a voyage to abyssinia-第4部分

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espairing；　therefore；　that　I　should　ever　come　this　way　to　Abyssinia；　I　resolved　to　return　back　with　my　intelligence　to　my　companion；　whom　I　had　left　at　Pate。

I　cannot；　however；　leave　this　country　without　giving　an　account　of　their　manner　of　blood…letting；　which　I　was　led　to　the　knowledge　of　by　a　violent　fever；　which　threatened　to　put　an　end　to　my　life　and　travels　together。　　The　distress　I　was　in　may　easily　be　imagined；　being　entirely　destitute　of　everything　necessary。　　I　had　resolved　to　let　myself　blood；　though　I　was　altogether　a　stranger　to　the　manner　of　doing　it；　and　had　no　lancet；　but　my　companions　hearing　of　a　surgeon　of　reputation　in　the　place；　went　and　brought　him。　　I　saw；　with　the　utmost　surprise；　an　old　Moor　enter　my　chamber；　with　a　kind　of　small　dagger；　all　over　rusty；　and　a　mallet　in　his　hand；　and　three　cups　of　horn　about　half　a　foot　long。　　I　started；　and　asked　what　he　wanted。　　He　told　me　to　bleed　me；　and　when　I　had　given　him　leave；　uncovering　my　side；　applied　one　of　his　horn　cups；　which　he　stopped　with　chewed　paper；　and　by　that　means　made　it　stick　fast；　in　the　same　manner　he　fixed　on　the　other　two；　and　fell　to　sharpening　his　instrument；　assuring　me　that　he　would　give　me　no　pain。　　He　then　took　off　his　cups；　and　gave　in　each　place　a　stroke　with　his　poignard；　which　was　followed　by　a　stream　of　blood。　　He　applied　his　cups　several　times；　and　every　time　struck　his　lancet　into　the　same　place；　having　drawn　away　a　large　quantity　of　blood；　he　healed　the　orifices　with　three　lumps　of　tallow。　　I　know　not　whether　to　attribute　my　cure　to　bleeding　or　my　fear；　but　I　had　from　that　time　no　return　of　my　fever。

When　I　came　to　Pate；　in　hopes　of　meeting　with　my　associate；　I　found　that　he　was　gone　to　Mombaza；　in　hopes　of　receiving　information。　　He　was　sooner　undeceived　than　I；　and　we　met　at　the　place　where　we　parted　in　a　few　days；　and　soon　afterwards　left　Pate　to　return　to　the　Indies；　and　in　nine…and…twenty　days　arrived　at　the　famous　fortress　of　Diou。　　We　were　told　at　this　place　that　Alfonso　Mendes；　patriarch　of　Aethiopia；　was　arrived　at　Goa　from　Lisbon。　　He　wrote　to　us　to　desire　that　we　would　wait　for　him　at　Diou；　in　order　to　embark　there　for　the　Red　Sea；　but　being　informed　by　us　that　no　opportunities　of　going　thither　were　to　be　expected　at　Diou；　it　was　at　length　determined　that　we　should　meet　at　Bazaim；　it　was　no　easy　matter　for　me　to　find　means　of　going　to　Bazaim。　　However；　after　a　very　uneasy　voyage；　in　which　we　were　often　in　danger　of　being　dashed　against　the　rocks；　or　thrown　upon　the　sands　by　the　rapidity　of　the　current；　and　suffered　the　utmost　distress　for　want　of　water；　I　landed　at　Daman；　a　place　about　twenty　leagues　distant　from　Bazaim。　　Here　I　hire　a　catre　and　four　boys　to　carry　me　to　Bazaim：　　these　catres　are　a　kind　of　travelling　couches；　in　which　you　may　either　lie　or　sit；　which　the　boys；　whose　business　is　the　same　with　that　of　chairmen　in　our　country；　support　upon　their　shoulders　by　two　poles；　and　carry　a　passenger　at　the　rate　of　eighteen　or　twenty　miles　a　day。　　Here　we　at　length　found　the　patriarch；　with　three　more　priests；　like　us；　designed　for　the　mission　of　Aethiopia。　　We　went　back　to　Daman；　and　from　thence　to　Diou；　where　we　arrived　in　a　short　time。



Chapter　III



The　author　embarks　with　the　patriarch；　narrowly　escapes　shipwreck　near　the　isle　of　Socotora；　enters　the　Arabian　Gulf；　and　the　Red　Sea。　Some　account　of　the　coast　of　the　Red　Sea。


