The auncient City of Gaza.Againe night we declined towards Gaza, and there stayed in a fine Cane prepared for Travellers; where the whole Caravan, Souldiers, Camels, Dromodores, Mules, and Asses were all well satisfied and refreshed: The next morning we went to the Bezestan or market place, and there furnished our selves with provision of Bread, Hens, Egges, Garlicke, and Onions, sufficient enough to carry us through the desarts being ten dayes journey. Gaza now is called Habalello, and is composed of twelve hundred fire-houses, and sensible against the incursions of Arabs: The ruvid Cittizens, being Turkes, Moores, Jews, domeseticke Arabians, with a few Georgians, & Nostranes.
There is a Garrison here of Souldiers, and a Turkish Captaine, that commandeth the Towne and Castle: In [VI. 292.]the afternoone, we set our faces forward to that fearefull Wildernesse, and travailed or night twelve miles, pitching our Tents beside a source or standing Well. Here our Guard, kept a strict Watch about us all night; and I kept as well the Germanes from langour, cherishing them with joviall merriments, for they were my inward friends, yet of a faint and fearefull nature. At the breach of day we set forward, passing through diverse Rockey and shrubby heights, till afternoone, and then wee declined to a sandy valley: Where when come, what with the deepnesse Burning Sands.of the Way, and the great heate reflexing upon the sand, and from the Sand to our faces, we were miserably turmoiled, especially I, who went alwayes on foote.
Having past this wearisome bottome, and before night marching along the skirt of a craggy Hill, two hundred Arabs broake out upon us from holes and bushes, and shrewdly annoyed our Company with Arrowes, till a contribution of sixteene Piasters was sent to them. The halfe of that night we pitched our Tents, in a pastorable Wild Arabs selling water.plaine, where some scattering Arabs, sold us Water in Wooden Cups, carrying it in Wilde Boare skins upon their naked backes. Two of which Savages our Captayne hyred, to guide us the next day to the first Castle of the three, that were built by the Turkes, and a dayes journey distant one from another; beeing each of them strongly guarded with Souldiers, and that for the reliefe of Caravans, being the most dangerous, and most desolate place in the Desarts.
Our Guides the day following, brought us through the best and safest places of the Country, where we found certayne profitable parts, planted with haire-cloath tents, and over-cled heere and there with spots of Sheepe and Goates: and yet were we not there without the invasion of stragling Arabs, and paying of tributes, which the [VI. 293.]Captaine defrayed for us, our condition being formerly made so at Jerusalem. Before night with great heat, and greater drouth, we approached to the first Castle, where the Captayne thereof received us kindly, causing our Tents to be pitched round about the Quadrangled Tower. Here we had abundance of Water (though I would rather have had Wine) to suffice the whole Company, drawne out of a Cisterne, and reposing safely uppon the hard ground, the Castle Garrison watched us, and our guard watched them.
Grievous and desertuous travelling.Thence with a new Guide the sequell morne, we marched through a fiery faced plaine, scorch’d with burning heate, and deepe rolling Sand, where diverse of our smallest Beasts perished, with sixe men and Women also in relieving their overwhelmed Asses. Long or midday, having got to a hard height, we pitched our Tents, reposing under their shaddowes till the evening, for wee were not able to indure the intollerable heate of the Sun; and so did wee likewise over-umbrate our selves every mid-day. The vigour of the day gone, and the cooling night come, we advanced forward to the middle Castle, being led by our Guide, and the pale Lady of the night leading him: Where when come, wee found neyther that Fort answerable to the former in strength, nor the Captaine so humane as the other was: Here wee were all offended with the scarcity of Water, the Captayne playing the Villaine, crossed us, because the Caravanship were Christians; at last about mid-night some 30. Arabs, came to us loaden with Water, carried on their backes. To whom we payed for every Caraff, beeing an English quart, three Aspers of silver, ten Aspers going to a shilling: Whereof my kinde Dutch-men drunke too [VI. 294.]much, the Water being thicke and of a brounish colour; and hot like pisse, offended their over-wained stomackes; which as I supposed, was the chiefest cause the next day of some of their Deaths.
After mid-night, the Turkish Captaine, and our Caravan fell at variance, about Water to our Beasts, who were ready to choake, and if they had not bin prevented with Souldiers on both sides, it had drawne us and them, to a finall mischiefe. The discord unpacified, before the following day, and within night, we imbraced our wilsome and fastidious Way, journying through many dens, and umbragious Caves, over-shaded with mouldring heights; Savage women having their Child-bed in Caves.in some whereof we found Savage Women lying in their Barbarous child-bed: having their bodies naked (the fore-face of their Wombe excepted) their beds were made of soft Sand, and over-spread with leaves a foote thicke; whose new borne Babes lying in their armes, were swadled with the same Leaves. And for all their sicknesse, which was very small, they had none of our Wives sugred sops, burnt Wines, Venison pasties, Delicate fare, and great Feasting, nor a moneths lying in, and then Churched, putting their husbands to incompatible charges. No, no, their food is onely Bread, Garlicke, Hearbes, and Water, and on the third or fourth day, in stead of their Churching, they goe with Bowes and Arrowes to the fieldes againe, hunting for spoiles and booties from passing Caravans.
