A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Vi Part 23

SECTION IX.

_Return Voyage from Suez to Ma.s.sua._

In the morning of the 28th of April 1541 we departed from before Suez on our return to Ma.s.sua[325]. At sunset we were one league short of a sharp red peak on the coast, 20 leagues from Suez. At night we took in our sails and continued along sh.o.r.e under our foresails only, the wind blowing hard at N.N.W. Two hours within the night, we came to anchor near the sh.o.r.e in 3 fathoms, the heavens being very dark and covered by many thick black clouds. The 29th we weighed in the morning, and came into the port of Toro at nine o'clock, but soon weighed again, and came to anchor a league farther on, in a haven called _Solymans watering place_, where we took in water, digging pits in the sand a stones throw from the sea, where we got abundance of brackish water. Leaving this place in the morning of the 30th, we anch.o.r.ed at 10 in the morning at the first of the three islands, which are two leagues N.W. of the island of _Sheduam_. I went on sh.o.r.e here with my pilot, when we took the suns alt.i.tude a little less than 80; and as the declination that day was 1736' the lat.i.tude of this island is 2740' N. At sunset on the 1st of May we set sail, and by even-song time we came to an island, two leagues long, which thrusts out a point very close to the main land, between which and the island is a singularly good harbour for all weathers, fit for all the s.h.i.+ps in the world. The 2d at sunset we came to anchor in the port of _Goelma_[326], which is safe from N. and N.W. winds, but only fit for small vessels. A short s.p.a.ce within the land is the dry bed of a brook, having water during the floods of winter descending from the mountains. Digging a little way we found fresh water. There is a well here also, but not abundant in water. This port, the name of which signifies in Arabic _the port of water_, is N.N.W. of _al Kessir_, distant 4 leagues.

[Footnote 325: The fleet seems only to have been before Suez from 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 27th of April till the morning of next day the 28th, or rather Don Juan only went forwards to examine the possibility of landing. Yet De Faria says, II. 23. "That after many brave attempts made by several to view and sound the harbour, Don Stefano landed with his men, and being repulsed, chiefly by means of an ambush of 2000 horse, was obliged to retire." The silence of Don John respecting any military operations, and the shortness of time, leaves hardly room to suppose that any were attempted.--E.]

[Footnote 326: Rather Kallama or Kalla'lma,--Astl.]

The 4th of May we rowed along sh.o.r.e, and came to anchor near sunset, in a small but excellent harbour named _Azallaihe_, two leagues S.E. beyond _Shakara_ between that place and the _black hillock_. We lay at anchor all night, the wind at N.N.W. _Bohalel Shame_ is a deep, safe, and capacious port, in which many s.h.i.+ps may ride at anchor. It was named from one Bohalel, a rich chief of the _Badwis_ who dwelt in the inland country, and used to sell cattle to the s.h.i.+ps frequenting this port.

_Shame_ signifies land or country; so that _Bohalel Shame_ signifies the Land of Bohalel[327]. At this place we found an honourable tomb within a house like a chapel, in which hung a silk flag or standard, with many arrows or darts round the grave, and the walls were hung round with many bulls[328]. On an upright slab or table at the head of the grave there was a long inscription or epitaph, and about the house there were many sweet-scented waters and other perfumes. From the Moors and Arabs I was informed that an Arabian of high rank of the lineage of Mahomet was here buried; and that the _Sharifs_ of Jiddah and other great prelates gave indulgences and pardons to all who visited his sepulchre: But the Portuguese sacked the house and afterwards burnt it, so that no vestige was left. On the sh.o.r.e of this harbour we saw many footsteps of tigers and goats, as if they had come here in search of water.

[Footnote 327: Rather perhaps _Bohalel Shomeh_, meaning the lot or portion of Bohalel.--Astl.]

[Footnote 328: Perhaps _Bells_.--E.]