The　patriarch　having　met　with　many　obstacles　and　disappointments　in　his　return　to　Abyssinia；　grew　impatient　of　being　so　long　absent　from　his　church。　　Lopo　Gomez　d'Abreu　had　made　him　an　offer　at　Bazaim　of　fitting　out　three　ships　at　his　own　expense；　provided　a　commission　could　be　procured　him　to　cruise　in　the　Red　Sea。　　This　proposal　was　accepted　by　the　patriarch；　and　a　commission　granted　by　the　viceroy。　While　we　were　at　Diou；　waiting　for　these　vessels；　we　received　advice　from　Aethiopia　that　the　emperor；　unwilling　to　expose　the　patriarch　to　any　hazard；　thought　Dagher；　a　port　in　the　mouth　of　the　Red　Sea；　belonging　to　a　prince　dependent　on　the　Abyssins；　a　place　of　the　greatest　security　to　land　at；　having　already　written　to　that　prince　to　give　him　safe　passage　through　his　dominions。　　We　met　here　with　new　delays；　the　fleet　that　was　to　transport　us　did　not　appear；　the　patriarch　lost　all　patience；　and　his　zeal　so　much　affected　the　commander　at　Diou；　that　he　undertook　to　equip　a　vessel　for　us；　and　pushed　the　work　forward　with　the　utmost　diligence。　　At　length；　the　long…expected　ships　entered　the　port；　we　were　overjoyed；　we　were　transported；　and　prepared　to　go　on　board。　　Many　persons　at　Diou；　seeing　the　vessels　so　well　fitted　out；　desired　leave　to　go　this　voyage　along　with　us；　imagining　they　had　an　excellent　opportunity　of　acquiring　both　wealth　and　honour。　　We　committed；　however；　one　great　error　in　setting　out；　for　having　equipped　our　ships　for　privateering；　and　taken　no　merchandise　on　board；　we　could　not　touch　at　any　of　the　ports　of　the　Red　Sea。　　The　patriarch；　impatient　to　be　gone；　took　leave　in　the　most　tender　manner　of　the　governor　and　his　other　friends；　recommended　our　voyage　to　the　Blessed　Virgin；　and　in　the　field；　before　we　went　on　shipboard；　made　a　short　exhortation；　so　moving　and　pathetic；　that　it　touched　the　hearts　of　all　who　heard　it。　In　the　evening　we　went　on　board；　and　early　the　next　morning　being　the　3rd　of　April；　1625；　we　set　sail。

