a voyage to abyssinia-第5部分

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hly　laden　are　the　ships　that　come　hither；　that　when　the　Indians　would　express　a　thing　of　inestimable　price；　they　say；　〃It　is　of　greater　value　than　a　ship　of　Jodda。〃　　An　hundred　and　eighteen　leagues　from　thence　lies　Toro；　and　near　it　the　ruins　of　an　ancient　monastery。　　This　is　the　place；　if　the　report　of　the　inhabitants　deserves　any　credit；　where　the　Israelites　miraculously　passed　through　the　Red　Sea　on　dry　land；　and　there　is　some　reason　for　imagining　the　tradition　not　ill　grounded；　for　the　sea　is　here　only　three　leagues　in　breadth。　　All　the　ground　about　Toro　is　barren　for　want　of　water；　which　is　only　to　be　found　at　a　considerable　distance；　in　one　fountain；　which　flows　out　of　the　neighbouring　mountains；　at　the　foot　of　which　there　are　still　twelve　palm…trees。　　Near　Toro　are　several　wells；　which；　as　the　Arabs　tell　us；　were　dug　by　the　order　of　Moses　to　quiet　the　clamours　of　the　thirsty　Israelites。　　Suez　lies　in　the　bottom　of　the　Gulf；　three　leagues　from　Toro；　once　a　place　of　note；　now　reduced；　under　the　Turks；　to　an　inconsiderable　village；　where　the　miserable　inhabitants　are　forced　to　fetch　water　at　three　leagues'　distance。　　The　ancient　Kings　of　Egypt　conveyed　the　waters　of　the　Nile　to　this　place　by　an　artificial　canal；　now　so　choked　with　sand；　that　there　are　scarce　any　marks　remaining　of　so　noble　and　beneficial　a　work。

The　first　place　to　be　met　with　in　travelling　along　the　coast　of　Africa　is　Rondelo；　situate　over　against　Toro；　and　celebrated　for　the　same　miraculous　passage。　　Forty…five　leagues　from　thence　is　Cocir。　Here　ends　that　long　chain　of　mountains　that　reaches　from　this　place　even　to　the　entrance　of　the　Red　Sea。　　In　this　prodigious　ridge；　which　extends　three　hundred　leagues；　sometimes　approaching　near　the　sea；　and　sometimes　running　far　up　into　the　land；　there　is　only　one　opening；　through　which　all　that　merchandise　is　conveyed；　which　is　embarked　at　Rifa；　and　from　thence　distributed　through　all　the　east。　These　mountains；　as　they　are　uncultivated；　are　in　some　parts　shaded　with　large　forests；　and　in　others　dry　and　bare。　　As　they　are　exceedingly　high；　all　the　seasons　may　be　here　found　together；　when　the　storms　of　winter　beat　on　one　side；　on　the　other　is　often　a　serene　sky　and　a　bright　sunshine。　　The　Nile　runs　here　so　near　the　shore　that　it　might　without　much　difficulty　be　turned　through　this　opening　of　the　mountains　into　the　Red　Sea；　a　design　which　many　of　the　Emperors　have　thought　of　putting　in　execution；　and　thereby　making　a　communication　between　the　Red　Sea　and　the　Mediterranean；　but　have　been　discouraged　either　by　the　greatness　of　the　expense　or　the　fear　of　laying　great　part　of　Egypt　under　water；　for　some　of　that　country　lies　lower　than　sea。

Distant　from　Rondelo　a　hundred　and　thirty　leagues　is　the　Isle　of　Suaquem；　where　the　Bassa　of　that　country　chooses　his　residence；　for　the　convenience　of　receiving　the　tribute　with　greater　exactness；　there　being　a　large　trade　carried　on　here　with　the　Abyssins。　　The　Turks　of　Suaquem　have　gardens　on　the　firm　land；　not　above　a　musket　shot　from　the　island；　which　supply　them　with　many　excellent　herbs　and　fruits；　of　which　I　doubt　whether　there　be　not　a　greater　quantity　on　this　little　spot　than　on　the　whole　coast　of　Africa　besides；　from　Melinda　to　Suez。　　For　if　we　except　the　dates　which　grow　between　Suez　and　Suaquem；　the　ground　does　not　yield　the　least　product；　all　the　necessaries　of　life；　even　water；　is　wanting。　　Nothing　can　support　itself　in　this　region　of　barrenness　but　ostriches；　which　devour　stones；　or　anything　they　meet　with；　they　lay　a　great　number　of　eggs；　part　of　which　they　break　to　feed　their　young　with。　　These　fowls；　of　which　I　have　seen　many；　are　very　tame；　and　when　they　are　pursued；　stretch　out　their　wings；　and　run　with　amazing　swiftness。　　As　they　have　cloven　feet；　they　sometimes　strike　up　the　stones　when　they　run；　which　gave　occasion　to　the　notion　that　they　threw　stones　at　the　hunters；　a　relation　equally　to　be　credited　with　those　of　their　eating　fire　and　digesting　iron。　　Those　feathers　which　are　so　much　valued　grow　under　their　wings：　　the　shell　of　their　eggs　powdered　is　an　excellent　remedy　for　sore　eyes。

