Travels to Tana and Persia

by Giosofat Barbaro; Ambrogio Contarini

CHAPTER IV.

His Excellency the Ambassador leaves Spaan and returns in company with Ussuncassan to Tauris, where he meets the Ambassadors of the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Muscovy, and, after many audiences, takes leave of Ussuncassan.

On the 25th of November, as above mentioned, His Majesty left Spaan with his court, and all returned, with their families, to winter at Como. I accompanied His Majesty, and we travelled as nearly as possible through the same places by which we had come, lodging under tents, and wherever we settled, bazaars were established by those who are deputed to follow the camp with provisions and corn of every description.

On the 14th of December, 1474, we entered Como with His Majesty, where, with difficulty, I obtained a small house for our lodging, after staying two days under tents. We remained at Como with the king, who often summoned us to his presence, until the 21st of March, during which time we suffered considerably from the extreme cold. When we ate with His Majesty, he made us enter his apartment in the pavilion, but sometimes we remained outside, and departed without ceremony. When we dined with him, he took great pleasure in asking us about places in our country, and put some strange questions. His demeanour is certainly good; and he is constantly surrounded by men of rank. At least four hundred people sat daily at his entertainments, and sometimes many more, all seated on the ground. The food is brought to them in vessels of copper, and consists sometimes of rice; sometimes of corn, with a little meat; and it is a pleasure to see with what avidity it is eaten. The Shah and those who ate in his company, were served in an honourable manner, the dishes being abundant and well prepared. His Majesty always drinks wine at his meals; he appears to be a good liver, and took pleasure in inviting us to partake of the dishes which were before him. There were constantly present a number of players and singers, to whom he commanded whatever he wished to be played or sung, and His Majesty appeared to be of a very merry disposition. He was tall and thin, and had a slightly Tartar expression of countenance, with a constant colour on his face. His hand trembled as he drank. He appeared to be seventy years of age. He was fond of amusing himself in a homely manner; but, when too far gone, was sometimes dangerous. Take him altogether, however, he was a pleasant gentleman. We remained in Como, as I have said, till the 22nd of March. It would not be to the purpose for me to mention the number of times I had spoken to the Shah on the subject of my embassy; it may be understood by the result.

On the 21st of March, 1475, we left Como for Tauris with the whole lordo; that is, with all who followed the Shah, whose whole family, with the baggage, went on camels and mules, of which there were great numbers. We journeyed from ten to twelve miles a day, and sometimes, but rarely, twenty, when in search of good pasturage. It is the practice of the Shah to send his pavilion on to the place where he wishes to settle, and where there is good pasturage and water, and to which place the whole lordo sets out on the following night, and remain there till the grass is consumed, when they proceed to another place in a similar manner. The women are always the first on the ground to erect the tents and make preparations for their husbands. The Persians dress well; they are good horsemen, and ride the best horses they have. They are a very pompous nation, and their camels are so well caparisoned that it is a pleasure to look at them. Few are so poor as not to possess at least seven camels. So that, from a distance, one would suppose there were a great number of people, which is not actually the case. When the Shah arrived at Tauris he might have had in his company about two thousand men on foot. There never appeared to Messer Josefa Barbaro and myself more than five hundred horsemen following the Shah, as the rest went as they pleased. The tents of the Shah were exceedingly beautiful: the one in which he slept was like a chamber; it was covered with red felt, with doors, which would serve for any room. As we journeyed along, bazaars were established in the lordo, at which everything was to be had, but at a high price. We, with our tents, that is one for each, followed His Majesty and were frequently invited to partake of his hospitality. He also often made us presents of eatables, and certainly showed us great kindness, nor did we ever receive injury from any of his followers or from any one else.

On the 30th of May, 1475, at about fifteen miles from Tauris, there came to His Majesty a certain Friar Lodovico da Bologna, accompanied by six horsemen, who called himself the Patriarch of Antioch, and said that he was sent as ambassador from the Duke of Burgundy. The Shah immediately sent to ask us whether we knew him, on which we gave a favourable report of him to His Majesty.

On the 31st, the Shah sent for him in the morning, and also for us to be present at the audience. The Patriarch had brought with him three dresses of cloth of gold, three of crimson velvet, and three of violet cloth, which he presented to the Shah. The Shah made us enter his tent, and, having requested the ambassador to state his mission, the latter said that he had been sent by the Duke of Burgundy, in whose name he made great offers. He made a long speech, which seemed to have little effect upon the Shah, and which it is unnecessary here to repeat. We dined with His Majesty, who put many questions to the ambassador, which he answered; after which, we returned to our tents.

