nigh, and our Ship was in her full running, ſo that we could turn no way) to fall foul upon it. So ours drove with the Stream upon theirs with that force, that we broke the two uppermoſt Boards of their ſide; ſo the Water ran in, and the Ship ſank deeper. Our Ship, although it had received no hurt, yet did it not go on, but ſtuck by the other. Whereupon we began to labour hard, removed the Sand below, and made a way to get it clear; after we had half drawn it before the other into the Stream, the Stream drove it ſo hard againſt the other that alſo a row and a half of our ſide-board were broken, and if it had broken the ſecond row quite, we had incurred the ſame Miſchief and Damage as they. When we were in this Condition, and could not otherwiſe think but that we muſt periſh all together, yet our merciful God and Lord did order it ſo, that we did not only ſecure the breach, but came into the right River free and quit before the other Ship, where we did land immediately. After we had recovered our ſelves a little, we did not delay to aſſiſt the other, but unloaded our Ship, to load theirs into it, and ſo to land them, which we did with all ſpeed: In the mean time appeared behind the Trees and Tamarisks at each ſide a good many Arabians, both on Horſe-back and foot, and came ſo near, that they were not afraid to attack our Guards we had left with our Goods, and to attempt to rob us. But when they found reſiſtance, and heard ſeveral of our Guns diſcharged on our ſide, they were frighted (for Guns were unknown to them) to that Degree, that they turned their Backs and run away as hard as they could drive. At laſt we attempted to draw out the Ship together with ſome ſmall Goods that were ſtill left in it, which ſucceeded very well, for when we hoiſted our Sails and drew them on, and wrought with all our might and ſtrength, it yielded by Degrees, ſo that at length we got it quite off, and brought it a-ſhoar. The loſs of their Merchandices, although it was but ſmall in quantity, yet it was very great in their Silk, Stuffs of Damaſco, Soap, Sugar, Roots of Zarneb Melchi, which is good for the Pain in the Back, as is here before mentioned, Figs and Corn, which ſuffered very much; wherefore they begged of us, that we would be pleaſed to ſtay with them, until they had dried their Goods and mended their Ship, ſo that they might go along with us more ſafely through theſe Deſarts, which we granted them readily. During this our Stay, when we were helping them, it fell out that I and one of my Comrades were falſly accuſed by ſome Jews, before ſome of their Religious Men, that we were often fudling with the Maſter of the Ship, which the Jew did on purpoſe, to make us Out-landiſh Men hated among them (for they do according to their Law not eaſily admit of drinking of Wine) and to diſparage us; and this his Intention did ſucceed ſo well that when their Clergymen did underſtand it, they became very angry with us, took our Veſſel of Wine, flung it into the River, and drew it upon the Land where they let it run out, which did not well pleaſe the Souldiers and others, wherefore they took our part, and did give the Jew for it a very ſevere Reprimand. But as no good Deed remaineth unrewarded, and no ill one unpuniſhed, ſo it happened here; for the chiefeſt of them (which was a Moor and of the Order of the Dervis) was the next Day puniſhed ſeverely, for a frivolous Cauſe, whereof I unadviſedly was the occaſion. While our Goods were yet on ſhoar I got towards Night upon the Balls to ſtand Centinel, it being my turn; ſo when I ſaw one with a Mug full of Water, I deſired him to give me ſome to drink, which he was willing to do, and reached me the Mug, I going to take it, trod by chance upon a Fiddle of one of the Turks and broke it: Although he had had great occaſion to be angry with me for this, yet (underſtanding that I had GiueGive enough to mend it) he was preſently quieted and well contented. The next Morning we ſat together and mended the Fiddle as well as we could; when the Dervis ſaw us buſy about the Fiddle, he was very angry that we did not help to ſpread out the Merchandices, which we had done already before we began; ſo he took the Fiddle, broke it and flung it into the River; then he came back, and pretended to bang us, thinking to have the ſame Succeſs with this as he had with the Wine. But the Turk ſeeing this, took up a good Cudgel that was thrown up by the River, and ſtruck him ſeveral times over his Head and Limbs, that the Blood ran down his Ears and Face, and at length he grew ſo angry that he went to draw his Scymeter, but before he could, we ſtept in between them, got them aſunder, mitigated the buſineſs and appeaſed them. So this Saint of theirs looked very diſmal in his long and lank black Hair, and had beſides on his Body here and there ſeveral Scars, viz. on his Head and Breaſt, and above all upon his Arms, which he had cut or burnt himſelf, which is uſual to that Order, and other Turks to do; which ſet often on their Fleſh burning and red glowing Spangs, or inſtead of them Linen Rags, about an Inch thick twiſted very hard together, broad below, and pointed on the top, tapering juſt like unto a Pyramid, which they ſet on Fire, and let it burn out with a great deal of Patience upon their bare Skin, ſo long until it is quite conſumed and brought to Aſhes, then they tie it up with Cotton; they alſo do the ſame ſometimes in Rheums of the Head and Eyes, &c. to dry them up, or to turn them, and to draw them into another place. So I have ſeen ſeveral