been in Genoa and in Venice, and gave me proofs of it. When I heard this, I told him that I was a Roman, and that I had become a Mameluke at Cairo. When he heard this he was much pleased, and treated me with very great honour, and as it was my intention to proceed further, I began to say to him, if this was the city of Mecca which was so renowned through all the world, where were the jewels and spices, and where were all the various kinds of merchandize which it was reported were brought there. I asked him this only that he might tell me why they had not arrived as usual, and in order not to ask him if the king of Portugal was the cause, he being Lord of the Mare Oceano [the Atlantic] and of the Persian and Arabian Gulfs. Then he began to tell me by degrees why the said articles had not come as they were accustomed to do. And when he told me that the king of Portugal was the cause, I pretended to be much grieved, and spoke great ill of the said king, merely that he might not think that I was pleased that the Christians should make such a journey. When he saw that I displayed hostility to the Christians, he showed me yet greater honour, and told me everything point by point. And when I was well informed, I said to him: "O, my friend, I beg you, Menahamena lhabi,2 to tell me some mode or way by which I may escape from the caravan, because my intention is to go to find those beings who are hostile to the Christians; for I assure you that, if they knew what I am capable of, they would send to find me even to Mecca." He answered me: "By" the faith of our prophet what can you do?" I answered him that I was the most skilful maker of large mortars in the world. Hearing this he said: "Mahomet be ever

1 According to the Kurrat el-Ayûn, a manuscript History of Yemen in my possession, the Portuguese had seized seven native ships between India and the Persian Gulf, and massacred their crews, prior to Varthema's visit to Meccah. See note on p. 61.

2 Probably atmäannak min en-Nabi, I beseech you from (or, for the sake of,) the Prophet.

praised, who has sent us such a man to serve the Moors and God." So he concealed me in his house with his wife. And he begged me that I would induce our captain to drive out from Mecca fifteen camels laden with spices, and this he did in order not to pay thirty seraphim to the Sultan for the toll. I replied that if he would save me in this house, I would enable him to carry off a hundred camels if he had so many, for the Mamelukes have this privilege. And when he heard this he was much pleased. Afterwards, he in

structed me in the manner in which I should conduct myself, and directed me to a king who is in the parts of India Major, and who is called the king of Deccan. When the time comes we will speak of that king. The day before the caravan set out he concealed me in his house in a secret place. In the morning, two hours before day, there went through the city a great quantity of instruments and trumpets, sounding according to their custom, and making proclamation that all the Mamelukes, under pain of death, should mount their horses and commence their journey towards Syria. Whereupon, my heart was seized with a great perturbation when I heard this proclamation, and I earnestly recommended myself with tears to the wife of the said merchant, and besought God that he would save me from such violence. On Tuesday morning the said caravan departed, and the merchant left me in his house with his wife; and he went with the caravan, and told his wife, that on the following Friday, she must send me away in company with the caravan of India which was going to Zida, which is a port of Mecca, forty miles distant. I cannot express the kindness I received from this lady, and especially from her niece of fifteen years old, they promising me that, if I would remain there, they would make me rich. But I declined all their offers on account of the present danger. When Friday came, I set out with the caravan at noon, to the no small regret of the said ladies, who made great lamentations,

and at midnight we arrived at a certain city of Arabia, and remained there all night and until noon of the following day. On Saturday we departed and travelled until midnight, when we entered into the said port of the city of Zida.

THE CHAPTER CONCERNING ZIDA,1 THE PORT OF MECCA, AND OF THE RED SEA.

This city is not surrounded by walls, but by very beautiful houses, as is the custom in Italy; we will, therefore, not dwell long on a description of it. It is a city of very extensive traffic, because a great number of the pagan people come here; the reason being that neither Christians nor Jews are admitted. When I had arrived at the said city I immediately entered into a mosque, that is, a temple, where there were at least 25,000 poor people, and I hid myself in a corner of the said temple, and remained there for fourteen days. All day long I remained stretched upon the ground covered up with my garments, and keeping up a constant groaning

1 Jiddah, or, more correctly, Juddah.

2 The present wall which surrounds Juddah on the land side was built by El-Ashraf Kansooh El-Ghôree, the Mameluke Sultan of Egypt, a.н. 917, or thirteen years after the date of Varthema's visit. The town is superior to any in the Hijâz: the houses are well built of stone and madrepore, and consist generally of two stories.

