Caramano was lorde of Cilicia.
We departed from Venice wᵗʰ ij light galeys, and aftre vs came ij great galeys, well furnished wᵗʰ men and municōns, besides other presents that the forsaid most excellent Signoria sent to Assambei: wᵗʰ comission that I shulde arrive in the cuntrey of Caramano or on those sea costes wheare, if the said Assambei shulde come or sende, I shulde give all these things vnto him. The proporcōn was of artillerie, certein bombardes, springards, and hangonnes,[36] wᵗʰ powder, shott,[37] waggens, and other yrons, of divers sortes, to the value of iiijᵐ ducates. The souldeoʳˢ were crossbowes and handgones: cc vnder the leading of iiij conestables and one governoʳ, named Thomas of Imola, who had x men sufficiently provided for every governaunce. Than were there presentes of vessell of syluer to the value of three thousande ducates; cloth of golde and sylke to the value of ijᵐˡ vᶜ ducates. Scarletts and other fyne wollen clothes to the value of iijᵐ ducates. And so being arryved in the Ile of Cyprus we entered into Famagosta, and there togither came before the king, the Busshop of Romes[38] ambassadoʳ, King Ferdinandos ambassadoʳ, and we twoo, that is to weete Assambeis ambassadoʳ and I, wheare enquireng wheather we might go sauf through the cuntrey of Caramano into Persia, we founde that Ottomanno had gotten all the townes both on the sea costes and wᵗhin lande. By reason whereof we were constreyned to tarie a certein tyme in Famagosta. In which tyme (being desirouse to folowe on my ioʳney) I divers tymes, in companie of thambassadoʳ of Caramano (whom I founde in Cyprus) went wᵗʰ a light galey vpon the costes of Caramano: leaving thother ambassadoʳ behinde me. And on one tyme amongst other, I arryved in an haven, whereas standeth a certein castell called Sigi, and there we spake wᵗʰ the Lorde of that place:[39] who, notwᵗhstanding that he had lost all his fortresses, had yet about a cᵗʰ horses and some people that went as vagabonds about the cuntrey, which did all folowe him.
Stradiottes are light horsemen, Greekes.
This lordes elder brother[40] was goon to Assembei for succoʳ against Ottomanno, so that we, finding him of oʳ affection, talked wᵗʰ him; and in cōicacōn amongest other things reioiseng he saied vnto vs, that he had waited for vs and shewed lʳᵉˢ from Assambei, willeng him to be of good compforte, for the Venetian armie shulde shortlie come vnto him; by whose helpe he trusted to recover his astate, specially the places on the sea costes. Whereupon, I hearing that oʳ armie shulde come into those ꝑties, tooke order that our galeys which remayned of Famagosta, should come to Sigi. This meane while I hearde that our generall capitaigne Mʳ. Pietro Mocenico, together with the Proveditoʳ Mʳ. Vettorio Soranzo, and Mʳ. Stephano Malipiero, with the other galeys and capitaignes were arryved in the haven of Curcho;[41] wheare as is a faire castell of the same name. Wherefore incontinently I sent Augustino Contarini, the sopracomito vnto him; adviseng him that if he went about any enterprise I thought he shulde do well to come to Sigi, wheare I was, for that waye might he soonest obteigne victorie; howbeit, if he thought it not good, I was readie to folowe his comaundement. Sigi is but xx myles distant from Curcho; so that the generall capitaigne having herde my opinion (notwᵗʰstanding he had alreadie begonne his batterie there) lefte of and came wᵗʰ the armie vnto Sigi. In which armie were lvᵗⁱᵉ[42] galeys besides the twoo light and twoo great ones that I had brought that made up lx, all of oʳ most excellent signoria, xvj galeys of the King Ferdinandos, v galeys of the King of Cyprus, ij galeys of the great Mʳ of Rodes, and xvj galeys of the Busshopp of Romes,[43] which at that time remained at Modone. So that in all they were nynetie and nyne galeys. On the which there were ccccxl horses of ours wᵗʰ their stradiotte,[44] that is to wete, viij in every galey, v galeys excepted, which in dede had no horse. As soone as they arryved in the haven they landed their horses and a good ꝓᵗᵉ of the people, who made themselfs readie. The next daie folowing the capⁿᵉ sent for me, and told me that the castell seemed vnto him verie stronge, and by reason of the site in maner