Having often occasion to mention the _Badwis_ or _Bedouins_ while voyaging along the coasts of their country, it may be proper to give some account of that people. These _Badwis_ are properly the _Troglodites ophiof.a.gi_, of whom Ptolemy, Pomponius Mela, and other ancient writers make mention. These _Badwis_ or _Troglodites_ live on the mountains and sea-coasts from _Melinda_ and _Magadoxa_ to Cape _Guardafu_, and thence all along the coasts of the Red Sea on both sides, and along the outer coast of Arabia through the whole coast of the Persian Gulf; all of which land they may be more properly said to occupy than to inhabit. In Good Arabic, _Badwi_ signifies one who lives only by cattle[329]. Those who dwell along the Red Sea from _Zeyla_ to _Swakem_, and thence to _al Kossir_, are continually at war with the _Nubii_ or _Nubians_; while those from _Kossir_ to _Suez_ perpetually molest the Egyptians. On the eastern coast of the Red Sea the _Badwis_ have incessant contests with the Arabians. They are wild men, among whom there is no king or great lord, but they live in tribes or factions, allowing of no towns in their country, neither have they any fixed habitations, but live a vagabond life, wandering from place to place with their cattle. They abhor all laws and ordinances, neither will they admit of their differences being judged of by any permanent customs or traditions, but rather that their sheiks or chiefs shall determine according to their pleasure. They dwell in caves and holes, but most of them in tents or huts. In colour they are very black, and their language is Arabic. They wors.h.i.+p Mahomet, but are very bad Mahometans, being addicted beyond all other people on earth to thievery and rapine. They eat raw flesh, and milk is their usual drink. Their habits are vile and filthy; but they run with wonderful swiftness. They fight afoot or on horseback, darts being their chief weapons, and are almost continually at war with their neighbours.

[Footnote 329: _Badwi_, or more properly _Badawi_, signifies a dweller in the field or in the desert; corruptly called by us Bedouin.--Astl.]

By day-light of the 10th May we weighed anchor from the port of _Igidid_[330], and an hour before sunset we fastened our barks to a shoal about four leagues south of _Farate_. In this shoal there is an excellent harbour, lying almost E.S.E. and W.N.W. but very crooked and winding, so large that we could not see to the other end. The 22d of May[331], by day-break, we were a league short of the grove which stands four leagues north of _Ma.s.sua_, having the wind from the land. At nine o'clock it began to blow fair from the N.N.E. and we entered the port of Ma.s.sua at noon, where we were joyfully received by the fleet and army.

From the 22d of May, when we entered Ma.s.sua, the winds were always from the easterly points, either E. or S.E. or E.S.E. often with great storms. On the last day of June we had so violent a gale from S.E. that the galleons drifted and were in great danger of grounding. This storm was attended by heavy rain and fearful thunders, and a thunderbolt struck the mast of one of our galleons, which furrowed it in its whole length. On the 2d of July we had another great storm from the east which lasted most of the day, and drove many of our vessels from their anchors. From thence to the 7th of July we had other storms, but small in comparison. On the 8th and 9th we had two desperate gales from the land.

[Footnote 330: Either Don Juan or his abbreviator has omitted part of the Journal at this place, from the port of _Azallaihe_ to that of _Igidid_--E.]

[Footnote 331: Here again a considerable portion of the Journal is emitted.--E.]

SECTION X.

_Return of the Expedition from Ma.s.sua to India_.

