The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
a place called Matarea, where the balme is refined: and therefore some will
say, that the trees which beare the balme growe in the said place, wherein
they are deceiued: for the sayde trees growe two dayes iourney from Mecca,
in a place called Bedrihone, which yeeldeth balme in great plenty, but
saluage, wilde, and without vertue, and therefore the Moores carying the
same within litle chests from Bedrihone to Matarea, where the trees being
replanted (be it by vertue of the soyle, or the water, aire, or any other
thing whatsoeuer) it sufficeth that heare they beare the true balme and
licour so much in these dayes esteemed of. In this place of Matarea there
are certaine little houses, with most goodly gardens, and a chappell of
antiquity, where the very Moores themselues affirme, that the mother of the
blessed Christ fleeing from the fury of wicked Herode there saued her selfe
with the childe, wherein that saying of the Prophet was fulfilled, Ex
Ægypto vocaui fillium meum. The which Chappell in the yeare of our Lorde
one thousand fiue hundred and foure, the Magnifico Daniel Barbaro first
Consull of that place went to visite, and caused it to be renued and
reedified, so that in these dayes there resort thither many Christians, who
oftentimes bring with them a Priest, to say masse there. Also about an
Harque-buz-shotte from Matarea is a spire of great height like to that at
Rome, and more beautifull to beholde. Neere vnto the olde Cairo are yet
twelue storehouses of great antiquitie, but now very much decayed, and
these till late dayes serued to keepe corne for behoofe of the kingdome,
concerning which many are of opinion, that the founder hereof was Ioseph
the sonne of Iacob, for consideration of the seuen deare yeares. [Sidenote:
Olde Thebes.] Also passing higher vp by the banke of Nilus, there is to bee
seene a fayre Citie ouerflowed with water, the which at such time as Nilus
floweth lyeth vnder water, but when the water returneth to the marke, there
plainely appeare princely palaces, and stately pillars, being of some
called Thebes, where they say that Pharao was resident. Moroeuer three
dayes iourney higher vp are two great images of speckled marble, all whole,
and somewhat sunke into the earth, being things wonderfull to consider of,
for the nose of either is two spannes and a halfe long, and the space from
one eare to the other conteineth tenne spannes, the bodies being
correspondent to their heads, and grauen in excellent proportion, so that
they are shapes of maruellous hugenesse, and these they call The wife, and
The daughter of Pharao.
Of the patriarke of Greece.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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