not expugnable, because it standeth on the height of an hyll, and therefore asked myne opinion. I answered it was vndoubtedly very stronge, but that, on thother side again, there passed not xxv good men in it to garde and defende it, being a myle in compasse; wherefore I made my rekenyng that folowing thentreprise we shulde soone obteigne it, he pawsed a great while and answered nothing, but wᵗhin two howres after he sent his admirall vnto me, saying that he was determyned to go through with thentreprise, bidding me to be of good compforthe. Whereupon I went streight to warne Theminga, a capⁿᵉ of the caramano, who likewise reioysed much, and made me to declare it vnto his lord, which I did; and so retorneng by Theminga came to oʳ capitaigne that than travailed for the preparacon of thassaulte. The next morning about iiij houres of the day, Theminga tolde me there came one out of the castell to him, offering to yelde the castell if we wolde save their persons and their goodes, which I declared to oʳ capitaigne; and so was commanded by him to promise, by means of Theminga, that they and all theirs, wᵗʰ their goodes, shulde be saufe, and that in case they were not disposed to contynewe there they shulde be saufely conducted whither they wolde. Having declared this to Theminga, he wolde I shulde go speke wᵗʰ the lorde of the castell; and so went to the gate, wheare, through a little square wyndowe, I spake wᵗʰ him, and, aftre many woordes, he concluded that vpon this condicion rehearsed he wolde deliver the castell. Whereupon, the promise being made, he opened the gates and suffered me wᵗʰ oʳ Admyrall and three of oʳ galeymen, wᵗʰ oʳ interpretoʳ to enter. I asked him wheare he wolde be, he answered that he desired to go into Soria; and for his more suretie to be conducted wᵗʰ his wife, children and goods by one of oʳ galeys, which I promised him. And so incontinently he caused his goodes to be packed, whereof a great deal was made readie before, and he issued out of the gate wᵗhall, and the rest of those that were in the castell aftre him, which were to the nombre of clⁱᵉ ꝑsons in all, and descending downe the hyll mett wᵗʰ oʳ capitaigne that was comyng up wᵗʰ a good nombre of galeymen to receaue the castell, which galeymen, neither for the capⁿᵉˢ commandement nor yet for thretenyng, wolde forbeare the spoyle of those goodes and persons, being not a litle grief to the capitaigne and proveditoʳ, and to all them that had vnderstanding, considering the faithful promise that had been made in their name. Thus having receaued the castell I retoʳned to the galey, and that evenyng late the capⁿᵉ sent for me, lamenting wonderfully the chaunce that was happened, willing me to go to the capitaine of the Caramano to excuse him, and to declare what I thought convenient touching the disobedience and rage of the galeymen; and what he further mynded to do, as well in their favoʳ that had been robbed as against them that had com̄itted the roberie. Thus being retoʳned to the seaside, I founde myne interpretoʳ wᵗʰ an asse laden wᵗʰ these goods, which I not only caused incontinently to be taken from him, but also made him to be well beaten. Than went I to Theminga, capⁿᵉ to caramano, and whan I had excused the matter as I was appointed, in conclusion I promised him the next daye following all thinges shulde be restored. He receaued me thankfully, saieing that it greved him that the lorde of Sigi wᵗʰ all his (being rebells vnto his lorde) had not been slayne, wherefore seing he passed so litle vpon that which was happened, I salued the matter, saieng it was convenient we shulde observe oʳ promise made vnto them, and that the thing so chaunced proceaded of the galeymennes furie sore against the captaignes, proveditors, and all the sopracomitos willes. Whan I was retoʳned vnto oʳ capitaigne, he commanded Mʳ. Vettor Soranzo, wᵗʰ certein sopracomiti, to see the persons and goods taken contrarie to thappoinctmᵗ recovered. Whearevpon, early in the moʳneng, cries were made vpon great penaltie that everie man shulde bringe on lande as well the persons as the goods so taken, and besides this the galeys were dilygently searched. The persons were all founde, and a great ꝑte of the goodes, whereof those of smallest