Having remained 48 days at Ma.s.sua, we set sail from thence on our return to India on the 9th of July 1541, one hour before sunrise, and by day-break we were two or three leagues short of the north point of _Dallak_, and among some flat islands that have some woods, which islands are scattered in the sea to the north of Dallak. We sailed through a channel between two of these islands, having a fair wind almost N.W. our course being N.E. by N. After doubling a shoal we came to anchor, and at two in the afternoon we sailed again with a fair wind at N.N.E. coasting the island of Dallak. An hour before sunset we came to a very flat sandy island, called _Dorat Melkuna_, from which on all sides extended great shoals. When the sun set we were a league short of the island of _Shamoa_, between which and the west side of Dallak, opposite the Abyssinian coast, is the most frequented channel for such as sail to Ma.s.sua. All the coast of Dallak which we sailed along this day trends N.N.W. and S.S.E. and is very low. The 18th of July by day break we saw the mouth of the straits[332], about three leagues distant, "and we saw all the fleet _lye at hull_, and presently we set sail altogether[333]."

[Footnote 332: A large portion of the Journal is again omitted at this place, either by Don Juan or his abbreviator, Purchas.--E.]

[Footnote 333: Perhaps in coming in sight of the Strait, the s.h.i.+p of Don Juan was so much in advance as barely to see the hulls of the rest; and lay to till the rest came up.--E.]

Before leaving the Gulf of Arabia or of Mecca, it may be proper to consider the reason why the ancients called this Gulf the _Red Sea_, and to give my own opinion founded on what I actually saw, whether it differ in colour from the great ocean. In the _sixth_ book of his Natural History, Pliny quotes several opinions as the origin of the name _Erythros_ given to this sea by the ancients[334]. The first is, that it took its name from _Erythra_, a king who once reigned on its borders, whence came _Erythros_ which signifies _red_ in the Greek. Another opinion was that the reflexion of the sun-beams gave a red colour to this sea. Some hold that the red colour proceeds from the sand and ground along the sea coast, and others that the water was red itself. Of these opinions every writer chose that he liked best. The Portuguese who formerly navigated this sea affirmed that it was spotted or streaked with red, arising as they alleged from the following circ.u.mstances. They say that the coast of Arabia is naturally very red, and as there are many great storms in this country, which raise great clouds of dust towards the skies, which are driven by the wind into the sea, and the dust being _red_ tinges the water of that colour, whence it got the name of the Red Sea.

[Footnote 334: By Dr. Hyde, in his notes on _Peritsol_, and Dr.

c.u.mberland, in his remarks on Sanchoniatho, and by other writers, _Erythros_ or _Red_ is supposed to be a translation of _Edom_, the name of _Esau_; whence it is conjectured that this sea, as well as the country of _Idumea_, took their denominations from _Edom_. But this does not seem probable for two reasons: _First_, because the Jews do not call it the _Red Sea_ but _Tam Suf_, or the _Sea of Weeds_; and, _second_, the ancients included all the ocean between the coasts of Arabia and India under the name of the _Erythrean_ or _Red Sea_, of which the _Persian_ and the _Arabian Gulfs_ were reckoned branches.--Ast. I. 129.

c.]

From leaving _Socotora_, till I had coasted the whole of this sea all the way to _Suez_, I continually and carefully observed this sea; and the colour and appearance of its sh.o.r.es, the result of which I shall now state. First then, it is altogether false that the colour of this sea is red, as it does not differ in any respect from the colour of other seas.

As to the dust driven by the winds from the land to the sea staining the water; we saw many storms raise great clouds of dust and drive them to the sea, but the colour of its water was never changed by these. Those who have said that the land on the coast is red, have not well observed the coats and strands: for generally on both, sides the land by the sea is brown and very dark, as if scorched. In some places it appears black and in others white, and the sands are of these colours. In three places only there are certain parts of the mountains having veins or streaks of a red colour; and at these places the Portuguese had never been before the present voyage. These three places are all far beyond _Swakem_ towards Suez, and the three hills having these red streaks or veins are all of very hard rock, and all the land round about that we could see are of the ordinary colour and appearance. Now, although substantially the water of this sea has no difference in colour from that of other seas, yet in many places its waves by accident seem very red, from the following cause. From _Swakem_ to _Kossir_, which is 136 leagues, the sea is thickly beset with shoals and shelves or reefs, composed of _coral stone_, which grows like cl.u.s.tered trees spreading its branches on all sides as is done by real _coral_, to which this stone bears so strong resemblance that it deceives many who are not very skilful respecting the growth and nature of coral.