which have had at leaſt Twenty Scars about them, but chiefly on their Arms, (whereof-ſome were of the bigneſs of a Shilling) beſides Wounds and Scratches they had. But from whence they received this inhumane way (to wound and torment themſelves) I do not know, except they had it anciently from the Prieſts of Baal, which uſed to wound themſelves with Knives and Lances (as we read in the 18th. Chapter of the 3d▪ of the Kings) until the Blood followed. Theſe Holy Scars and Tokens of their Zeal, I could ſoon ſee and obſerve on this Moor, for according to his Order (which is a very great one) he was to wear no Cloths upon his Body neither Winter nor Summer, only a little Scarf to cover his Privy Members withal: Inſtead of them they put Sheep Skins about them, whereon they lie alſo at Night, and ſo they ſerve them for Cloaths, Bed and Cover. And ſo they pretend by their exteriour Apparel and Behaviour, to great Vertue and Patience, as if they were dead to the World; and to a peculiar Holineſs, in praying, faſting, watching, &c. whereas they are full of Roguery and Knavery, ſo that you ſhall hardly find any like them. With this came alſo ſeveral other Religious Men of ſeveral Orders, which were all in ſeveral diſtinct Habits, as they are in our Country; among them was a very ſtrong, well ſet young Man, of the Order of the Geomaliers as they call it, which are rather Secular than Clergymen, they are generally Tſchelebys, that is Gentlemen and rich Perſons, which take great delight in travelling in their young Days, under pretence of Holineſs, like Pilgrims, at other Peoples Coſts, through ſeveral Countries and Kingdoms, to ſee and learn, and to get Experience. This had only a blue Coat on that covered his Body, tied about with a Saſh and Shooes of Sheeps Skins, ſuch as the Arabians in the Deſarts uſe to wear. There went along with us Two more; whereof one had a great Ring in each Ear, about the thickneſs of a Finger, and ſo heavy that it ſtretched down his ear-laps to his very Shoulders. Theſe are of the Order called the Calendriers, which lead a ſober, and abſtemious Life before People, wherefore they ſeparate themſelves from the People, and walk about like Hermits into Deſarts where-ever they can, to pray there ardently, and to cry out the hours (whereof they have Five every Day) as the Prieſts do from the Steeples, wherefore this Man did ſeparate himſelf as often as he had an Opportunity far from us, that the Beaſts could rather ſee and hear him, than we that were in the Ship. When he had done this, he came to us again, and looked ſo devoutly as if he had been in a Rapture or Ecſtaſie. The other was a Dervis, whereof I have made mention before, which alſo kept to a very ſtrict Order, for he prayed devoutly and ardently, chiefly at Night after Sun ſet, at what time two or three more uſed to come to him, and among them ſometimes ſome of our Merchants; they did ſtand together in a circle, and ſo began to pray (as I heard often) firſt very lowly, then by degrees louder, but when they came to the Leila Hillalla, &c. they were ſo loud, that you might hear them afar of, and then they repeated only theſe Words very often; and every time they repeated them, they turned their Head from one ſide to the other, as if they looked upon one another by turns, to ſhew their great Love one to another, ſo they repeat theſe words very often, and every time quicker and quicker, until they abbreviate them at laſt, and ſay only, Lahu Huhu. By this pratling or jabbering and moving of their Heads, they became at length ſo giddy and weary, that the cold Sweat ran down them. But this their Saint did not pronounce the words of their Prayers with the reſt, but ſtruck on his Breaſt with his Fiſt, upon his Heart, which gave inſtead thereof ſo ſtrange a Tune, as if he had been hallow within, much like unto the Noiſe that a Turky-Cock uſes to make when he is very angry, ſo that it would have frighted any Man, chiefly if he had been alone with him; and he would (with his terrible Face) rather have taken him to be an Apparition than a Man. Theſe above-mentioned Words he repeateth ſo often, and ſo long, until he fainteth away, and falls down, and there he lieth as if he were dead. Then the others cover him, let him lie and go their ways. After he hath lain thus a good while as if he had been raviſhed in his Prayers, or had ſeen a peculiar Viſion, he cometh to himſelf, riſeth and appeareth again. All theſe Saints, although they practiſe their Religion after a peculiar manner, which according to their Opinion, is quite ſurpaſſing that which is preſcribed in their Law, to move the People the ſooner (regarding their ſeverity in living, their great Patience and frequent Ecſtaſies) to believe them, that they under pretence of Piety, may go on in their hoggiſhneſs, uncleanneſs, and robberies (as they do) without any controuling: Yet becauſe their idle Hypocriſie, and great Rogueries do daily appear more plainly, (not without great Damage to the Country) therefore they are no more in ſo great eſteem, nor have ſo much given them as formerly. Concerning their ſtrange way of Praying, (chiefly that of the Moors) their own People have often told me, that becauſe ſuch a Devotee changed his natural Voice given by him God, into an unnatural one, therefore he ought rather to be accounted a Beaſt than a Man, and conſequently much leſs ought to be eſteemed a Divine. Thus much I thought convenient to relate here of their Mendicants that travelled with us, and now I come to my former purpoſe again.
