a voyage to abyssinia-第32部分

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eir　hands　had　not　a　breeze　sprung　up　just　in　the　instant　of　danger；　which　carried　us　down　the　channel　between　the　mainland　and　the　isle　of　Babelmandel。　　I　have　already　said　that　this　passage　is　difficult　and　dangerous；　which；　nevertheless；　we　passed　in　the　night；　without　knowing　what　course　we　held；　and　were　transported　at　finding　ourselves　next　morning　out　of　the　Red　Sea　and　half　a　league　from　Babelmandel。　　The　currents　are　here　so　violent　that　they　carried　us　against　our　will　to　Cape　Guardafui；　where　we　sent　our　boats　ashore　for　fresh　water；　which　we　began　to　be　in　great　want　of。　The　captain　refused　to　give　us　any　when　we　desired　some；　and　treated　us　with　great　insolence；　till；　coming　near　the　land；　I　spoke　to　him　in　a　tone　more　lofty　and　resolute　than　I　had　ever　done；　and　gave　him　to　understand　that　when　he　touched　at　Diou　he　might　have　occasion　for　our　interest。　　This　had　some　effect　upon　him；　and　procured　us　a　greater　degree　of　civility　than　we　had　met　with　before。

At　length　after　forty　days'　sailing　we　landed　at　Diou；　where　we　were　met　by　the　whole　city；　it　being　reported　that　the　patriarch　was　one　of　our　number；　for　there　was　not　a　gentleman　who　was　not　impatient　to　have　the　pleasure　of　beholding　that　good　man；　now　made　famous　by　his　labours　and　sufferings。　　It　is　not　in　my　power　to　represent　the　different　passions　they　were　affected　with　at　seeing　us　pale；　meagre；　without　clothesin　a　word；　almost　naked　and　almost　dead　with　fatigue　and　ill…usage。　　They　could　not　behold　us　in　that　miserable　condition　without　reflecting　on　the　hardships　we　had　undergone；　and　our　brethren　then　underwent；　in　Suaquem　and　Abyssinia。　　Amidst　their　thanks　to　God　for　our　deliverance；　they　could　not　help　lamenting　the　condition　of　the　patriarch　and　the　other　missionaries　who　were　in　chains；　or；　at　least；　in　the　hands　of　professed　enemies　to　our　holy　religion。　　All　this　did　not　hinder　them　from　testifying　in　the　most　obliging　manner　their　joy　for　our　deliverance；　and　paying　such　honours　as　surprised　the　Moors；　and　made　them　repent　in　a　moment　of　the　ill…treatment　they　had　shown　us　on　board。　　One　who　had　discovered　somewhat　more　humanity　than　the　rest　thought　himself　sufficiently　honoured　when　I　took　him　by　the　hand　and　presented　him　to　the　chief　officer　of　the　custom　house；　who　promised　to　do　all　the　favours　that　were　in　his　power。

When　we　passed　by　in　sight　of　the　fort；　they　gave　us　three　salutes　with　their　cannon；　an　honour　only　paid　to　generals。　　The　chief　men　of　the　city；　who　waited　for　us　on　the　shore；　accompanied　us　through　a　crowd　of　people；　whom　curiosity　had　drawn　from　all　parts　of　our　college。　　Though　our　place　of　residence　at　Diou　is　one　of　the　most　beautiful　in　all　the　Indies；　we　stayed　there　only　a　few　days；　and　as　soon　as　we　had　recovered　our　fatigues　went　on　board　the　ships　that　were　appointed　to　convoy　the　northern　fleet。　　I　was　in　the　admiral's。　　We　arrived　at　Goa　in　some　vessels　bound　for　Camberia：　here　we　lost　a　good　old　Abyssin　convert；　a　man　much　valued　in　his　order；　and　who　was　actually　prior　of　his　convent　when　he　left　Abyssinia；　choosing　rather　to　forsake　all　for　religion　than　to　leave　the　way　of　salvation；　which　God　had　so　mercifully　favoured　him　with　the　knowledge　of。