After　some　days　we　discovered　about　noon　the　island　Socotora；　where　we　proposed　to　touch。　　The　sky　was　bright　and　the　wind　fair；　nor　had　we　the　least　apprehension　of　the　danger　into　which　we　were　falling；　but　with　the　utmost　carelessness　and　jollity　held　on　our　course。　　At　night；　when　our　sailors；　especially　the　Moors；　were　in　a　profound　sleep　（for　the　Mohammedans；　believing　everything　forewritten　in　the　decrees　of　God；　and　not　alterable　by　any　human　means；　resign　themselves　entirely　to　Providence）；　our　vessel　ran　aground　upon　a　sand　bank　at　the　entrance　of　the　harbour。　　We　got　her　off　with　the　utmost　difficulty；　and　nothing　but　a　miracle　could　have　preserved　us。　　We　ran　along　afterwards　by　the　side　of　the　island；　but　were　entertained　with　no　other　prospect　than　of　a　mountainous　country；　and　of　rocks　that　jutted　out　over　the　sea；　and　seemed　ready　to　fall　into　it。　　In　the　afternoon；　putting　into　the　most　convenient　ports　of　the　island；　we　came　to　anchor；　very　much　to　the　amazement　and　terror　of　the　inhabitants；　who　were　not　used　to　see　any　Portuguese　ships　upon　their　coasts；　and　were　therefore　under　a　great　consternation　at　finding　them　even　in　their　ports。　　Some　ran　for　security　to　the　mountains；　others　took　up　arms　to　oppose　our　landing；　but　were　soon　reconciled　to　us；　and　brought　us　fowls；　fish；　and　sheep；　in　exchange　for　India　calicoes；　on　which　they　set　a　great　value。　　We　left　this　island　early　the　next　morning；　and　soon　came　in　sight　of　Cape　Gardafui；　so　celebrated　heretofore　under　the　name　of　the　Cape　of　Spices；　either　because　great　quantities　were　then　found　there；　or　from　its　neighbourhood　to　Arabia　the　Happy；　even　at　this　day　famous　for　its　fragrant　products。　　It　is　properly　at　this　cape　（the　most　eastern　part　of　Africa）　that　the　Gulf　of　Arabia　begins；　which　at　Babelmandel　loses　its　name；　and　is　called　the　Red　Sea。　Here；　though　the　weather　was　calm；　we　found　the　sea　so　rough；　that　we　were　tossed　as　in　a　high　wind　for　two　nights；　whether　this　violent　agitation　of　the　water　proceeded　from　the　narrowness　of　the　strait；　or　from　the　fury　of　the　late　storm；　I　know　not；　whatever　was　the　cause；　we　suffered　all　the　hardships　of　a　tempest。　　We　continued　our　course　towards　the　Red　Sea；　meeting　with　nothing　in　our　passage　but　a　gelve；　or　kind　of　boat；　made　of　thin　boards；　sewed　together；　with　no　other　sail　than　a　mat。　　We　gave　her　chase；　in　hopes　of　being　informed　by　the　crew　whether　there　were　any　Arabian　vessels　at　the　mouth　of　the　strait；　but　the　Moors；　who　all　entertain　dismal　apprehensions　of　the　Franks；　plied　their　oars　and　sail　with　the　utmost　diligence；　and　as　soon　as　they　reached　land；　quitted　their　boat；　and　scoured　to　the　mountains。　　We　saw　them　make　signals　from　thence；　and　imagining　they　would　come　to　a　parley；　sent　out　our　boat　with　two　sailors　and　an　Abyssin；　putting　the　ships　off　from　the　shore；　to　set　them　free　from　any　suspicion　of　danger　in　coming　down。　All　this　was　to　no　purpose；　they　could　not　be　drawn　from　the　mountain；　and　our　men　had　orders　not　to　go　on　shore；　so　they　were　obliged　to　return　without　information。　　Soon　after　we　discovered　the　isle　of　Babelmandel；　which　gives　name　to　the　strait　so　called；　and　parts　the　sea　that　surrounds　it　into　two　channels；　that　on　the　side　of　Arabia　is　not　above　a　quarter　of　a　league　in　breadth；　and　through　this　pass　almost　all　the　vessels　that　trade　to　or　from　the　Red　Sea。　The　other；　on　the　side　of　Aethiopia；　though　much　larger；　is　more　dangerous；　by　reason　of　the　shallows；　which　make　it　necessary　for　a　ship；　though　of　no　great　burthen；　to　pass　very　near　the　island；　where　the　channel　is　deeper　and　less　embarrassed。　　This　passage　is　never　made　use　of　but　by　those　who　would　avoid　meeting　with　the　Turks　who　are　stationed　on　the　coast　of　Arabia；　it　was　for　this　reason　that　we　chose　it。　　We　passed　it　in　the　night；　and　entered　that　sea；　so　renowned　on　many　accounts　in　history；　both　sacred　and　profane。

In　our　description　of　this　famous　sea；　an　account　of　which　may　justly　be　expected　in　this　place；　it　is　most　convenient　to　begin　with　the　coast　of　Arabia；　on　which　part　at　twelve　leagues　from　the　mouth　stands　the　city　of　Moca；　a　place　of　considerable　trade。　　Forty　leagues　farther　is　the　Isle　of　Camaram；　whose　inhabitants　are　annoyed　with　little　serpents；　which　they　call　basilisks；　which；　though　very　poisonous　and　deadly；　do　not；　as　the　ancients　have　told　us；　kill　with　their　eyes；　or　if　they　have　so　fatal　a　power；　it　is　not　at　least　in　this　place。　　Sailing　ninety　leagues　farther；　you　see　the　noted　port　of　Jodda；　where　the　pilgrims　that　go　to　Mecca　and　Medina　unlade　those　rich　presents　which　the　zeal　of　different　princes　is　every　day　accumulating　at　the　tomb　of　Mahomet。　　The　commerce　of　this　place；　and　the　number　of　merchants　that　resort　thither　from　all　parts　of　the　world；　are　above　description；　and　so　richly　laden　are　the　ships　that　come　hither；　that　when　the　Indians　would　express　a　thing　of　inestimable