a voyage to abyssinia-第3部分

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ere　to　pass。　　Our　chief　desire　was　to　discover　some　new　road　by　which　we　might　avoid　having　anything　to　do　with　the　Turks。　　Among　great　numbers　whom　we　consulted　on　this　occasion；　we　were　informed　by　some　that　we　might　go　through　Melinda。　These　men　painted　that　hideous　wilderness　in　charming　colours；　told　us　that　we　should　find　a　country　watered　with　navigable　rivers；　and　inhabited　by　a　people　that　would　either　inform　us　of　the　way；　or　accompany　us　in　it。　　These　reports　charmed　us；　because　they　flattered　our　desires；　but　our　superiors　finding　nothing　in　all　this　talk　that　could　be　depended　on；　were　in　suspense　what　directions　to　give　us；　till　my　companion　and　I　upon　this　reflection；　that　since　all　the　ways　were　equally　new　to　us；　we　had　nothing　to　do　but　to　resign　ourselves　to　the　Providence　of　God；　asked　and　obtained　the　permission　of　our　superiors　to　attempt　the　road　through　Melinda。　　So　of　we　who　went　by　land；　two　took　the　way　of　Zeila；　and　my　companion　and　I　that　of　Melinda。

Those　who　were　appointed　for　Zeila　embarked　in　a　vessel　that　was　going　to　Caxume；　where　they　were　well　received　by　the　king；　and　accommodated　with　a　ship　to　carry　them　to　Zeila；　they　were　there　treated　by　the　check　with　the　same　civility　which　they　had　met　with　at　Caxume。　　But　the　king　being　informed　of　their　arrival；　ordered　them　to　be　conveyed　to　his　court　at　Auxa；　to　which　place　they　were　scarce　come　before　they　were　thrown　by　the　king's　command　into　a　dark　and　dismal　dungeon；　where　there　is　hardly　any　sort　of　cruelty　that　was　not　exercised　upon　them。　　The　Emperor　of　Abyssinia　endeavoured　by　large　offers　to　obtain　their　liberty；　but　his　kind　offices　had　no　other　effect　than　to　heighten　the　rage　of　the　king　of　Zeila。　　This　prince；　besides　his　ill　will　to　Sultan　Segued；　which　was　kept　up　by　some　malcontents　among　the　Abyssin　nobility；　who；　provoked　at　the　conversion　of　their　master；　were　plotting　a　revolt；　entertained　an　inveterate　hatred　against　the　Portuguese　for　the　death　of　his　grandfather；　who　had　been　killed　many　years　before；　which　he　swore　the　blood　of　the　Jesuits　should　repay。　　So　after　they　had　languished　for　some　time　in　prison　their　heads　were　struck　off。　A　fate　which　had　been　likewise　our　own；　had　not　God　reserved　us　for　longer　labours！

Having　provided　everything　necessary　for　our　journey；　such　as　Arabian　habits；　and　red　caps；　calicoes；　and　other　trifles　to　make　presents　of　to　the　inhabitants；　and　taking　leave　of　our　friends；　as　men　going　to　a　speedy　death；　for　we　were　not　insensible　of　the　dangers　we　were　likely　to　encounter；　amongst　horrid　deserts；　impassable　mountains；　and　barbarous　nations；　we　left　Goa　on　the　26th　day　of　January　in　the　year　1624；　in　a　Portuguese　galliot　that　was　ordered　to　set　us　ashore　at　Pate；　where　we　landed　without　any　disaster　in　eleven　days；　together　with　a　young　Abyssin；　whom　we　made　use　of　as　our　interpreter。　　While　we　stayed　here　we　were　given　to　understand　that　those　who　had　been　pleased　at　Goa　to　give　us　directions　in　relation　to　our　journey　had　done　nothing　but　tell　us　lies。　　That　the　people　were　savage；　that　they　had　indeed　begun　to　treat　with　the　Portuguese；　but　it　was　only　from　fear；　that　otherwise　they　were　a　barbarous　nation；　who　finding　themselves　too　much　crowded　in　their　own　country；　had　extended　themselves　to　the　sea…　shore；　that　they　ravished　the　country　and　laid　everything　waste　where　they　came；　that　they　were　man…eaters；　and　were　on　that　account　dreadful　in　all　those　parts。　　My　companion　and　I　being　undeceived　by　this　terrible　relation；　thought　it　would　be　the　highest　imprudence　to　expose　ourselves　both　together　to　a　death　almost　certain　and　unprofitable；　and　agreed　that　I　should　go　with　our　Abyssin　and　a　Portuguese　to　observe　the　country；　that　if　I　should　prove　so　happy　as　to　escape　being　killed　by　the　inhabitants；　and　to　discover　a　way；　I　should　either　return；　or　send　back　the　Abyssin　or　Portuguese。　Having　fixed　upon　this；　I　hired　a　little　bark　to　Jubo；　a　place　about　forty　leagues　distant　from　Pate；　on　board　which　I　put　some　provisions；　together　with　my　sacerdotal　vestments；　and　all　that　was　necessary　for　saying　mass：　　in　this　vessel　we　reached　the　coast；　which　we　found　inhabited　by　several　nations：　　each　nation　is　subject　to　its　own　king；　these　petty　monarchies　are　so　numerous；　that　I　counted　at　least　ten　in　less　than　four　leagues。



Chapter　II



The　author　lands：　　The　difficulty　of　his　journey。　　An　account　of　the　Galles；　and　of　the　author's　reception　at　the　king's　tent；　Their　manner　of　swearing；　and　of　letting　blood。　　The　author　returns　to　the　Indies；　and　finds　the　patriarch　of　Aethiopia。


