The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, - Richard Hakluyt
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The voyage and trauell of M. Caesar Fredericke, Marchant of Venice, into the
East India, and beyond the Indies. Wherein are conteined the customes and
rites of those countries, the merchandises and commodities, as well of
golde and siluer, as spices, drugges, pearles, and other iewels:
translated out of Italian by M. Thomas Hickocke.
Caesare Fredericke to the Reader.
[Sidenote: Caesare Fredericke trauelled eighteene yeeres in the East
Indies.] I hauing (gentle Reader) for the space of eighteene yeeres
continually coasted and trauelled, as it were, all the East Indies, and
many other countreys beyond the Indies, wherein I haue had both good and
ill successe in my trauels: and hauing seene and vnderstood many things
woorthy the noting, and to be knowen to all the world, the which were neuer
as yet written of any: I thought it good (seeing the Almighty had giuen me
grace, after so long perils in passing such a long voyage to returne into
mine owne countrey, the noble city of Venice) I say, I thought it good, as
briefly as I could, to write and set forth this voyage made by me, with the
maruellous things I haue seene in my trauels in the Indies: The mighty
Princes that gouerne those countreys, their religion and faith that they
haue, the rites and customes which they vse, and liue by, of the diuers
successe that happened vnto me, and how many of these countreys are
abounding with spices, drugs, and iewels, giuing also profitable
aduertisement to all those that haue a desire to make such a voyage. And
because that the whole world may more commodiously reioyce at this my
trauell, I haue caused it to be printed in this order: and now I present it
vnto you (gentle and louing Readers) to whom for the varieties of things
heerein contented, I hope that it shall be with great delight receiued. And
thus God of his goodnesse keepe you.
A voyage to the East Indies, and beyond the Indies, &c.
[Sidenote: The authours going from Venice to Cyprus and Tripoly.] In the
yere of our Lord God 1653, I Caesar Fredericke being in Venice, and very
desirous to see the East parts of the world, shipped my selfe in a shippe
called the Gradaige of Venice, with certaine marchandise, gouerned by M.
Iacomo Vatica, which was bound to Cyprus with his ship, with whom I went:
and when we were arriued in Cyprus, I left that ship, and went in a lesser
to Tripoly in Soria, where I stayed a while. Afterward, I tooke my iourney
to Alepo, and there I acquainted my selfe with marchants of Armenia, and
Moores, that were marchants, and consorted to go with them to Ormus, and
wee departed from Alepo, and in two dayes iourney and a halfe, we came to a
city called Bir.
Of the city called Bir.
Bir is a small city very scarse of all maner of victuals, and nere vnto the
walles of the city runneth the riuer of Euphrates. [Sidenote: The river
Euphrates.] In this city the marchants diuide themselues into companies,
according to their merchandise that they haue, and there either they buy or
make a boat to carry them and their goods to Babylon downe the riuer
Euphrates, with charge of a master and mariners to conduct the boat in the
voyage: these boats are in a maner flat bottomed, yet they be very strong:
and for all that they are so strong, they will serue but for one voyage.
They are made according to the sholdnesse of the riuer, because that the
riuer is in many places full of great stones, which greatly hinder and
trouble those that goe downe the riuer. These boats serue but for one
voyage downe the riuer vnto a village called Feluchia, because it is
impossible to bring them vp the riuer backe againe. [Sidenote: Feluchia a
small city on Euphrates.] At Feluchia the marchants plucke their boats in
pieces, or else sell them for a small price, for that at Bir they cost the
marchants forty or fifty chickens a piece, and they sell them at Feluchia
for seuen or eight chickens a piece, because that when the marchants
returne from Babylon backe againe, if they haue marchandise or goods that
oweth custome, then they make their returne in forty dayes thorow the
wildernesse, passing that way with a great deale lesser charges then the
other way. [Sidenote: Mosul.] And if they haue not marchandise that oweth
custome, then they goe by the way of Mosul, where it costeth them great
charges both the Carouan and company. From Bir where the marchants imbarke
themselues to Feluchia ouer agains Babylon, if the riuer haue good store of
water, they shall make their voyage in fifteene or eighteene dayes downe
the riuer, and if the water be lowe, and it hath not rained, then it is
much trouble, and it will be forty or fifty dayes journey downe, because
that when the barks strike on the stones that be in the riuer, then they
must vnlade them, which is great trouble, and then lade them againe when
they haue mended them: therefore it is not necessary, neither doe the
marchants go with one boat alone, but with two or three, that if one boat
split and be lost with striking on the sholdes, they may haue another ready
to take in their goods, vntil such time as they haue mended the broken
boat, and if they draw the broken boat on land to mend her, it is hard to
defend her in the night from the great multitude of Arabians that will come
downe there to robbe you: [Sidenote: The Arabian theeues are in number like
to Ants.] and in the riuers euery night, when you make fast your boat to
the banckeside, you must keepe good watch against the Arabians which are
theeues in number like to ants, yet when they come to robbe, they will not
kill, but steale and run away. Harquebuzes are very good weapons against
them, for that they stand greatly in feare of the shot. And as you passe
the riuer Euphrates from Bir to Feluchia, there are certein places which
you must passe by, where you pay custome certaine medines vpon a bale,
which custome is belonging to the sonne of Aborise king of the Arabians and
of the desert, who hath certaine cities and villages on the riuer
Euphrates.