After we had ſpent four Days in drying our Merchandices, and in mending our Ships, we did load them again, and ſo ſet out the next Friday, being the 3d. of September, about Noon. All that Day we ſaw nothing but Buſhes on both ſides of the River, wherein were ſeveral wild Beaſts, but above all wild Boars, till Night, when we came in ſight of a little Village about two or three Miles diſtant, upon the aſcent, on our left Hand, where we landed and ſtayed all Night. In that place I found nothing but a baſtard Camel's Hay, which was like unto the true one, but without any Virtue in it.
The next Day our Navigation proceeded very well, and at Noon we came to a ſtrong Cittadel call'd Galantza, which is ſituated at this ſide of the River, on a Hill belonging to the King of Arabia, with whom the Turkiſh Emperor (as I was informed, and could underſtand, that did not know their Language well) had long and heavy Wars; and could have done him (becauſe he could not follow him through the Deſarts for want of Water and Proviſions) no great hurt, if the King's Eldeſt Son had not put himſelf into this Caſtle, believing that he might be ſecure there from any Aſſault from without, wherein he was mightily miſtaken. For after the Sultan did underſtand that he was there, he was reſolved to take it notwithſtanding all Difficulties. And therefore he ſummoned all his Forces together in the Year 1570. and did Aſſault it in three Places at the ſame time, ſo long and ſo often, until at length he took it by Storm, and ſo he made the King's Son his Priſoner, and carried him to Conſtantinople, where he had (as they ſay) his Head cut off the following Year. This Caſtle (being ſurrounded with ſtrong Walls, and having within a very high and large Tower) is ſtill, according to my Apprehenſion, very ſtrong, but yet it lieth in ruins, and the three open places remain unrepaired. At Night we landed in a ſmall Iſland, which was not inhabited, and in the middle of the River, we did not queſtion but we were there very well ſecured from the Arabians, and yet notwithſtanding, as ſoon as we had ſupp'd and began to go to reſt, ſome of them came creeping along to us, about Midnight, rather to viſit our Goods than us. But becauſe they durſt not venture to go to our Ships, without great danger of being diſcovered by our Watch, they did viſit them that reſted on ſhoar, and had taken ſomething conſiderable from them, if they had not been diſcovered immediately by them, and had retaken from them again, that which they could not ſo readily carry over the River.
