The Travels of Ludovico di Varthema: In Egypt, Syria, Arabia Deserta and Arabia Felix, in Persia, India, and Ethiopia, A.D. 1503 To 1508. Ludovico di Varthema
ing the distinction to lineal descent; in fact, those who now use it in Yemen cannot lay claim to it on that score. On the other hand, in 'Amman it appears to have been conferred, by the general consent of the people, for some real or fancied excellence in the person of the sovereign ; and it is remarkable that whereas all the predecessors in the dynasty of the late Seyyed Sa'id bore the ap- pellation, he himself was never so styled except by Europeans, and his successor at Maskat is known only by the title of "Seyyed." I may also add that the title of "Imam" has fre- quently been given to renowned authors, either because they have at some period taken the lead in the religious services of the Mosque, or on account of their acknowledged learning and piety.
xliv INTRODUCTION.
It is easy to imagine, from the bare enumeration of these petty chiefdoms, that the country at this period was in a most distracted state but the genius and military prowess of ‘Amir soon effected a great change. One after another, most of the inland chiefs submitted to his sway, and in A.D. 1501 he made an attempt to capture Sanaa, but was ignominiously repulsed. Determined, however, not to abandon the project which he had conceived of removing the only impediment to his complete ascendancy over Yemen, he two years after collected a vast army, which according to the Ruah er-Ruah consisted of 180,000 men, including 3,000 cavalry, and after a severe conflict entered the capital in triumph.
Comparing the dates given by the Arabian historian with the probable time of Varthema’s arrival at Kadaa, there can be no doubt that the 80,000 troops which he saw reviewed there, and which he tells us marched two days after towards Sanaa, headed by the Sultan, was a portion of the army which shortly after, as has just been stated, succeeded in capturing that city. The coincidence is as perfect as it was undesigned, and the inference substantiates with the highest proof the authenticity of our author’s narrative.
After a similar digression, wherein he describes in detail the arms and military equipment of the Sultan’s army, Varthema invites us to return to his prison. There he would probably have languished for an in-
1 Prisons in many parts of the East arc attached to the palace or residence of the governor.
INTRODUCTION. xlv
definite period but for the intervention of one of the Sultan’s wives, whom he honors with the title of “queen,” who, impelled by various motives, interested her- self in his behalf, and employed her maidens to minister to his necessities. But Varthema, intent on effecting his escape, and reasonably doubtful whether the queen’s liberality alone was likely to promote that object, drew lots with his companion which of the two should feign madness—a stratagem of ancient date, if not of authority. (see 1 Sam. xxi. 13 — 15.) The lot fell on our traveler, and if in the course of his simulation he sometimes transgressed the bonds of decency, the freaks were not inconsistent with his assumed character; and his examination by two hermits, or sheikhs, who were sent for to decide on the case, would probably have resulted in a confirmation of his sanctity, but for the practical joke which he imprudently played on the persons of the venerable examiners, which sent them scampering from the prison, ex- claiming: “He is mad! He is mad! He is not holy!”
The amusement which these eccentricities afforded the Sultana and her attendants is so inconsistent with our notions of female modesty as to be almost incredible; nevertheless, if the inner life of many native harîms were similarly exposed to view, it would exhibit ladies of rank reveling in scenes far more revolting than those described in the “Chapter concerning the
1 It is a popular superstition throughout the East to attribute madness to the influence of a separate spirit acting upon the maniac.
xlvi INTRODUCTION.
Partiality of the Women of Arabia for White Men." What else, indeed, could reasonably be expected? Brought up without education, confined to the seclusion of the women’s apartments, and de- barred from sharing in public amusements, it is not surprising that the uncultivated mind of eastern females should follow its natural bent, and seek to satisfy the longing for enjoyment, inherent in us all, by kindred gratifications.
The queen was evidently convinced from the outset that our hero’s madness was merely a feint but he very discreetly resisted all her consequent blandishments, only availing himself of them as might best conduce to his own ends. Simulating sickness, he obtained her consent to visit a holy man at Aden renowned for miraculous cures, and was furnished, moreover, by her liberality with a camel and the very opportune gift of twenty-five ashrafi 1 for the journey. On reaching Aden, he forthwith engaged a passage on board a native ship which was to sail for India, via the Persian Gulf, in the course of a month, and, taking advantage of that interval to escape from the notice of the Adenites, he set out on an excursion into the interior.
In the subsequent pages, I have annotated so fully on the text of this part of our author’s wanderings, that it would be superfluous to notice any details here. The Arabic MS. Chronicles already men- tioned and Niebuhr’s Voyages, conjoined with per- sonal experience derived from natives of the country, have been my principal guides in illustrating his trip
1 The ashrafi appears to have been equivalent to a ducat, about 4s. 6d. of our money.
INTRODUCTION. xlvii
into Yemen; in fact, I am not aware that any others, in the shape of general travels, exist, unless it be the very meagre account given by Ibn Batuta in the fourteenth century. Varthema is undoubtedly the first European who has left us a description of this portion of Arabia, and between his time and the present, Niebuhr as far back as 1761, (with the exception of several brief personal narratives of the route between Mokha and Sanaa, and a trip from thence to Mareb by Mons. Arnaud in 1843) is the only European traveler who has penetrated into the country more than a few miles from the sea-coast. Even Niebuhr’s journey, performed in comparative security and luxury, does not embrace so large an extent of Yemen as that of our author but where- ever his testimony or that of others was available, it substantiates in a remark- able manner the accuracy of Varthema’s observations. The annexed abstract of his route conveys, in a tabular form, the different towns visited, with their approximate distances: —
General
Direction Miles
Aden to Damt,1 viâ Lahej and 'Az'az N.W. 120
Damt to Yerim, viâ, El-Makranah - E. 40
Yerim to Sanaa - N. 70
Sanaa to Ta'ez - S. 110
Ta'ez to Zebid - N. E. 70
Zebid to Dhamar - E.N.E. 65
Dhamar to Aden - S. 120
_______ Total 595
1 In a note on the text (p. 75) I have identified this place, which Varthema calls " Dante," with Niebuhr's Dimne; but on second thoughts I think it more likely that it represents his Denn, which he describes as "une petite ville, avec une bonne citadelle, et une place de foire." Voy. en Arabic, vol. iii. p. 214.
xlviii INTRODUCTION.
On his return to Aden, of which place he gives a very accurate description, Varthema again sought refuge in a mosque under pretence of sickness but when the time for departure arrived, he was smuggled on board by the conniving Arab skipper, who doubtless received some of the queen’s ashrafi which Her Majesty had given for a different purpose. Sailing towards the Persian Gulf, the vessel probably encountered one of those north-westerly gales which, at the season of the year when I have calculated the voyage to have been made, blow for several days together along the northeast coast of Arabia. Being obliged to veer, they ran with a fair wind for the northeast coast of Africa, anchoring first at Zaila, from whence they subsequently proceeded to the contiguous snug port of Berbera, Varthema’s account of Zaila comprises all that there is to be said of the place. He notices the large number of Abyssinian slaves which were ex- ported from thence to different parts,—a traffic which has only been arrested within the last few years;