Feluchia and Babylon.
[Sidenote: The olde Babylon hath great trade with marchants still.]
Feluchia is a village where they that come from Bir doe vnbarke themselues
and vnlade their goods, and it is distant from Babylon a dayes iourney and
an halfe by land: Babylon is no great city but it is very populous, and of
great trade of strangers because it is a great thorowfare for Persia,
Turkia, and Arabia: and very often times there goe out from thence Carouans
into diuers countreys: and the city is very copious of victuals, which
comme out of Armenia downe the riuer of Tygris, on certaine Zattares or
Raffes made of blowen hides or skinnes called Vtrij. This riuer Tygris
doeth wash the walles of the city. These Raffes are bound fast together,
and then they lay boards on the aforesayd blowen skinnes, and on the boards
they lade the commodities, and so come they to Babylon, where they vnlade
them, and being vnladen, they let out the winde out of the skinnes, and
lade them on cammels to make another voyage. This city of Babylon is
situate in the kingdome of Persia, but now gouerned by the Turks. On the
other side of the riuer towards Arabia, ouer against the city, there is a
faire place or towne, and in it a faire Bazarro for marchants, with very
many lodgings, where the greatest part of the marchants strangers which
come to Babylon do lie with their marchandize. [Sidenote: A bridge made of
boats.] The passing ouer Tygris from Babylon to this Borough is by a long
bridge made of boates chained together with great chaines: prouided, that
when the riuer waxeth great with the abundance of raine that falleth, then
they open the bridge in the middle, where the one halfe of the bridge
falleth to the walles of Babylon, and the other to the brinks of this
Borough, on the other side of the riuer: and as long as the bridge is open,
they passe the riuer in small boats with great danger, because of the
smalnesse of the boats, and the ouerlading of them, that with the
fiercenesse of the streame they be ouerthrowen, or els the streame doth
cary them away, so that by this meanes, many people are lost and drowned:
this thing by proofe I haue many times seene.
Of the tower of Babylon.
The Tower of Nimrod or Babel is situate on that side of Tygris that Arabia
is, and in a very great plaine distant from Babylon seuen or eight miles:
which tower is ruinated on euery side, and with the falling of it there is
made a great mountaine, so that it hath no forme at all, yet there is a
great part of it standing which is compassed and almost couered with the
aforesayd fallings: this Tower was builded and made of foure square
Brickes, which Brickes were made of earth, and dried in the Sunne in maner
and forme following: first they layed a lay of Brickes, [Footnote: These
bricks be in thicknes six or seuen inches, and a foot and a halfe square.]
then a Mat made of Canes, square as the Brickes, and in stead of lime, they
daubed it with earth: these Mats of Canes are at this time so strong, that
it is a thing woonderfull to beholde, being of such great antiquity: I haue
gone round about it, and haue not found any place where there hath bene any
doore or entrance: it may be in my iudgement in circuit about a mile, and
rather lesse then more.
This Tower in effect is contrary to all other things which are seene afar
off, for they seeme small, and the more nere a man commeth to them the
bigger they be: but this tower afar off seemeth a very great thing, and the
nerer you come to it the lesser. My iudgment and reason of this is, that
because the Tower is set in a very great plaine, and hath nothing more
about to make any shew sauing the ruines of it which it hath made round
about, and for this respect descrying it a farre off, that piece of the
Tower which yet standeth with the mountaine that is made of the substance
that hath fallen from it, maketh a greater shew then you shall finde
comming neere to it.
Babylon and Basora.