valewe were cast on a great heape, and such parte of it taken out as apꝑertaigned to the Lorde, and likewise out of the sackes or elswheare all that was his was had out, and all togither brought into the galley of Mʳ Vettor Soranzo, the proveditoʳ, because the Lorde wᵗʰ his wief were entered into that galey, vnto whom all the things that coulde be founde were presented. And for the rest of the peoples goodes they were all assigned to their own captaigne, who made a crye that every one shulde come fooʳthe and take his owne, and so they did. It was thought this lorde shulde have no small treasure lefte him by his father, and, as it appeared, what of preciouse stones, perles, golde, sylver, and clothe, there were doseins of thousande ducates. For proof whereof one sopracomito, a Candiot, which had twoo sackes of the said goodes thone whereof be restored, and caried thother wᵗʰ him vnto Rodes: wheare he died; bequethed vnto the said lorde in recompense of that which he had of his viijᶜ ducates. This doon, twoo of the same lordes bretherne came to hym into the galey, and wᵗʰ divers reasons so ꝑsuaded him, that he consented to retoʳne to lande againe wᵗʰ all his; wheare, shortly after, the galeys being departed, they caused him to die; and, as though that had been but a small matter, thone of them also maried his brothers wief.
Archipelago was sometime Mare Egeū.
Tharmye retoʳned to Curcho, before named: and whan the men were landed the bombards were bestowed in their place to batter likewise that castell: in the which was a garryson of Ottomanos men, and there also was the Lorde Caramano arrived wᵗʰ his men: and having taken the first wall they yelded, bodie and goods saved: so that we tooke the castell and restored it vnto Caramano. Aftre this I, wᵗʰ certein of Caramanos company went to Silephica, a famoᵘse towne[45] likewise gotten by Ottomano, and thretened them wᵗhin; but if they wolde not yelde the towne (for the wᶜʰ their bodies and goodes shulde be saved) they shulde be assaulted, and ꝓchaunce whan they wolde yelde they shulde not be accepted, but be hewen to peeces: wherevnto I was answered that I shulde departe for that tyme in Godds name; and the next mornyng they wolde signifie vnto Caramano what their entent was: which in effect proved so, for they hadde him come to receave it, and they accordingly yelded. Vpon this our capitaigne, wᵗʰ all tharmie, retoʳned into Cyprus, disposing themselfs to abide neere vnto Famagosta, to take ordre for the rule and governance of that Ilande, bicause King James[46] happened to dye while we were in Caramanos lande. And having establisshed all things well there, wᵗhin a fewe daies they went towardes the Archipelago, and I remaigned in the haven of Famagosta with three light galeys and twoo great: togither wᵗʰ the conestable and souldeoʳˢ that were comitted vnto me by the most excellent Signoria, wheare I taried a certein space. This, meane while, there arryved two galeys of King Ferdinandos, in the which was the Archebusshop of Nicosia, a Catelaine borne, and wᵗʰ him a messynger of the kings to treate of the mariage of a bastarde doughter of King James.[47] Amongst which practises there happened one night a great alarme, wᵗʰ ryngeng of belles: insomuch that the busshop, wᵗʰ those that folowed him gate the markett place and consequently the towne: and aftre that had Cirenes[48] wᵗʰ the rest in maner of all the Ilande at his cōmaundement. But oʳ capitaigne-generall hearing of the passaige of these twoo galeys, wᵗʰ the busshop eastwardes, suspected they went into Cyprus: and therefore sent Mʳ. Vettor Loranzo, the Proveditor, wᵗʰ x light galeys aftre him: who arryved at Famagosta, and founde one of the said galeys in the haven there, and aftre longe reasonyng the said busshop wᵗʰ his complices agreed to restore the towne and all that they had taken, and so to departe. Which doon, King Ferdinandos ambassadoʳ retuʳned to Naples, and the Busshop of Romes remaigned still in Famagosta. I, wᵗʰ Assambeis ambassador, desirouse to furnishe my ioʳney (having first sent backe into Candia the twoo great galeys, wᵗʰ thartillerie and presents before named, by appoinctement of the Signoria, who caused ꝑte of it to remaigne there, and parte to be had againe to