This _coral stone_ is of two sorts, one of which is a very pure white, and the other very _red_. In some places this _coral stone_ is covered by great quant.i.ties of green ouze or sleech, and in other places it is free from this growth. In some places this ouze or sleech is very bright green, and in others of an orange-tawny colour. From _Swakem_ upwards, the water of this sea is so exceedingly clear, that in many places the bottom may be distinctly seen at the depth of 20 fathoms. Hence, where-ever these shoals and shelves are, the water over them is of three several colours, according to the colour of these rocks or shelves, red, green, or white, proceeding from the colour of the ground below, as I have many times experienced. Thus when the ground of the shoals is sand, the sea over it appears _white_; where the coral-stone is covered with _green_ ouze or sleech, the water above is greener even than the weeds; but where the shoals are of _red_ coral, or coral-stone covered by _red_ weeds, all the sea over them appears very _red_. And, as this _red_ colour comprehends larger s.p.a.ces of the sea than either the _green_ or the _white_, because the stone of the shoals is mostly of _red coral_, I am convinced that on this account it has got the name of the _Red Sea_, and not the green sea or the white sea, though these latter colours are likewise to be seen in perfection.

The means I used for ascertaining this secret of nature were these. I oftentimes fastened my bark upon shoals where the sea appeared red, and commanded divers to bring me up stones from the bottom. Mostly it was so shallow over these shoals, that the bark touched; and in other places the mariners could wade for half a league with the water only breast high. On these occasions most of the stones brought up were of red coral, and others were covered by orange-tawny weeds. Whether the sea appeared _green_, I found the stones at the bottom were white coral covered with green weeds; and where the sea was white I found a very white sand. I have conversed often with the Moorish pilots, and with persons curious in antiquities, who dwelt on this sea, who a.s.sured me that it was never stained red by the dust brought from the land by the winds: I do not, however reprove the opinion of former Portuguese navigators; but I affirm, that having gone through this sea oftener than they, and having seen its whole extent, while they only saw small portions, I never saw any such thing. Every person with whom I conversed wondered much at our calling it the Red Sea, as they knew no other name for it than the sea of Mecca[335]. On the 9th of August 1541, we entered the port of _Anchediva_, where we remained till the 21st of that month, when we went in foists or barks and entered the port of Goa, whence we set out on this expedition on the 31st of December 1540, almost eight months before.

[Footnote 335: This might have been the case among the pilots at this time; but among Arabic geographers it is likewise called the Sea of Hejaz, the Sea of Yaman, and the Sea of Kolzum.--Astl.]

_Table of Lat.i.tudes observed in the Journal of Don Juan[336]._

Deg. Min.

Socotora, 12 40 Bab-al-Mondub[A] 12 15 Sarbo port,[B] 15 76[337]

Shaback, scarcely 19 0 _A nameless island _, 19 0 Tradate, harbour 19 50 Fushaa, bay 20 15 Farate, river 21 40 Ras-al-Jidid, port[B] 22 0 Comol, port 22 30 Ras-al-Nef, Cape 24 0 Swairt island 24 10 Gaudenauchi, port 24 40 Tuna, haven 25 30 Kossir[A] 26 15 Safanj-al-bahr, island 27 0 Island, 2 leagues N.W. from Sheduan 27 40 Toro, town 28 10 Anchorage, 20 leagues farther 29 17 Suez 29 45

[Footnote 336: In this Table [A] denotes _two_ observations having been made at the place; [B] indicates more observations than two; and all the rest only one. All of course north.--E.]

[Footnote 337: In the enumeration of lat.i.tudes in Astleys Collection this is set down as 15 deg. 17 min. but in the text of Purchas it is stated as here.--E.]

SECTION XI.