The Fifth Day of September, ſome Arabians appeared on ſhoar early in the Morning; by and by we ſaw more at a great Diſtance upon the height, and ſome Squadrons of Horſe of Forty or Fifty ſtrong, ride about, from whence we concluded that the King's Camp was not far off, which proved to be true. For about Noon, after we landed, the King's Youngeſt Son came riding to us, on a high black Horſe, with a Retinue of about Hundred Men, moſt of which had Bows, and long Pikes made of Reed. He was but young, about Twenty Four or Twenty Five Years old, of a browniſh Colour, and had a white Turbant on his Head made of Cotton, one end whereof hung down behind about a Span long, according to their uſual Cuſtom. He had on a long Gown made of ordinary Sheeps Skins with the Wooll on them, which hung down to his Ankles, and ſo had all his Courtiers, which were in their common Dreſs ſo like unto one another, that one could not have diſcerned them, if his had not been edged with ſome Gold Liſts (as we uſe to edge Childrens Coats in our Country) about the Neck and Sleeves, and had not had long Sleeves, whereon were ſome Eſcutcheons to be ſeen. Becauſe Cuſtom is due to the King of Arabia, by reaſon of the Euphrates, therefore this Young Prince came to demand and take it; ſo he went into the River, and rode firſt to the Turkiſh Ship, to ſee what Goods they carried, but finding nothing but Corn therein he did not ſtay long there, but came to ours, his Servants that were on purpoſe ordered for that, helped him ſoon up into it, and placed him in the middle of it on a Bale, but they themſelves went about from one Merchant to another, to viſit their Goods, and did open now and then a Cheſt or a Bale, and took ſome out of them more or leſs, according as they liked them, ſo that it was a great while before they came about from Merchant to Merchant. In the mean while, they brought alſo into the Ship a Young Prince, perhaps two Years old, which one carried before him on Horſe-back after his Father. He had nothing on but only a Cotton Shirt, and Rings about his Neck, Wriſts and Legs, made of fine Arabian Gold. At length his Servants came to me and my Comrades into the Poop of the Ship; but before we began to ſhew them any of our Goods, they ſaw my Gun that was in-laid with Ivory, which they took immediately, to ſhew it to their Maſter, with a great deal of Admiration, being ſuch a one as they had never ſeen in their Life before. The King took it preſently into his Hands, and was mighty well pleaſed with it, and ſaid that it was Outlandiſh-Work made by the Franks (by which Name they call Outlandiſh-Men, French, German, Italian, &c. becauſe they know no Diviſions or Diſtinctions of our Country) ſo we went both to him, and acquainted him that we were lately come from thoſe Countries, with an Intention to go into the Indies. After the King underſtood this, he ſpoke very kindly to us, and bid his Man to leave off and to ſearch no more our Goods, and enquired after ſeveral other things, and at length he told my Comrade that he thought he had ſeen him before: Which was very true; for when my Comrade lived at Halepo, where he had drove the Goldſmith's Trade for a great while, he and others were ſent to the King (who was then at a little diſtance from Halepo) by the Conſul of Venice, to preſent him in his Name, with ſeveral Preſents (whereof ſome were coſtly and rich wrought Cloths) when they came to him, and preſented them to him, he took them with a great deal of Kindneſs, and treated them very honourably, and ſhewed them ſeveral ſorts of Sport, as Jumping, Running, &c. that they might ſee that he had a great many brave and handy Souldiers; and did diſpatch them very generouſly again, and promiſed them (as my Friend told me) all Kindneſſes, chiefly to their Maſters, ſaying, That if they ſhould have occaſion to make uſe of him againſt the Turks, he would faithfully aſſiſt them, and that he did not doubt at all, if they ſhould agree together, but they might go a great way with him in theſe Countries; nay, advance further upon the Turk in a ſhort time, even to Conſtantinople it ſelf. After the before-mentioned Diſcourſe, the King went to his Tents, that were pitched on a Plain by a Hill, within two Miles of us, and took ſome of our Company along with him, to diſcourſe his Father about our Concerns. I would willingly have preſented the King with my Gun (altho' we had to travel through many Deſarts) and perhaps he would have been pleaſed with it, but durſt not do it before the Turkiſh Souldiers, Mendicants and Jews, for I feared, that they would betray it, and accuſe me before the Baſhaw and Cadi's, which ſoon would have made me puniſhable, altho' innocent, as they uſe to do to Strangers; nay, ſometimes thoſe of their own Nation; and beſides, I did remember, that when the King was encamped near Halepo, and ſome of his Men did daily come into the Town, to buy Proviſion, Cloaths and other Things, that then it was ſtrictly forbidden to Sell them any Arms, Bows or Pikes, to take along with them into the Deſarts. After we had ſtaid for our Friends a great while, they came ſo late to us, that we were hindred from going any farther that Day, for it began to be late, and ſo we ſtay'd there all Night. They told us, that the King, after they had told him that we came from Halepo, would not believe them, but thought rather we came from Saphet (which Town is within a Day's Journey of Sidon, which the Sultan had taken from him a little while before) that he might have a Pretence to arreſt us and our Goods; and that he did ſo obſtinately perſiſt in this Opinion, that they did really fear, he would have ſent ſome of his Men with one of us to Halepo, to know the certainty thereof, until they plainly demonſtrated to him by their Letters from whence they came; whereupon he gave them Liberty to go on in their Journey. But I underſtood afterwards, that it was only to preſs ſomething more out of them, as he really did, for they were forced to give him ſome Knives tip'd with Silver that came from Damaſcus, and alſo ſome Damasks.