From Babylon I departed for Basora, shipping my selfe in one of the barks
that vse to go in the riuer Tigris from Babylon to Basora, and from Basora
to Babylon: which barks are made after the maner of Fusts or Galliots with
a Speron and a couered poope: they haue no pumpe in them because of the
great abundance of pitch which they haue to pitch them with all: which
pitch they haue in abundance two dayes iourney from Babylon. Nere vnto the
riuer Euphrates, there is a city called Heit, nere vnto which city there is
a great plaine full of pitch, very maruellous to beholde, a thing almost
incredible, that out of a hole [Footnote: This hole where out commeth this
pitch is most true, and the water and pitch runneth into the valley or
Iland where the pitch resteth, and the water runneth into the riuer
Euphrates, and it maketh all the riuer to be as it were brackish with the
smell of pitch and brimstone.] in the earth, which continually throweth out
pitch into the aire with continuall smoake, this pitch is throwen with such
force, that being hot it falleth like as it were sprinckled ouer all the
plaine, in such abundance that the plaine is alwayes full of pitch: the
Mores and Arabians of that place say, that that hole is the mouth of hell:
and in trueth, it is a thing very notable to be marked: and by this pitch
the whole people haue great benefit to pitch their barks, which barks they
call Daneck and Saffin. When the riuer of Tygris is well replenished with
water, you may passe from Babylon to Basora in eight or nine dayes, and
sometimes more and sometimes lesse: we were halfe so much more which is 14
or 15 daies, because the waters were low: they may saile day and night, and
there are some places in this way where you pay so many medins on a baile:
if the waters be lowe, it is 18 dayes iourney.
Basora.
[Sidenote: Zizarij an ancient people.] Basora is a city of the Arabians,
which of olde time was gouerned by those Arabians called Zizarij, but now
it is gouerned by the great Turke where he keepeth an army to his great
charges.
The Arabians called Zizarij haue the possession of a great countrey, and
cannot be ouercome by the Turke, because that the sea hath deuided their
countrey into an Iland by channels with the ebbing and flowing of the sea,
and for that cause the Turke cannot bring an army against them, neither by
sea nor by land, and another reason is, the inhabitants of that Iland are
very strong and warlike men. [Sidenote: At the castle of Corna the riuer
Euphrates and Tygris do meet.] A dayes iourney before you come to Basora,
you shall haue a little castle or fort, which is set on that point of the
land where the riuers of Euphrates and Tygris meet together, and the castle
is called Corna: at this point, the two riuers make a monstrous great
riuer, that runneth into the sea, which is called the gulfe of Persia,
which is towards the South: Basora is distant from the sea fifteene miles,
and it is a city of great trade of spices and drugges which come from
Ormus. Also there is a great store of corne, Rice, and Dates, which the
countrey doth yeeld. [Sidenote: Ormus is the barrenest Iland in all the
world.] I shipped my selfe in Basora to go for Ormus, and so we sailed,
thorow the Persian sea six hundred miles, which is the distance from Basora
to Ormus, and we sailed in small ships made of boards, bound together with
small cords or ropes, and in stead of calking they lay betweene euery board
certaine straw which they haue, and so they sowe board and board together,
with the straw betweene, wherethorow there commeth much water, and they are
very dangerous. [Sidenote: Carichij an Iland in the gulfe of Persia.]
Departing from Basora we passed 200 miles with the sea on our right hand,
along the gulfe, vntil at length we arriued at an Iland called Carichij,
fro whence we sailed to Ormus in sight of the Persian shore on the left
side, and on the right side towards Arabia we discouered infinite Ilands.
Ormus.