_Description of the Sea of Kolzum, otherwise called the Arabian Gulf, or the Red Sea. Extracted from the Geography of Abulfeda_[338].

The following description of the Red Sea was written by _Ismael Abulfeda_ prince of _Hamah_ in Syria, the ancient _Epiphania_, who died in the 733d year of the _Hejirah_ or Mahometan era, corresponding with the year 1332 of the Christian computation, after having lived sixty-one years, twenty two of which he was sovereign of that princ.i.p.ality.

Greaves has mistaken both the length of his reign, which he makes only three years, and the time of his death[339]. Abulfeda was much addicted to the study of geography and history, and wrote books on both of these subjects, which are in great estimation in the East. His geography written in 721, A.D. 1321, consists of tables of the lat.i.tudes and longitudes of places, in imitation of Ptolemy, with descriptions, under the t.i.tle of _Takwin al Boldan_. No fewer than five or six translations have been made of this work, but by some accident or other none of these have ever been published. The only parts of this work that have been printed are the tables of _Send_ and _Hend_, or India, published in the French collection of Voyages and Travels by Thevenot; and those of _Khowarazm_ or _Karazm, Mawara'l-nahar_, or Great Bukharia, and Arabia.

The two former were published in 1650, with a Latin translation by Dr Greaves; and all the three by Hudson, in the third volume of the _Lesser Greek Geographers_, in 1712; from which latter work this description of the Red Sea is extracted, on purpose to ill.u.s.trate the two preceding journals, and to shew that there really is such a gulf on the coast of Arabia as that mentioned by the ancients, that geographers may not be misled by the mistake of Don Juan de Castro. In this edition, the words inserted between parenthesis are added on purpose to accommodate the names to the English orthography, or to make the description more strictly conformable to the Arabic. The situations or geographical positions are here thrown out of the text, to avoid embarra.s.sment, and formed into a table at the end. We cannot however warrant any of them, as those which may have been settled by actual observation are not distinguished from such as may not have had that advantage; which indeed is the general fault of oriental tables of lat.i.tude and longitude. The lat.i.tude of _Al Kossir_ comes pretty near that formed by Don Juan de Castro; but that of _Al Kolzum_ must err above one degree, while that of Swakem is more than two degrees erroneous.--Ast.

[Footnote 338: Astley, I. 130. We have adopted this article from Astleys Collection, that nothing useful or curious may be omitted. In the present time, when the trade beyond the Cape of Good Hope is about to be thrown open, it might be highly useful to publish a series of Charts of all the coasts and islands of the great Eastern Ocean; and among others, a Chart of the Red Sea, with a dissertation on its geography and navigation, might be made of singular interest and utility.--E.]

[Footnote 339: See Gagnier's preface to the life of Mahomet by Abu'lfeda; and the preface of Shulten to that of Saladin--Astl. I. 130.

d.]

The author begins his description of the sea of _Kolzum_ or of _Yaman_ at _Al Kolzum_[340], a small city at the north end of this sea; which from thence runs south, inclining a little towards the east, as far as _al Kasir_ (_al Kossir_) the port of _Kus_[341]. Hence it continues its course south, bending somewhat westward to about _Aidab_ (Aydhab[342].) The coast pa.s.ses afterwards directly south to _Sawakan_ (Swakem), a small city in the land of the blacks, (or _al Sudan_). Proceeding thence south, it encompa.s.ses the island of _Dahlak_, which is not far from the western sh.o.r.e. Afterwards advancing in the same direction, it washes the sh.o.r.es of _al Habash_ (_Ethiopia_ or _Abyssinia_), as far as the cape or mountain of _al Mandab_ (or _al Mondub_), at the mouth of the _Bahr al Kolzum_ or Red Sea, which here terminates; the _Bahr al Hind_, or Indian Sea flowing into it at this place. The cape or mountain of _al Mandub_ and the desert of _Aden_ approach very near, being separated only by so narrow a strait that two persons on the opposite sides may see each other across. These Straits are named _Bab al Mandab_. By some travellers the author was informed that these Straits lie _on this side_ of Aden to the north-west, a day and nights sail. The mountains of _al Mandab_ are in the country of the negroes, and may be seen from the mountains of _Aden_, though at a great distance. Thus much for the western side of this sea. Let us now pa.s.s over to the eastern coast.