On the Sixth of September, we were up early, and paſſed between great Wilderneſſes, wherein were abundance of Wild Boars, that appeared ſometimes in great Herds: Theſe Wilderneſſes continued ſo long, that we ſaw nothing elſe the whole Day but Woods, till in the Evening we came to Cala, a Village and Caſtle on this ſide of the River, which is no more but two Days Journey from Halepo, ſituated in a Plain; from whence you may conjecture how crooked the River is hitherto. This Caſtle belongeth to a great Baſhaw, called John Rolandt, and alſo the fine Houſe at Halepo, as is before mentioned. He hath very great Revenues and Sixty Sons: Six or Seven of them are Sangiacks, whereof ſome live at the Sultan's Court. Beyond this Caſtle on the other ſide of the River, we lodged all Night in the Wilderneſs, which continued ſo far, that we ſaw nothing all the next Day long, but only here and there a little Cottage of the Moors, which generally are built upon Four Sticks, and covered with Buſhes: Within them there are ſo many Children, that I have often admired at the Number of them. They run in their firſt Infancy to the River, and learn to ſwim ſo well, that they undertake without any fear to ſwim over the broad River. When we went by, the Moors ſaluted us very often, if the diſtance did not hinder them, and that chiefly to learn of us where about their King was in the Country. For they have ſo great a Reſpect for their King (altho' they are an Idle and Vagabond People) and unanimouſly ſhew him ſuch Obedience, as no other Nation doth to their Superiours; which alſo you may gueſs by this, that if any Outlandiſh Man hath a mind to get ſafely through the Wilderneſs, or to ſee their King, let him but cloath himſelf in their Habit, and take a Moor along with him, to ſhew him the way, and to be his Interpreter, they will readily tell him the way to go to him; or when they ſee that he hath one of their own Nation with him, they let him paſs without any Moleſtation or Examination. So that thoſe that are Slaves on the Confines of Arabia, might eaſily free themſelves without any trouble or danger. Their Wives did alſo often come to us, and brought us Milk in great flat Diſhes, which they ſhewed us at a diſtance to ſell; wherefore we did land ſometimes, and received it, and gave them Biskets for it, for they have great want of Corn, ſo that this interchanging pleaſed us both. We uſed to break Biskets into this Milk, and ſo to eat it for Dinner or Supper, and ſometimes if it was too thick (or rather too little of it, that it might go the farther) we uſed to temper or mix it with Water. They have alſo ſometimes put it into oblong Linen-Sacks, which it did hardly penetrate, and let it hang in the Ship for two or three Days, until it did curdle, and came to be in Curds, and ſo it uſed to ſerve us with Biskets and Onions for Breakfaſt or for Supper. When we did land and had time to ſpare, I uſed to look about me for ſome ſtrange Plants, and among the reſt, I found a peculiar Schoenanthum, which was very like in Figure unto the true one, but had not its Virtues, and the firſt kind of Rhannus of Carolus Cluſius, with fat Leaves like unto Houſleeke. I found alſo Goats Rue, and a ſtrange ſort of Willows, which ſtill are called by the Inhabitants by their old Name Garb. There alſo were abundance of Tamarisks; they were as big and high as our Cherry or Plum Trees, wherefore theſe Trees are diſcerned ſoon at a diſtance by their height; they have very tender Leaves, and long purple coloured tops, as you ſee in the ſecond kind of our Tamarisks, ſo that between them and ours, there is no great Matter of Difference, but only in Bigneſs, and Fruit, whereof I found none at that time. The Moors feed their Cattle, for the moſt part, with thoſe Buſhes that grow at the River ſide, for in the Wilderneſs and Deſarts (where the Ground is very ſandy, lean and barren) there is but little Graſs or tilled Ground, which occaſioneth the great Scarcity of Bread among them, ſo that often they ſee none in a great while, and are forced to eat their other food, as Fiſh, Fleſh, Cheeſe and Milk (which they take from Goats, Sheep, Camels, &c.) without Bread; ſo that theſe poor People make a ſhift with a mean Diet, and yet they are ſtrong and in good Health, and live to a good Age. At Night before it was dark, I ſaw another Fortification, at the other ſide in Meſopotamia, on a high Hill called Jabar, belonging to the King of Arabia, which is very large, and hath ſeveral Towers in the Wall, ſo that as far as I could ſee, it was very like to that of Halepo. We ſtay'd all Night on this ſide of it, in an Iſland, where