3 The rule which excluded all but Muhammedans from Juddah has been practically rescinded within the last half century, and there are now several Christian merchants, chiefly Greeks, resident in the town. Niebuhr experienced greater civility there than in Egypt, but he was warned against approaching the gate leading to Meccah. At the period of Burckhardt's visit there were no Christians settled in Juddah, but a few Greeks from the islands of the Archipelago brought merchandize to the market from Egypt. He says: "In the time of the Sherîfs they were much restricted, compelled to wear a particular dress, and prohibited from approaching the Meccah gate; but the Turks, having become masters of the Hijâz, abolished these restrictions, and a Christian now enjoys complete liberty there."

as though I were suffering intense pain in my stomach and body. The merchants said: "Who is that who is lamenting so?" The poor people who were near me said: "It is a poor Moor, who is dying." Every evening when night came I quitted the mosque and went to buy food. I leave you to judge whether or no I had an appetite, eating only once a day, and that very badly. This city is governed by the lord of Cairo. The lord of it is one who is a brother of Barachet, that is, of the Sultan of Mecca.1 They are subject to the Grand Sultan of Cairo. There does not occur to me much to say here, for they are Moors. The land does not produce one single thing, and there is a great scarcity of water, that is to say, of fresh water. The sea beats against the walls of the houses. All sorts of necessaries are found here, but they come from Cairo, from Arabia Felix, and from other places. In this city there are always a great number of sick people, and they say that this is in consequence of the bad air of the place. It contains about five hundred families. At the end of fourteen days I made an agreement

1 This is another striking proof of Varthema's general correctness. The patronymic of the ruling Sherîf of Meccah at the time was Barakât, of which family several notices, collected from Arabian historians, have already been given in the Introduction.

2 With the exception of a few palm-trees near one of the mosques there is no vegetation of any kind in Juddah, and the country beyond is a barren desert. Rain water is carefully preserved in cisterns, with which many of the houses are provided; but most of that used for drinking is drawn from wells about one mile and a half distant on the southern side. Water, indeed, may be found everywhere in the vicinity at a depth of a few feet from the surface, but it is so brackish as scarcely to be drinkable.

3 Only to a very small extent now, and that at high water, or, more correctly, according to the winds, by which the tides in the harbour are greatly influenced. This circumstance seems to corroborate Niebuhr's opinion that the sea had gradually receded from the town: the combined result, perhaps, of growing coral-reefs and silt. Voyage en Arabie, vol. i. p. 222. 4 The population is much larger now. Ali Bey estimated it at 5,000, which was probably an exaggeration. Burton, on the authority of Mr. Cole, H.M. late vice-consul at Jiddah, states it to be 2,500, but thinks that figure too low.

with the master of a vessel which was going towards Persia, for in the said port there were about one hundred ships great and small. Three days afterwards we set sail, and began to navigate the Red Sea.

THE CHAPTER SHOWING WHY THE RED SEA IS NOT

NAVIGABLE.

It will be understood that this sea is not red, but that the water is like that of any other sea. In this sea we sailed one day until the setting of the sun, because it is not possible to navigate it during the night time. And every day they proceeded in this manner until they arrived at an island called Chameram.1 After this island you can proceed in safety. The reason why it is not possible to sail during night is, that there are many islands and many rocks, and it is necessary that a man should always be stationed on the top of the mast of the ship in order to see the route, which cannot be done during the night-time, and therefore they can only navigate during the day.2

3 Camrân, generally written Camaran.

The same precautions are still taken to avoid the numerous coralreefs, sunken rocks, and dangerous patches, which exist between Leet, about ninety miles to the south of Juddah, and the island of Camrân. The navigation below the latter place is much more easy.