Venice), caused the souldeoʳˢ to remaigne for the garryson of Cyprus, and wᵗʰ a light galey retoʳned to Curco, the site whereof I shall nowe describe, bicause I haue not spoken of it before. This Curco standeth on the sea, and hath forneagainst it westwarde a rocke, the thierde parte of a myle in compasse,[49] on the which heretofore hath been a castell both stronge and faire and well wrought, though at this present it be greatly decaied. On the principall gates were graven certein lᵗʳᵉˢ, which seemed verie faire and lyke to the Armenians, but in an other kinde than those which the Armenians vse at this present: for I had certein Armenians there wᵗʰ me which coulde not reade them.[50] This broken castell is distant from Curco towardes the mowthe of the haven, the shoote of a crosbowe, and Curco is partely edified on a rocke, and partely it hangeth downe hill towards the sea. Out of the rocke is hewen a great dyche on theaste side, and on the sande towardes the hyll side is an exceading stronge wall, scarfelled, that it can not be annoyed wᵗʰ artyllerie. Such an other place is likewise in the castell wᵗʰ exceading great walles and most stronge, towards which in all may compasse twoo thirde partes of a myle, and the same hath also vpon the gates (which arr twoo) certein Armenian lᵗʳᵉˢ graven. Everie habitac̃on of this towne hath his cisterne of freshe water, and in the open streates arr iiij very great cisternes of exceading pure water, sofficient to furnishe a verie great citie. In the high waie, a boweshoote out of the towne eastewardes, arr certein arches of marble, of one peece (for the most parte broken), wᶜʰ contynewe on both sides the waie to a certein churche halfe a myle distant: seemyng to haue been a verie great thinge and all wrought wᵗʰ very great pillers of marble and other excellent things.
The grounde about the towne is hyllie and stonye, liek vnto that of Istria, and hath been inhabited by the subiects of the Lorde Caramano. There groweth much wheat, cotton, and cattaill, and specially they breed many oxen and horses, and haue excellent fruictes of divers sortes: the ayre being as ferre as I coulde ꝑceaue very temꝓate, but what cace the country is in at this present I wot not; for I heare saie it hath been destroied by Ottomano. Neere to the seaside arr ij castells, one of Sigi, before named, buylded on an hyll, and an other very stronge. The first whereof is wᵗhin a bowe shoote of the sea and thother vj myles distant from that.
Likewise on the sea-side, departing from Curco, ten myles northwest is Seleucha,[51] on the top of an hyll; under the which reñeth a ryver[52] that falleth into the sea beside Curco, about the bignesse of Brenta: and neere vnto this hill is a theatre liek vnto that of Verona, verie great, and environed wᵗʰ pillers of one peece, and gryses[53] about. Clymbeng the hyll, to enter the towne on the lefte hande, arr seene many arches, parte of one peece (as it is said before) separate from the hill, and partely digged out of the same hill. And clymbing a little higher, ye enter the gates of the first circuite to the towne, which stande in maner on the height of the hill, wᵗʰ a great towne on either side, and arr of yron, wᵗhout any tymber, about lᵗⁱᵉ[54] foote high and half as broad, wrought no lesse finely than as if they were sylver, exceding thicke and stronge. The wall is verie great, full wᵗhinfooʳthe wᵗʰ his garde before which is so well laden and covered wᵗhout fooʳth wᵗʰ verie harde earth, and so well cowched[55] that by it ye can not clymbe to the walles; and this earthe environneth them and defendeth so much from the walles that the circuite thereof bylowe is iij myles, wheare the wall itself is not pas a myle about, so that it is made like a suger loofe. Within this circle is the castell of Seleucha, wᵗʰ the walles full of towres, between which wall and the vtter wall there is so much voide grounde as for neede wolde beare ccc busshells of wheate, and leave aboue xxx paces space between it and the inner warde. Within this castell is an holowe quadrant digged out of the rocke, v paces deepe, xxx paces longe, and about vij paces broade; wherein was much tymber for munic̃ion, and, besides that, a great cisterne that can never lacke water.
