a voyage to abyssinia-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ge　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　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