[Footnote 340: Or _al Kolzom_, which signifies _the swallowing up_.

Here, according to Albufeda in his description of _Mesr_ or Egypt, Pharaoh was drowned, and the town and the sea took this name from that event. _Kolzum_ is doubtless the ancient _Clysma_, as indicated both by the similarity of names, and the agreement of situation. It was in the road of the pilgrims from Egypt to Mecca, but is now destroyed. Dr Poc.o.c.k places Clysma on his map about 15 min. south from Suez.--Ast. I.

131. b.]

[Footnote 341: _Kus_ is a town near the Nile, a little way south of _Kept_, the ancient _Koptos_; which shews that Kossir must be the ancient Berenice, as formerly observed in a note on the Journal of de Castro.--Astl. I. 131. c.]

[Footnote 342: In this name of _Aydhab_, the _dh_ is p.r.o.nounced with a kind of lisp, like the English _th_ in the words _the_, _then_, &c.

About 1150, in the time of _al Edrisi_, this was a famous port, and carried on a great trade. Both the king of _Bejah_ or _Bajah_, a port of Nubia, and the Soldan of Egypt, had officers here to receive the customs, which were divided between these sovereigns. There was a regular ferry here to _Jiddah_, the port of Mecca, which lies opposite, the pa.s.sage occupying a day and a night, through a sea full of shoals and rocks. In his description of Egypt, Abulfeda says Aydhab belonged to Egypt, and was frequented by the merchants of Yaman, and by the pilgrims from Egypt to Mecca.--Astl. I. 131. d.]

The coast of _Bahr al Kolzum_ runs northward from _Aden_[343], and proceeds thence round the coast of _al Yaman_ (or Arabia Felix), till it comes to the borders thereof. Thence it runs north to _Joddah_. From _Joddah_ it declines a little to the west, as far as _Jahafah_, a station of the people of _Mesr_ (Egypt), when on pilgrimage to Mecca.

Thence advancing north, with a small inclination towards the west, it washes the coast of _Yanbaak_ (_Yamboa_). Here it turns off north-westwards, and having pa.s.sed _Madyan_ it comes to _Aylah_. Thence descending southwards it comes to the mountain _al Tur_[344], which thrusting forwards separates two arms of the sea. Thence returning to the north, it pa.s.ses on to _al Kolzum_, where the description began, which is situated to the west of _Aylah_, and almost in the same lat.i.tude.

[Footnote 343: From Aden the coast leading to the Straits of Bab al Mandab runs almost due west, with a slight northern inclination, about 115 statute miles, or 1 deg. 45 min. of longitude to Cape _Arah_, which with Cape _al Mandab_ from the two sides of the Straits of Mecca or Bab al Mandab, having the island of Prin interposed, considerably nearer to the Arabian than the African sh.o.r.e.--E.]

[Footnote 344: A mountain so called near Sinai, which likewise goes by that name.--Ast. I. 151. h.--This mountain of _al Tur_ forms the separation between the Gulf of _Suez_ and that of Akkaba, its western extremity forming Cape Mahomed.--E.]

_Al Kolzum_ and _Aylah_ are situated on two arms or gulfs of the sea, between which the land interposes, running to the South; which land is the mountain _al Tur_ almost in the same longitude with _Aylah_, which stands at the northern extremity of the eastern bay, while _al Kolzum_ is at the northern extremity of the western gulf, so that _Aylah_ is more to the east, and mount _al Tur_ more to the south than _al Kolzum_.