At this time there was a Soldan in Egipt.
This towne is in the Lesse Arminie,[56] stretching towards the mountaigne Taurus, called in their tonge Corthestan. I aboade awhile in this place, and afterwardes took my ioʳney towards Persia. And notwᵗʰstanding that there was an other waie, yet went I by the sea costes, and the first day wᵗʰout longe ioʳney, passeng fooʳthe of Caramanos domynion, I arryved at a good citie called Tarsus, the lord whereof is named Dulgadar, brother to Sessuar. This countrey, though it be in the Greater Armenie, is nevertheles vnder the souldanes subiection. The citie is iij miles of compasse, and hath a ryver besides it,[57] whereon standeth a stone bridge vaulted, by the which they passed out of the towne, and the ryver doth almost environe the towne. In this citie also is a stronge castell embatailed on both sides wᵗʰ walles of xv paces high of stone, all wrought with the ham̄er;[58] before the wᶜʰ is an excellent voide place, square and plaine, that leadeth to a staier entering to the castell, and is so longe and large as woll easily conteigne an c[59] men; and this towne standeth on a litle hill not verie high. A daies ioʳney from thense is Adena, a verie great towne with a mightie ryver rennyng by it,[60] over the which is a stone bridge of xlᵗⁱᵉ paces longe, on which bridge (being in company of certein suffi, as who wolde saie pilgrymes) we being also clothed after their maner, these suffi beganne to daunce in spirite, one of them syngeng celestiall things of the ioyes of Macomett, beginneng meeryly and softely,[61] and aftrewards, by litle and litle, strayneng the measure faster, according to the tewnes, whereof they that daunced amended their paces and their leapinges so that divers of them fell to the grounde and laye as in a traunce, which caused much people to assemble wondring at them, till the felowes of them that fell tooke them vp and caried them to their lodgings. And thus did they at everie lodging, and many tymes also by the waie as though they were forced to do it. The towne of Adena, and likewise the region, maketh many fustians, and is under the soldanes domynion, standing likewise in Armenie the Lesse. I forbeare to speak of the rewynowse townes and castells that arr betwene that and Euphrates, because there is nothing notable. Thus being arryved at Euphrates, we founde there a boate of the soldanes hable to transporte xvj horses, and this boate was verie straunge in the which we passed the ryver. Neere vnto this ryver are certein caves in the rockes, to the which they that passe make their refuge whan tempest or yll wheather happeneth. On thother side arr certein villaiges of Armenie, wheare we laie one night, and so being passed the ryver we arrived at a towne called Orphe,[62] apꝓteineng to the King Assambei, and governed by Valibech, brother to the same king. This has sometime been a great towne, but it was in maner vtterly destroyed by the soldane when the King Assambei went to the siege of Bir.[63] It hath a castell vpon the hyll indifferent stronge. And at this place the lorde thereof vnderstode what I was, and seemed to see me gladly; insomuch that I deliuered him my l’res, which he caused to be well conveighed. Of this towne I can saie no more, bicause it was defaced, for the lorde himself dwelled there but fearefully. After this, we came to the foote of one hyll that stoode vpon another hyll, and hath a citie called Merdin, wherevnto there is but one waie being a staier enforced the grises[64] whereof arr of free stone of iiij paces brode a peece and so endureth a myle longe. At the toppe of this staier is a gate, and wᵗhin that a waie that leadeth to the towne, and within the towne is an other hill, in maner hewen rounde about, on the which standeth a castell of l paces high, to whose entrey is made such an other staier as the first. This towne hath none other walles but those of the houses, and is of leingth the iijᵈᵉ parte of a myle, conteyneng