The　burning　wind　spoken　of　in　the　sacred　writings；　I　take　to　be　that　which　the　natives　term　arur；　and　the　Arabs　uri；　which　blowing　in　the　spring；　brings　with　it　so　excessive　a　heat；　that　the　whole　country　seems　a　burning　oven；　so　that　there　is　no　travelling　here　in　this　dreadful　season；　nor　is　this　the　only　danger　to　which　the　unhappy　passenger　is　exposed　in　these　uncomfortable　regions。　　There　blows　in　the　months　of　June；　July；　and　August；　another　wind；　which　raises　mountains　of　sand　and　carries　them　through　the　air；　all　that　can　be　done　in　this　case　is　when　a　cloud　of　sand　rises；　to　mark　where　it　is　likely　to　fall；　and　to　retire　as　far　off　as　possible；　but　it　is　very　usual　for　men　to　be　taken　unexpectedly；　and　smothered　in　the　dust。　One　day　I　found　the　body　of　a　Christian；　whom　I　knew；　upon　the　sand；　he　had　doubtless　been　choked　by　these　winds。　　I　recommended　his　soul　to　the　divine　mercy　and　buried　him。　　He　seemed　to　have　been　some　time　dead；　yet　the　body　had　no　ill　smell。　　These　winds　are　most　destructive　in　Arabia　the　Desert。



Chapter　IV



The　author's　conjecture　on　the　name　of　the　Red　Sea。　　An　account　of　the　cocoa…tree。　　He　lands　at　Baylur。


To　return　to　the　description　of　the　coast：　　sixty　leagues　from　Suaquem　is　an　island　called　Mazna；　only　considerable　for　its　ports；　which　make　the　Turks　reside　upon　it；　though　they　are　forced　to　keep　three　barks　continually　employed　in　fetching　water；　which　is　not　to　be　found　nearer　than　at　a　distance　of　twelve　miles。　　Forty　leagues　from　hence　is　Dalacha；　an　island　where　many　pearls　are　found；　but　of　small　value。　　The　next　place　is　Baylur；　forty　leagues　from　Dalacha；　and　twelve　from　Babelmandel。

There　are　few　things　upon　which　a　greater　variety　of　conjectures　has　been　offered　than　upon　the　reasons　that　induced　the　ancients　to　distinguish　this　gulf；　which　separates　Asia　from　Africa；　by　the　name　of　the　Red　Sea；　an　appellation　that　has　almost　universally　obtained　in　all　languages。　　Some　affirm　that　the　torrents；　which　fall　after　great　rains　from　the　mountains；　wash　down　such　a　quantity　of　red　sand　as　gives　a　tincture　to　the　water：　　others　tell　us　that　the　sunbeams　being　reverberated　from　the　red　rocks；　give　the　sea　on　which　they　strike　the　appearance　of　that　colour。　　Neither　of　these　accounts　are　satisfactory；　the　coasts　are　so　scorched　by　the　heat　that　they　are　rather　black　than　red；　nor　is　the　colour　of　this　sea　much　altered　by　the　winds　or　rains。　　The　notion　generally　received　is；　that　the　coral　found　in　such　quantities　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea　might　communicate　this　colour　to　the　water：　　an　account　merely　chimerical。　　Coral　is　not　to　be　found　in　all　parts　of　this　gulf；　and　red　coral　in　very　few。　　Nor　does　this　water　in　fact　differ　from　that　of　other　seas。　　The　patriarch　and　I　have　frequently　amused　ourselves　with　making　observations；　and　could　never　discover　any　redness；　but　in　the　shallows；　where　a　kind　of　weed　grew　which　they　call　gouesmon；　which　redness　disappeared　as　soon　as　we　plucked　up　the　plant。　　It　is　observable　that　St。　Jerome；　confining　himself　to　the　Hebrew；　calls　this　sea　Jamsuf。　　Jam　in　that　language　signifies　sea；　and　suf　is　the　name　of　a　plant　in　Aethiopia；　from　which　the　Abyssins　extract　a　beautiful　crimson；　whether　this　be　the　same　with　the　gouesmon；　I　know　not；　but　am　of　opinion　that　the　herb　gives　to　this　sea　both　the　colour　and　the　name。