Ormus [Footnote: Ormus is alwayes replenished with abundance of victuall,
and yet there is none that groweth in the Iland.] is an Iland in circuit
fiue and twenty or thirty miles, and it is the barrenest and most drie
Iland in all the world, because that in it there is nothing to be had, but
salt water, and wood, all other things necessary for mans life are brought
out of Persia twelue miles off, and out of other Ilands neere thereunto
adioyning, in such abundance and quantity, that the city is alwayes
replenished with all maner of store: there is standing neere vnto the
waters side a very faire castell, in the which the captaine of the king of
Portugall is alwayes resident with a good band of Portugalles, and before
this castell is a very faire prospect: in the city dwell the maried men,
souldiers and marchants of euery nation, amongst whom there are Moores and
Gentiles. [Sidenote: Great trade of merchandise in Ormus.] In this city
there is very great trade for all sorts of spices, drugges, silke, cloth of
silke, brocardo, and diuers other sorts of marchandise come out of Persia:
and amongst all other trades of marchandise, the trade of Horses is very
great there, which they carry from thence into the Indies. This Iland hath
a Moore king of the race of the Persians, who is created and made king by
the Captaine of the castle, in the name of the king of Portugall. At the
creation of this king I was there, and saw the ceremonies that they vse in
it, which are as followeth. The olde King being dead, the Captaine of the
Portugals chuseth another of the blood royall, and maketh this election in
the castle with great ceremonies, and when hee is elected, the Captaine
sweareth him to be true and faithfull to the King of Portugall, as his Lord
and Gouernour, and then he giueth him the Scepter regall. After this with
great feasting and pompe, and with great company, he is brought into the
royall palace in the city. This King keepeth a good traine, and hath
sufficient reuenues to maintaine himselfe without troubling of any, because
the Captaine of the castle doth mainteine and defend his right, and when
that the Captaine and he ride together, he is honoured as a king, yet be
cannot ride abroad with his traine, without the consent of the Captaine
first had: it behooueth them to doe this, and it is necessary, because of
the great trade that is in the city: their proper language is the Persian
tongue. There I shipped my selfe to goe for Goa, a city in the Indies, in a
shippe that had fourescore horses in her. [Sidenote: A priuilege for
Marchants.] This is to aduertise those Marchants that go from Ormus to Goa
to shippe themselues in those shippes that carry horses, because euery
shippe that carrieth twenty horses and vpwards is priuileged, that all the
marchandise whatsoeuer they carry shall pay no custome, whereas the shippes
that carry no horses are bound to pay eight per cento of all goods they
bring.
Goa, Diu, and Cambaia.
Goa is the principall city that the Portugals haue in the Indies, where is
resident the Viceroy with his Court and ministers of the King of Portugall.
From Ormus to Goa is nine hundred foure score and ten miles distance, in
which passage the first city that you come to in the Indies, is called Diu,
[Footnote: Off South extremity of Kathiawar Peninsula, Bombay Presidency.]
and is situate in a little Iland in the kingdome of Cambaia, which is the
greatest strength that the Portugals haue in all the Indies, yet a small
city, but of great trade, because there they lade very many great ships for
the straights of Mecca and Ormus with merchandise, and these shippes belong
to the Moores and Christians, but the Moores can not trade neither saile
into those seas without the licence of the Viceroy of the King of
Portugall, otherwise they are taken and made good prises. The marchandise
that they lade these ships withall commeth from Cambaietta a port in the
kingdome of Cambaia, which they bring from thence in small barks, because
there can no great shippes come thither, by reason of the sholdnesse of the
water thereabouts, and these sholds are an hundred or fourescore miles
about in a straight or gulfe, which they call Macareo, which is as much as
to say, as a race of a tide, because the waters there run out of that place
without measure, so that there is no place like to it, vnlesse it be in the
kingdome of Pegu, where there is another Macareo, where the waters run out
with more force than these doe. The principall city in Cambaia is called
Amadauar, it is a dayes iourney and an halfe from Cambaietta, it is a very
great city and very populous, and for a city of the Gentiles it is very
well made and builded with faire houses and large streets, with a faire
place in it with many shippes, and in shew like to Cairo, but not so great:
also Cambaietta is situate on the seas side, and is a very faire city. The
time that I was there, the city was in great calamity and scarsenesse, so
that I haue seene the men of the countrey that were Gentiles take their
children, their sonnes and their daughters, and haue desired the Portugals
to buy them, and I haue seene them sold for eight or ten larines a piece,
which may be of our money x.s. or xiii.s. iiii.d. For all this if I had not
seene it, I could not haue beleeued that there should be such a trade at
Cambaietta as there is: for in the time of euery new Moone and euery full
Moone, the small barks (innumerable) come in and out, for at those times of
the Moone the tides and waters are higher then at other times they be.