about ccc houses wᵗhin it, well peopled. They make very many silkes and fustians, and it belongeth also to the King Assambei. The Turkes and Moores arr wont to saie that it is so high that they which dwell in it do never see birdes flee over them. Here I was lodged in an hospitall founded by Ziangirbei, brother of the King Assambei, in the which they that reasorte thither arr fedde, and if they seeme ꝑsons of any estimac̃on they haue carpetts layed vnder their feete better woʳthe than an hundreth ducates a peece. In which place there happened me a straunge cace: and verie rare in oʳ ꝓties. Sitteng one daye alone in the hospitall, there came vnto me a Carandolo; that is to saie, a naked man shaven, wᵗʰ a goate skynne about him, browne, about xxx yeres of age, and sate downe by me, takeng out of his sachell a litle booke, whereon he beganne to reade devowtely, wᵗʰ good maner, as we use to saie oʳ praiers: wᵗhin a while aftre he ytched neere me, and asked what I was: wherevnto answering him that I was a straungier, he saied, and I also am a straungier to this worlde, and so be we all: wherefore I haue lefte it and entende to folowe this trade[65] vnto myne ende: wᵗʰ so many good and eloquent wordes, that to lyve well and modestly he wondrefully compforted me to despise the world: saieng, thoʷ seest howe I go naked through the worlde, whereof I haue seene parte[66] and yet haue founde nothing that pleaseth me: and therefore haue determyned vtterly to habandon it. Being departed from Merdino, we rode sixe ioʳneys, and came to a towne of the King Assambeis called Asancheph. On the right hande whereof before ye come to it in the syde of a litle hill, there be a nombre of habitations digged out of the verie hill, and on the lyfte hande is anoʳ hyll whereon the towne is buylded, vnder the foote of which hyll arr many caves enhabited, those caves on thone side of the hill being innumerable and all high enough from thearthe, wᵗʰ their streates or waies that leade to those habitations, whereof some arr xxx paces high; insomuch that as the people and cattaill passe by those streates or waies it seemeth they walk in thayre they arr so high. Following this waie and toʳneng on the lyfte hande ye enter the towne, wherein arr fustian merchaunts and other occupiers, the towne being a great throwefare. It is a myle and an halfe of circuite wᵗʰ the suburbes, with many faire howses and some Moschees in it. Out of it ye passe a faire deepe ryver[67] of xxx paces brode, over a bridge of huge tymber, which by force of the only weight standeth vpon the heades of other peeces of tymber that arr dryven into the earth, for the ryver is so deepe that no one peece can reache it. Aftre we had passed this mountaigne we went through champaignes and hylly cuntreys, not high nor trowblouse, from whense about twoo daies ioʳney eastwarde we came to a towne called Sairt,[68] which is made Trianglewise, and on thone ꝓte hath an indifferent stronge castell, wᵗʰ many great towres, on which side the walles arr somewhat decaied: showing the towne nevertheles to have been very faire, being three myles of compasse, very well enhabited, and furnished indifferently wᵗʰ howses, moschees, and faire fountaignes. At thentree whereof we passed two ryvers over ij bridges of stone of one arche apeece, vnder the which one of oʳ great barges might passe wᵗʰ his mast vpright: for they be both great ryvers, and swifte, thone called Bettalis, and thother Isan; and to this place stretcheth the lesse Armenia, wheare arr no great hilles, nor great woods, nor yet any buyldings different from the accustomed. And throughout that region arr many villaiges, the people whereof live by tillaige, as they do here. They have corne, frutes, and many fustians, oxen, horses, and other beastes enough; besides this, they have goates, wᶜh they sheare yerely, and of their heare make chamletts, wherfore they governe them very diligently, keeping them wasshed and neate.