The　vessels　most　used　in　the　Red　Sea；　though　ships　of　all　sizes　may　be　met　with　there；　are　gelves；　of　which　some　mention　hath　been　made　already；　these　are　the　more　convenient；　because　they　will　not　split　if　thrown　upon　banks　or　against　rocks。　　These　gelves　have　given　occasion　to　the　report　that　out　of　the　cocoa…tree　alone　a　ship　may　be　built；　fitted　out　with　masts；　sails；　and　cordage；　and　victualled　with　bread；　water；　wine；　sugar；　vinegar；　and　oil。　　All　this　indeed　cannot　be　done　out　of　one　tree；　but　may　out　of　several　of　the　same　kind。　　They　saw　the　trunk　into　planks；　and　sew　them　together　with　thread　which　they　spin　out　of　the　bark；　and　which　they　twist　for　the　cables；　the　leaves　stitched　together　make　the　sails。　　This　boat　thus　equipped　may　be　furnished　with　all　necessaries　from　the　same　tree。　There　is　not　a　month　in　which　the　cocoa　does　not　produce　a　bunch　of　nuts；　from　twenty　to　fifty。　　At　first　sprouts　out　a　kind　of　seed　or　capsula；　of　a　shape　not　unlike　the　scabbard　of　a　scimitar；　which　they　cut；　and　place　a　vessel　under；　to　receive　the　liquor　that　drops　from　it；　this　drink　is　called　soro；　and　is　clear；　pleasant；　and　nourishing。　　If　it　be　boiled；　it　grows　hard；　and　makes　a　kind　of　sugar　much　valued　in　the　Indies：　　distil　this　liquor　and　you　have　a　strong　water；　of　which　is　made　excellent　vinegar。　　All　these　different　products　are　afforded　before　the　nut　is　formed；　and　while　it　is　green　it　contains　a　delicious　cooling　water；　with　these　nuts　they　store　their　gelves；　and　it　is　the　only　provision　of　water　which　is　made　in　this　country。　　The　second　bark　which　contains　the　water　is　so　tender　that　they　eat　it。　　When　this　fruit　arrives　to　perfect　maturity；　they　either　pound　the　kernel　into　meal；　and　make　cakes　of　or　draw　an　oil　from　it　of　a　fine　scent　and　taste；　and　of　great　use　in　medicine；　so　that　what　is　reported　of　the　different　products　of　this　wonderful　tree　is　neither　false　nor　incredible。

It　is　time　we　should　come　now　to　the　relation　of　our　voyage。　　Having　happily　passed　the　straits　at　the　entrance　of　the　Red　Sea；　we　pursued　our　course；　keeping　as　near　the　shore　as　we　could；　without　any　farther　apprehensions　of　the　Turks。　　We　were；　however；　under　some　concern　that　we　were　entirely　ignorant　in　what　part　of　the　coast　to　find　Baylur；　a　port　where　we　proposed　landing；　and　so　little　known；　that　our　pilots；　who　had　made　many　voyages　in　this　sea；　could　give　us　no　account　of　it。　　We　were　in　hopes　of　information　from　the　fishermen；　but　found　that　as　soon　as　we　came　near　they　fled　from　us　in　the　greatest　consternation；　no　signals　of　peace　or　friendship　could　prevail　on　them　to　stay；　they　either　durst　not　trust　or　did　not　understand　us。　　We　plied　along　the　coast　in　this　uncertainty　two　days；　till　on　the　first　of　March　having　doubled　a　point　of　land；　which　came　out　a　great　wa