The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Another people of Arabia named Deboe, are for the great parte shepemasters,
and brieders. Parte of them notwithstanding, occupie husbandrie, and
tilthe. These haue suche plentie of gold, that oftetimes emong the cloddes
in the fieldes thei finde litle peables of golde as bigge as akecornes,
whiche thei vse to set finely with stones, and weare for owches aboute
their necke and armes, with a very good grace. They sell their golde vnto
their borderers for the thirde parte of Laton, or for the halfe parte of
siluer. Partly for that they nothing estieme it, and specially for the
desire of the thinges that foreiners haue. Nexte vnto them lie the Sabeis,
whose riches chiefely consisteth in encence, Myrrhe and Cinamome, howbeit
some holde opinion also that Baulme groweth in some places of their
borders. Thei haue also many date trees very redolente of smelle, and the
roote called Calamus.
There is in that contry a kinde of serpentes lurking in the rootes of
trees, of haulfe a foote lengthe, whose bitinge is for the moste parte
death. The plenty of swiete odours, and sauours in those quarters, doeth
verely stuffe the smelling. And to avoyde that incommoditie, they
oftentimes vse the fume of astincking gomme, and gotes heare chopped
together. Ther is no man that hath to do to giue sentence vpon any case but
the king. The mooste parte of the Sabeis apply husbandrie. The residewe
gatheringe of spices and drugges. They sayle into Ethiope for trade of
marchaundise, in barkes couered with leather. The refuse of their cinamome
and Cassian they occupy for firing. Their chiefe citie is called Saba, and
stondeth vpon a hyll. Their kynges succed by discente of bloude, not any
one of the kindred certeine, but suche as the people haue in moste honour,
be he good or be he badde. The king neuer dare be sene oute of his Palace,
for that there goeth an olde prophecie emong them of a king that shoulde be
stoned to deathe of the people. And euery one feareth it shoulde lighte on
him selfe. They that are about the king of the Sabeis: haue plate bothe of
siluer and golde of all sortest curiously wrought and entallied. Tables,
fourmes, trestles of siluer, and all furniture of household sumptuous aboue
measure. They haue also Galeries buylte vppon great pillours, whose
coronettes are of golde and of siluer. Cielinges voultinges, dores and
gates couered with siluer and golde, and set with precious stones:
garnisshinges of yuorye, and other rare thinges whiche emong men are of
price. And in this bounteous magnificence haue thei continued many yeres.
For why the gredy compasse how to atteyne honoure with the vniuste rapine
of other mennes goodes, that hath tombled downe headeling so many commune
wealthes, neuer had place emong them. In richesse equal vnto them, are the
Garrei, whose implementes of household are all of golde and siluer, and of
those and yuorie together, are their portalles, their cielinges, and
rophes, made.
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