We　continued　our　voyage；　and　almost　without　stopping　sailed　by　Surate　and　Damam；　where　the　rector　of　the　college　came　to　see　us；　but　so　sea…sick　that　the　interview　was　without　any　satisfaction　on　either　side。　　Then　landing　at　Bazaim　we　were　received　by　our　fathers　with　their　accustomed　charity；　and　nothing　was　thought　of　but　how　to　put　the　unpleasing　remembrance　of　our　past　labours　out　of　our　minds。　Finding　here　an　order　of　the　Father　Provineta　to　forbid　those　who　returned　from　the　missions　to　go　any　farther；　it　was　thought　necessary　to　send　an　agent　to　Goa　with　an　account　of　the　revolutions　that　had　happened　in　Abyssinia　and　of　the　imprisonment　of　the　patriarch。　　For　this　commission　I　was　made　choice　of；　and；　I　know　not　by　what　hidden　degree　of　Providence；　almost　all　affairs；　whatever　the　success　of　them　was；　were　transacted　by　me。　　All　the　coasts　were　beset　by　Dutch　cruisers；　which　made　it　difficult　to　sail　without　running　the　hazard　of　being　taken。　　I　went　therefore　by　land　from　Bazaim　to　Tana；　where　we　had　another　college；　and　from　thence　to　our　house　of　Chaul。　　Here　I　hired　a　narrow　light　vessel；　and；　placing　eighteen　oars　on　a　side；　went　close　by　the　shore　from　Chaul　to　Goa；　almost　eighty　leagues。　　We　were　often　in　danger　of　being　taken；　and　particularly　when　we　touched　at　Dabal；　where　a　cruiser　blocked　up　one　of　the　channels　through　which　ships　usually　sail；　but　our　vessel　requiring　no　great　depth　of　water；　and　the　sea　running　high；　we　went　through　the　little　channel；　and　fortunately　escaped　the　cruiser。　　Though　we　were　yet　far　from　Goa；　we　expected　to　arrive　there　on　the　next　morning；　and　rowed　forward　with　all　the　diligence　we　could。　　The　sea　was　calm　and　delightful；　and　our　minds　were　at　ease；　for　we　imagined　ourselves　past　danger；　but　soon　found　we　had　flattered　ourselves　too　soon　with　security；　for　we　came　within　sight　of　several　barks　of　Malabar；　which　had　been　hid　behind　a　point　of　land　which　we　were　going　to　double。　　Here　we　had　been　inevitably　taken　had　not　a　man　called　to　us　from　the　shore　and　informed　us　that　among　those　fishing…boats　there；　some　crusiers　would　make　us　a　prize。　　We　rewarded　our　kind　informer　for　the　service　he　had　done　us；　and　lay　by　till　night　came　to　shelter　us　from　our　enemies。　　Then　putting　out　our　oars　we　landed　at　Goa　next　morning　about　ten；　and　were　received　at　our　college。　　It　being　there　a　festival　day；　each　had　something　extraordinary　allowed　him；　the　choicest　part　of　our　entertainments　was　two　pilchers；　which　were　admired　because　they　came　from　Portugal。

The　quiet　I　began　to　enjoy　did　not　make　me　lose　the　remembrance　of　my　brethren　whom　I　had　left　languishing　among　the　rocks　of　Abyssinia；　or　groaning　in　the　prisons　of　Suaquem；　whom　since　I　could　not　set　at　liberty　without　the　viceroy's　assistance；　I　went　to　implore　it；　and　did　not　fail　to　make　use　of　every　motive　which　could　have　any　influence。

I　described　in　the　most　pathetic　manner　I　could　the　miserable　state　to　which　the　Catholic　religion　was　reduced　in　a　country　where　it　had　lately　flourished　so　much　by　the　labours　of　the　Portuguese；　I　gave　him　in　the　strongest　terms　a　representation　of　all　that　we　had　suffered　since　the　death　of　Sultan　Segued；　how　we　had　been　driven　out　of　Abyssinia；　how　many　times　they　had　attempted　to　take　away　our　lives；　in　what　manner　we　had　been　betrayed　and　given　up　to　the　Turks；　the　menaces　we　had　been　terrified　with；　the　insults　we　had　endured；　I　laid　before　him　the　danger　the　patriarch　was　in　of　being　either　impaled　or　flayed　alive；　the　cruelty；　insolence　and　avarice　of　the　Bassa　of　Suaquem；　and　the　persecution　that　the　Catholics　suffered　in　Aethiopia。　　I　exhorted；　I　implored　him　by　everything　I　thought　might　move　him；　to　make　some　attempt　for　the　preservation　of　those　who　had　voluntarily　sacrificed　their　lives　for　the　sake　of　God。　　I　made　it　appear　with　how　much　ease　the　Turks　might　be　driven　out　of　the　Red　Sea；　and　the　Portuguese　enjoy　all　the　trade　of　those　countries。　　I　informed　him　of　the　navigation　of　that　sea；　and