On　this　coast　we　landed；　with　an　intention　of　travelling　on　foot　to　Jubo；　a　journey　of　much　greater　length　and　difficulty　than　we　imagined。　　We　durst　not　go　far　from　our　bark；　and　therefore　were　obliged　to　a　toilsome　march　along　the　windings　of　the　shore；　sometimes　clambering　up　rocks；　and　sometimes　wading　through　the　sands；　so　that　we　were　every　moment　in　the　utmost　danger　of　falling　from　the　one；　or　sinking　in　the　other。　　Our　lodging　was　either　in　the　rocks　or　on　the　sands；　and　even　that　incommoded　by　continual　apprehensions　of　being　devoured　by　lions　and　tigers。　　Amidst　all　these　calamities　our　provisions　failed　us；　we　had　little　hopes　of　a　supply；　for　we　found　neither　villages；　houses；　nor　any　trace　of　a　human　creature；　and　had　miserably　perished　by　thirst　and　hunger　had　we　not　met　with　some　fishermen's　boats；　who　exchanged　their　fish　for　tobacco。

Through　all　these　fatigues　we　at　length　came　to　Jubo；　a　kingdom　of　considerable　extent；　situated　almost　under　the　line；　and　tributary　to　the　Portuguese；　who　carry　on　a　trade　here　for　ivory　and　other　commodities。　　This　region　so　abounds　with　elephants；　that　though　the　teeth　of　the　male　only　are　valuable；　they　load　several　ships　with　ivory　every　year。　　All　this　coast　is　much　infested　with　ravenous　beasts；　monkeys；　and　serpents；　of　which　last　here　are　some　seven　feet　in　length；　and　thicker　than　an　ordinary　man；　in　the　head　of　this　serpent　is　found　a　stone　about　the　bigness　of　an　egg；　resembling　bezoar；　and　of　great　efficacy；　as　it　is　said；　against　all　kinds　of　poison。　　I　stayed　here　some　time　to　inform　myself　whether　I　might；　by　pursuing　this　road；　reach　Abyssinia；　and　could　get　no　other　intelligence　but　that　two　thousand　Galles　（the　same　people　who　inhabited　Melinda）　had　encamped　about　three　leagues　from　Jubo；　that　they　had　been　induced　to　fix　in　that　place　by　the　plenty　of　provisions　they　found　there。　　These　Galles　lay　everything　where　they　come　in　ruin；　putting　all　to　the　sword　without　distinction　of　age　or　sex；　which　barbarities；　though　their　numbers　are　not　great；　have　spread　the　terror　of　them　over　all　the　country。　　They　choose　a　king；　whom　they　call　Lubo：　　every　eighth　year　they　carry　their　wives　with　them；　and　expose　their　children　without　any　tenderness　in　the　woods；　it　being　prohibited；　on　pain　of　death；　to　take　any　care　of　those　which　are　born　in　the　camp。　　This　is　their　way　of　living　when　they　are　in　arms；　but　afterwards　when　they　settle　at　home　they　breed　up　their　children。　　They　feed　upon　raw　cow's　flesh；　when　they　kill　a　cow；　they　keep　the　blood　to　rub　their　bodies　with；　and　wear　the　guts　about　their　necks　for　ornaments；　which　they　afterwards　give　to　their　wives。

Several　of　these　Galles　came　to　see　me；　and　as　it　seemed　they　had　never　beheld　a　white　man　before；　they　gazed　on　me　with　amazement；　so　strong　was　their　curiosity　that　they　even　pulled　off　my　shoes　and　stockings；　that　they　might　be　satisfied　whether　all　my　body　was　of　the　same　colour　with　my　face。　　I　could　remark；　that　after　they　had　observed　me　some　time；　they　discovered　some　aversion　from　a　white；　however；　seeing　me　pull　out　my　handkerchief；　they　asked　me　for　it　with　a　great　deal　of　eagerness；　I　cut　it　into　several　pieces　that　I　might　satisfy　them　all；　and　distributed　it　amongst　them；　they　bound　them　about　their　heads；　but　gave　me　to　understand　that　they　should　have　liked　them　better　if　they　had　been　red：　　after　this　we　were　seldom　without　their　company；　which　gave　occasion　to　an　accident；　which　though　it　seemed　to　threaten　some　danger　at　first；　turned　afterwards　to　our　advantage。

As　these　people　were　continually　teasing　us；　our　Portuguese　one　day　threatened　in　jest　to　kill　one　of　them。　　The　black　ran　in　the　utmost　dread　to　seek　his　comrades；　and　we　were　in　one　moment　almost　covered　with　Galles；　we　thought　it　the　most　proper　course　to　decline　the　first　impulse　of　their　fury；　and　retired　into　our　house。　　Our　retreat　inspired　them　with　courage；　they　redoubled　their　cries；　and　posted　themselves　on　an　eminence　near　at　hand　that　overlooked　us；　there　they　insulted　us　by　brandishing　their　lances　and　daggers。　　We　were　fortunately　not　above　a　stone's　cast　from　the　sea；　and　could　therefore　have　retreated　to　our　bark　had　we　found　ourselves　reduced　to　extremities。　　This　made　us　not　very　solicitous　about　their　menaces；　but　finding　that　they　continued　to　hover　about　our　habitation；　and　being　wearied　with　their　clamours；　we　thought　it　might　be　a　good　expedient　to　fright　them　away　by　firing　four　muskets　towards　them；　in　such　a　manner　that　they　might　hear　the　bullets　hiss　about　two　feet　over　their　heads。　　This　had　the　effect　we　wished；　the　noise　and　fire　of　our　arms　struck　them　with　so