On the 2nd of June, 1475, we entered Tauris, and were provided with a lodging, and on the 8th we and the said Patriarch were sent for. And, although the Shah had told me four times previously that I should return to the Frank country, and that the Magnificent Messer Josafà Barbaro should remain with him, I constantly objected to this, nor did I think that any more would be said on that subject. When we appeared before His Majesty, he said to the Patriarch: “Thou shalt return to thy lord and inform him that I intend to abide by my promise of making war on the Ottoman, which I am on the point of doing”: with other words on the same subject. Then, turning to me, he said: “Thou also shalt go with this Casis to thy lord, and say that I am on the point of going to war with the Ottoman, and that they, too, wish to do the same. I cannot send a better or more efficient messenger than thou. Thou hast been to Spaan and returned with me, and hast seen everything, and mayest report to thy lord and to all the lords of Christendom.” When I heard this I was very much displeased, and replied that I could not do anything of the kind, for the reasons I assigned. He then said, with an angry look: “I wish and command thee to go, and of this my command I will write to your lord.” I then requested the Patriarch and Messer Josafà to give me their opinion; who both said that I could not do otherwise than obey. In deference, then, to their opinion and the wish of the Shah, I replied: “Sire, since such is your pleasure, I will, although loath, do what you command; and wherever I may be, I will speak of your Majesty’s great power and good will, for the satisfaction of all Christian princes, who, on their part, may wish to follow your Majesty’s example.” My answer appeared to please him, and he vouchsafed me a few gracious words in reply. When we left we were taken to another place, and the Patriarch and I received as a present from the Shah two very light robes made after the Persian fashion. We went again to the Shah, and, after saluting him, returned to our room, where he sent us each, as presents, a small sum of money, a horse, and a few trifles of small importance. He left Tauris this day, while we remained until the 10th, when we started together to go to His Majesty, who was encamped at the distance of about twenty-five of our miles from Tauris, at a place where there was water and good pasturage.

On the 10th, then, we started from Tauris and went to His Majesty’s encampment, and having pitched our tents in the accustomed place, remained many days until the grass was consumed. We then left, and proceeded about fifteen of our miles, to a place where we stayed till the 27th, when he took leave of us. During the last period we were with the Shah we were occasionally summoned to his presence, though not for any matter of importance, and sometimes we received presents of eatables.

On the 26th, we were summoned by His Majesty, and, before we entered the presence, were shown some very light articles of silk, lately made. We were also shown three presents, one of which was intended for the Duke of Burgundy, to be sent by the Patriarch, another for our Signory, and the third to be taken by a certain Marco Rosso, who had come as ambassador from the Duke of Muscovy, the Lord of Rossia Bianca. They consisted of Gesdi manufactures, two swords and tulumbanti, all things of a very light description. We were then summoned to His Majesty’s presence, where there were two of his Turks, whom he intended sending as ambassadors, one to the Duke of Burgundy and the other to the Duke of Muscovy. When the Patriarch and I made our salutations, he addressed us in these words: “You will go to your sovereigns and to the Christian princes, and tell them how I was on the point of setting out against the Ottoman, but that, having heard that he was in Constantinople, where he intends to remain the whole of this year, I did not deem it becoming to go in person against his people; I have, therefore, sent some of my forces against my disobedient son and some to annoy the Ottoman, and I have come to this place to be in readiness myself at a future time to attack the Ottoman. And this you will tell your sovereign lords and to the Christian princes.” He commanded his own ambassador to say the same. This language, and that which he had previously held, was very displeasing to me; but we could only reply that we would fulfil his commands. With this he dismissed us, and, as we were about to depart, we were made to stay till the morning. In the meantime, he caused all his foot-soldiers to assemble by the mountain side, and in the morning we were sent to a tent in a commanding situation, where there was one of the Ruischasan, who had the charge of the ambassadors, and who, after conversing with us about various things, said: “Here come a great many foot-soldiers; it will afford you tanfaruzzo (that is, amusement), to see them.” His slaves added, that those who came were in great numbers, but that great numbers also remained behind. The soldiers marched past the side of the mountain that we might the better see them. When they had passed, it was said that they might have amounted to ten thousand. Wishing to hear everything, we were assured that they were the same foot-soldiers who had come with the Shah, and that the review had been got up in order that we might report it. When the review was over the Shah gave us the letters, and we returned to our tents. Inquiring of various persons, and, among others, of Messer Josafà Barbaro, to ascertain the number of horse-soldiers there may have been with His Majesty, I heard that there were upwards of twenty thousand, or, taking the good and bad together, upwards of twenty-five thousand. Their arms are bows and swords, and shields worked with silk or thread. They have no lances. Most men of rank wear very beautiful helmets and cuirasses, and they have good and handsome horses. I have nothing more to say concerning the Persians, I have spoken sufficiently of their country, and of their manners, and of everything else. I might have been more diffuse, but at the risk of being tedious.