Advancing in our course, we fell downe from the hils in a long bottome of Sand, above sixe miles in length: Wherein with sore Wrestling agaynst the parching Sun, and could get no ground to pitch our Tents to over shade us; three of our Germans, the two Barons, Signior Strouse, and Signior Crushen, with one Signior Thomasio, [VI. 295.]tumbled downe from their beasts backes starke dead, being The death of three Germane Gentlemen.suffocated with the vigorous Sunne, for it was in May, choaked also with extreame drouth, and the reflection of the burning sand; and besides their faire was growne miserable, and their Water worse, for they had never beene acquainted with the like distresse before, though it was alwayes my vade Mecum. Whereupon the Caravan staied and caused cast on their Corpes againe, on their owne beasts backes, and carrying them to the side of a hard Hill, we digged a hollow pit, and disspoyling them of their Turkish cloathes, I did with my owne hands cast them all three one above another, in that same hole, and covering the Corpes with mouldring earth, the Souldiers helped me to role heavy stones above their grave, to the end, that the bloody Jackals should not devoure their corpes; and to conclude this woefull and sorrowfull accident, the other Germanes alive bestowed on me their dead friends Turkish garments, because of my love and diligent care I ever did show them; which one of their empty Mules carried for me to Grand Cairo.
Whence with diverse assaults, and greater paines, accoasting The third Castle of the desarts.the third Castle, with as great bewailing the losse of our friends, as we had contentment in our owne safety, we found this third Captayne both humane and hospitable: Who indeede himselfe in person with his Garrison, watched us all night, and had a speciall care in providing Water for us all, propining our Captayne and us eight Frankes before supper, with three roasted Hens, and two Capons: This Turkish Captayne told us there were three inhabited Townes in these Desarts, the chiefest whereof was Sehan, situate on the Red Sea, having a harbor and shipping, that Trade both to Ægypt and Æthiopia, whose commodities are silken stuffes and Spices [VI. 296.]which they transport from Meccha, and carrie to Melinda, and the afore-sayd places in Affricke: But now least I sinke in Prolixity, discoursing of sinking Sands, and make good the Italian Proverbe, Chi troppo abbracio, nulla stringe, viz. That he who would imbrace too much, can hold nothing fast. I decist from this Journall proceeding, and punctuall Discourse of my laborious Pen, wherein, notwithstanding the Reader (I having layd open more than halfe of the Wildernesse) may (like that learned Geometrician, who finding the length of Hercules foote on the Hill Olympus, drew forth the portraicture of his whole body thereby) easily conjecture by the former Relation, the sequell sight of these Desartuous places; and therefore the rest, I will onely Epitomize in generall till mine arrivall at Saleack on the Confines of Ægypt.
The bounds of the three Arabias.Arabia is bounded on the West, with the Red Sea, and the Ægyptian Istmus: On the North with Canaan, Mesopotamia, and a part of Syria: On the East with the Persian gulfe, Caldea, and Assiria: On the South with the great Ocean, and Indian Sea: This Countrey lyeth from the East to the West, in length about 900. and some 3500. miles in compasse. The people generally are addicted to Theft, Rapine, and Robberies: hating all Sciences Mechanicall or Civill, they are commonly all of the second Stature, swift on foote, scelerate, and seditious, boysterous in speech, of colour Tauny, boasting much of their triball Antiquity, and noble Gentry: Notwithstanding their garments be borne with them from the bare Belly, their food also semblable, to their ruvid condition, and as savagiously tame (I protest) as the foure footed Citizens of Lybia: They are not valourous, nor desperate in [VI. 297.]assaults without great advantage, for a 100. Turkes is truely esteemed to be sufficient enough to incounter 300. Arabs. Their language extendeth it selfe farre both in Asia, and Affricke, in the former, through Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Cilicia, even to the Mount Caucasus: In the latter, through Ægypt, Libia, and all the Kingdomes of Barbary even to Morocco.
This Arabia deserta, is the place where the people of Israel wandred forty yeares long, being fed with Manna from Heaven, and with water out of the driest rocks: In which is Mount Sinai, where the Law of the two The scurrile Arabian Desarts.Tables was promulgated. The most part of these Desarts is neither fit for herbage nor tillage, being covered over with a dry, and a thicke Sand, which the wind transporteth whither it listeth, in heapes and mountaines, that often intercept and indanger fatigated Travellers. The Inhabitants here are few, so are their Cities, their dwellings being in sequestrate dennes and haire-cloath Tents: The most of their wealth consisteth in Camels Dromidories, and Goats.