Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuriesBarbaro, Giosofat
History
Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuries
Barbaro, Giosofat
Iran -- Description and travel; Voyages and travels
From the plaine through which this people passed, it did well appeare
that their nombre was very great, and so many that at a certain place
called BOSAGAZ, wheare I had a fissheng place about xl miles from Tana,
the fisshers telled me that they had fisshed all the wynter, and had
salted a great quantitie of MORONI and CAUIARI, and that certain of this
people cōmyng thither had taken all their fishe, aswell freshe as salte,
and all their CAUIARI, and all their salte, which was as bigge as that of
SIENIZA, in such wise that there was not a crome of salte to be founde
after they were goon. Thei brake also the pipes and barells, and tooke
the barell stafes wᵗʰ them, perchaunce to trym̄e their cartes withall.
And further, they brake iij litle mylles there made to grynde salte, only
for covetousenes of that litle yron that was in the myddest of them. But
that which was doon to me was cōmon to all other. For ZUAN DA VALLE, who
had a fisshing there also, hearing of this lordes cōmyng, digged a great
diche, and putt therein about xxx barrells of cauiari and to the entent
it shulde not be ꝑceaued, when he had covered wᵗʰ earth again, he burned
woodde upon it: but it availed not, for they founde it and left not a
iote thereof.
This people carie wᵗʰ them innumerable cartes of twoo wheeles higher than
ours be, which are closed wᵗʰ mattes made of reades, and ꝓte covered wᵗʰ
felte, parte wᵗʰ clothe, if they apꝓteigne vnto men of estimacōn. Some of
these cartes carie their houses vpon them which are made on this wise.
They take a cercle of tymber, whose dyameter is a pase and an halfe,
crossed wᵗhin fooʳthe wᵗʰ other halfe cercles: betwene the which they
bestowe their mattes of reade, and than is it covered wᵗʰ felte or cloth,
according to the habilitie of the person. So that whan they lodge they
take downe these howses to lodge in.
Two daies after that this Lorde was departed, certain of the towne of
Tana came vnto me, willing me to go to the walles, wheare one of the
Tartares taried to speake wᵗʰ me. I went thither and founde one that
tolde me howe EDELMUGH, the Lordes brother-in-lawe, was not ferre of, and
desired (if I coulde be so contented) to entre vnto the towne and to be
my ghest. I asked licence of the consule, which being obteigned, I went
to the gate and receaued him in wᵗʰ iij of his companye. For the gates
were all this while kept shutt. I had him to my hawse and made him good
cheare, specially wᵗʰ wyne, which pleased him so well that he taried twoo
daies wᵗʰ me: and being disposed to departe entreated me to go wᵗʰ him,
for he was become my brother; and, wheare as he went, I might go saufely;
and so spake some what to the merchaunts, whereof there was none there,
but that he wondered at it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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