These barkes be laden with all sorts of spices, with silke of China, with
Sandols, with Elephants teeth, Veluets of Vercini, great quantity of
Pannina, which commeth from Mecca, Chickinos which be pieces of golde
woorth seuen shillings a piece sterling, with money, and with diuers sorts
of other marchandize. Also these barks lade out, as it were, an infinite
quantity of cloth made of Bumbast of all sorts, as white stamped and
painted, with great quantity of Indico, dried ginger and conserued,
Myrabolans drie and condite, Boraso in paste, great store of sugar, great
quantity of Cotton, abundance of Opium, Assa Fetida, Puchio, with many
other sorts of drugges, turbants made in Diu, great stones like to
Corneolaes, Granats, Agats, Diaspry, Calcidonij, Hematists, and some kinde
of naturall diamonds. There is in the city of Cambaietta an order, but no
man is bound to keepe it, but they that will; but all the Portugall
marchants keepe it, the which is this. There are in this city certain
Brokers which are Gentiles and of great authority, and haue euery one of
them fifteene or twenty seruants, and the Marchants that vse that countrey
haue their Brokers, with which they be serued: and they that haue not bene
there are informed by their friends of the order, and of what Broker they
shall be serued. [Sidenote: Marchants that trauell to the Indies must cary
their prouision of houshold with them.] Now euery fifteene dayes (as
abouesayd) that the fleet of small shippes entreth into the port, the
Brokers come to the water side, and these Marchants assoone as they are
come on land, do giue the cargason of all their goods to that Broker that
they will haue to do their businesse for them, with the marks of all the
fardles and packs they haue; and the marchant hauing taken on land all his
furniture for his house, because it is needful that the Marchants that
trade to the Indies carry prouision of housholde with them, because that in
euery place where they come they must haue a new house, the Broker that
hath receiued his cargason, commandeth his seruants to carry the Marchants
furniture for his house home, and load it on some cart, and carry it into
the city, where the Brokers haue diuers empty houses meet for the lodging
of Marchants, furnished onely with bedsteads, tables, chaires, and empty
iarres for water: then the Broker sayth to the Marchant, Goe and repose
your selfe, and take your rest in the city. The Broker tarrieth at the
water side with the cargason, and causeth all his goods to be discharged
out of the ship, and payeth the custome, and causeth it to be brought into
the house where the marchant lieth, the Marchant not knowing any thing
thereof, neither custome, nor charges. These goods being brought to this
passe into the house of the Marchant, the Broker demandeth of the Marchant
if he haue any desire to sell his goods or marchandise, at the prises that
such wares are worth at that present time? And if he hath a desire to sell
his goods presently, then at that instant the Broker selleth them away.
After this the Broker sayth to the Marchant, you haue so much of euery sort
of marchandise neat and cleare of euery charge, and so much ready money.
And if the Marchant will employ his money in other commodities, then the
Broker telleth him that such and such commodities will cost so much, put
aboord without any maner of charges. The Marchant vnderstanding the effect,
maketh his account; and if he thinke to buy or sell at the prices currant,
he giueth order to make his marchandise away: and if he hath commodity for
20000 dukets, all shalbe bartred or solde away in fifteene dayes without
any care or trouble: and when as the Marchant thinketh that he cannot sell
his goods at the prise currant, he may tary as long as he will, but they
cannot be solde by any man but by that Broker that hath taken them on land
and payed the custome: and purchance tarying sometimes for sale of their
commodity, they make good profit, and sometimes losse: but those
marchandise that come not ordinarily euery fifteene dayes, in tarying for
the sale of them, there is great profit. [Sidenote: Great store of men of
warre and rouers on the coast of Cambaia.] The barks that lade in
Cambaietta go for Diu to lade the ships that go from thence for the
streights of Mecca and Ormus, and some go to Chaul and Goa: and these ships
be very well appointed, or els are guarded by the Armada of the Portugals,
for that there are many Corsaires or Pyrats which goe coursing alongst that
coast, robbing and spoiling: and for feare of these theeues there is no
safe sailing in those seas, but with ships very well appointed and armed,
or els with the fleet of the Portugals, as is aforesayd. In fine the
kingdome of Cambaia is a place of great trade, and hath much doings and
traffique with all men, although hitherto it hath bene in the hands of
tyrants, because that at 75 yeeres of age the true king being at the
assault of Diu, was there slaine: whose name Sultan Badu. At that time
foure or fiue captaines of the army diuided the kingdome amongst
themselues, and euery one of them shewed in his countrey what tyranny he
could: but twelue yeeres ago the great Mogul a Moore king of Agra and
Delly, forty dayes iourny within the land of Amadauar, became the gouernour
of all the kingdome of Cambaia without any resistance, because he being of
great power and force, deuising which way to enter the land with his
people, there was not any man that would make him any resistance, although
they were tyrants and a beastly people, they were soone brought vnder
obedience. [Sidenote: A maruellous fond delight in women.] During the time
I dwelt in Cambaietta I saw very maruellous things: there were an infinite
number of artificers that made bracelets called Mannij, or bracelets of
elephants teeth, of diuers colours, for the women of the Gentiles, which
haue their armes full decked with them. And in this occupation there are
spent euery yeere many thousands of crownes: the reason whereof is this,
that when there dieth any whatsoeuer of their kindred, then in signe and
token of mourning and sorrow, they breake all their bracelets from their
armes, and presently they go and buy new againe, because that they had
rather be without their meat then without their bracelets.