we had been robb'd again, If we had not kept a good Watch, ſo as to perceive the Thieves, and to let off ſeveral Guns: Yet this we did not to hurt, but only to frighten them; for if we ſhould have kill'd or wounded any of them, they would have fetch'd immediately, ſome (according as they are in ſtrength) it may be, Thouſand together, to revenge their Friend, to fall upon us, to beat us, and to plunder us (whereof they are very eager) and to take all we had. The ſame happened to us the next Day in another uninhabited Iſland of the River, where we would dreſs no Victuals that Night, that they might not ſpy us by our Fire, to find us out and to fall upon us. For when we expected to keep our ſelves thus quiet, and to reſt in good Tranquility, they did not miſs us, but came to us in a greater Body than before, and that ſo near, that we could not only hear them, but they began to talk with us. But when we ſaw that they were in earneſt, we rouzed up our ſelves, and got into Order, and ſpoke big to them, and bid them to offer no Violence to us, for if they did, they would find greater Reſiſtance than they expected. But when we ſaw that this our Exhortation would do no good, we were forced again to have recourſe to our Guns, whereof we had but three, which we let go off, which frightened them in ſuch a manner (for they are not uſed to them) that they ran away, and left us in quietneſs. But it is no wonder that the Arabians are ſo reſtleſs, for they are full of Want and Nakedneſs, have not to fill their Belly, nor to cover their Body withal; beſides; they have nothing elſe to do, and are uſed to idleneſs from their very Infancy, and then becauſe they hate to Work, they are forced to wander like Vagabonds from one place to another. And (if they will maintain themſelves and theirs) to ſeek their livelihood from thoſe that travel through their Country. So ſeveral times there came two, three, or four together, ſwimming through the River, were it never ſo broad or deep, to our Ship, whereof ſome were black, and ſome brown, which came as naked into our Ship as ever they were born into the World, to beg a piece of Bread; to each of them we gave as much as would content them, ſo they went ſometimes for a whole League along with us; and when they had eaten the Bread, and thanked us, they jumped into the River again and ſwam away. Beſides theſe we ſaw daily as we went along many more, ſwim over the River, which commonly had ſome Bucks Skins blown up, whereon they tried to get over the eaſier (for the River is ſo broad, that it is not eaſy to make a Bridge over it, neither did I find any.) They take their Shirts (for beſides them they wear no other Cloaths) tie them with their leathern Girdles about their Heads, and therein ſtick their Daggers (which are pretty broad and bended like unto a Scythe) which hang down by their Temples.
The Ninth Day our Voyage went on again chearily, and we came pretty near to the Town Racka, (which belongeth to the Turkiſh Emperour) but it did not continue ſo long, for before we had Dined and eaten a few Fruit, viz. Cibels, Anguries and Indian Musk-Melons, to refreſh our ſelves in the great Heat, we incurred greater Danger again than that we were in before, for our Ship (which was a great deal bigger than either of the other two) did ſtrike upon the Sand ſo ſeverely, that we could not bring her off again without the aſſiſtance of others, (as we had done ſeveral times before) nor bring her into the right way again. So we were forced to deſire the Arabians our Antagoniſts, which ſtood and looked upon us, rather rejoicing in our Misfortunes, than pitying us, to aſſiſt us, which at length we did obtain, and ſo they came to help us: But becauſe they had their Daggers, and great Cudgels, which they uſe to wear with them, we durſt not truſt them, but were forced to leave a ſmall Guard in the Ship, but the reſt of us helped them with all our Force and Strength, but we could not ſtir her, ſo that they went away twice and left us. At laſt we concluded, that we had no better way, than to unload our Ships, yet we durſt not do it for fear of the Arabians, nor venture our Merchandices; ſo we reſolved to draw her out another way, wherefore we deſired the Arabians a third time, to aſſiſt us, and if they were in earneſt to help us, we begged of them to lay down their Arms, which at length, upon our promiſing them a good Reward, they did. When they came we took alſo our Guard to our Aſſiſtance, ſet all hands at work, and with hard Labour we brought it at length into the right Stream again, ſo we paid the Arabians, and went on, and came that ſame Night to Racka.