The following excerpts are taken from The Travels of Ludovico de Varthema, 1863.Translated by John Winter Jones, Ed. Hakluyt Society, London
Related articles: Travels, books and bad journalism
Related articles: Travels, books and bad journalism
About Persians
"Take a bladder of musk in the morning, fasting, and break it, and let three or four
men in file smell it, and it will immediately make blood flow from the nose, and this happens because it is real musk and not adulterated. I asked how long its goodness continued. Some merchants answered me: " That if it were not adul- terated it lasted ten years." Upon this it occurred to me that that which comes to our part is adulterated by the hands of these Persians, who are the most cunning men in intellect, and at falsifying things, of any nation in the world. And I likewise will say of them, that they are the best companions and the most liberal of any men who inhabit the earth. "
p. 102
"My companion said to me : 'Come here, Yunus: in order that you may be certain that I wish you well, and that you may have reason to know that I mean to exercise good fellowship towards you, I will give you a niece of mine who is called Samis, that is, the Sun'. And truly she had a name which suited her, for she was extremely beautiful. And he said to me further: 'You must know now that I do not travel about the world because I am in want of wealth ; but I go for my pleasure, and in order to see and to know many things'."
p. 104
men in file smell it, and it will immediately make blood flow from the nose, and this happens because it is real musk and not adulterated. I asked how long its goodness continued. Some merchants answered me: " That if it were not adul- terated it lasted ten years." Upon this it occurred to me that that which comes to our part is adulterated by the hands of these Persians, who are the most cunning men in intellect, and at falsifying things, of any nation in the world. And I likewise will say of them, that they are the best companions and the most liberal of any men who inhabit the earth. "
p. 102
"My companion said to me : 'Come here, Yunus: in order that you may be certain that I wish you well, and that you may have reason to know that I mean to exercise good fellowship towards you, I will give you a niece of mine who is called Samis, that is, the Sun'. And truly she had a name which suited her, for she was extremely beautiful. And he said to me further: 'You must know now that I do not travel about the world because I am in want of wealth ; but I go for my pleasure, and in order to see and to know many things'."
p. 104
Remarks concerning the Sultan Machamuth of Cambay: the poison-man
"The said sultan has mustachios under his nose so long that he ties them over his head as a woman would tie her tresses, and he has a white beard which reaches to his girdle. Every day he eats poison. Do not, however, imagine that he fills his stomach with it ; but he eats a certain quantity, so that when he wishes to destroy any great personage he makes him come before him stripped and naked, and then eats certain fruits which are called chofole, which resemble a muscatel nut. He also eats certain leaves of herbs, which are like the leaves of the sour orange, called by some tamboli; and then he eats some lime of oyster shells, together with the above mentioned things. When he has masticated them well, and has his mouth full, he spurts it out upon that person whom he wishes to kill, so that in the space of half an hour he falls to the ground dead. This sultan has also three or four thousand women, and every night that he sleeps with one she is found dead in the morning. Every time that he takes off his shirt, that shirt is never again touched by anyone; and so of his other garments; and every day he chooses new garments. My companion asked how it was that this sultan eats poison in this manner. Certain merchants, who were older than the sultan, answered that his father had fed him upon poison from his childhood." p. 109-10
> Wiki article on Machamut of Cambay
> Wiki article on Machamut of Cambay
The Brahmins deflower the king's wife
"It is a proper, and at the same time a pleasant thing to know who these Brahmins are. You must know that they are the chief persons of the faith, as priests are among us. And when the king takes a wife he selects the most worthy and the most honoured of these Brahmins and makes him sleep the first night with his wife, in order that he may deflower her. I do not imagine that the Brahmin goes willingly to perform this operation. The king is even obliged to pay him four hundred or five hundred ducats. The king only and no other person in Calicut adopts this practice."
p. 141
p. 141
After the death of the king
"The king being dead, and having male children, or brothers, or nephews on his brother's side, neither his sons, nor his brother, nor his nephews become king ; but the heir of the king is the son of one of his sisters."
p.143
p.143
The ceremonies which they perform after the death of the king
"The king being dead, and having male children, or brothers, or nephews on his brother's side, neither his sons, nor his brother, nor his nephews become king ; but the heir of the king is the son of one of his sisters."
p.143
p.143
The chapter showing how the pagans sometimes exchange their wifes
"The Pagan gentlemen and merchants have this custom amongst them. There will some times be two merchants who will be great friends, and each will have a wife ; and one merchant will say to the other in this wise :
- " Langal per- ganal monaton ondo ?" that is, " So-and-so, have we been a long time friends ? " The other will answer : " Hognan perga manaton ondo ;" that is, " Yes, I have for a long time been your friend."
The other says: "Do you speak the truth that you are my friend?
The other will answer, and say : " Ho ; " that is, " Yes."
Says the other one " Tamarani ? " that is, " By God " :?
The other replies: "Tamarani! "that is, "By God! "
" In penna tonda gnan pcnna cortu; " that is, " Let us exchange wives, give me your wife and I will give you mine."
The other answers:"Nipantagocciolli?" that is, " Do you speak from your heart ? "
The other says: "Tamarani!" that is, "Yes, by God!"
His companion answers, and says : " Biti banno ; " that is, " Come to my house."
And when he has arrived at his house he calls his wife and says to her : " Penna, ingaba idocon dopoi ; " that is, " Wife, come here, go with this man, for he is your hus- band."
The wife answers: "E indi?" that is, "Wherefore? Do you speak the truth, by God, Tamarani?"
The husband replies: " Ho gran patangociolli; " that is, "I speak the truth."
Says the wife : " Perga manno ; " that is, " It pleases me."
"Gnanpoi;"that is,"I go."
And so she goes away with his companion to his house. The friend then tells his wife to go with the other, and in this manner they exchange their wives; but the sons of each remain with him.
And amongst the other classes of Pagans above-mentioned, one woman has five, six, and seven husbands, and even eight. And one sleeps with her one night, and another another night."
- " Langal per- ganal monaton ondo ?" that is, " So-and-so, have we been a long time friends ? " The other will answer : " Hognan perga manaton ondo ;" that is, " Yes, I have for a long time been your friend."
The other says: "Do you speak the truth that you are my friend?
The other will answer, and say : " Ho ; " that is, " Yes."
Says the other one " Tamarani ? " that is, " By God " :?
The other replies: "Tamarani! "that is, "By God! "
" In penna tonda gnan pcnna cortu; " that is, " Let us exchange wives, give me your wife and I will give you mine."
The other answers:"Nipantagocciolli?" that is, " Do you speak from your heart ? "
The other says: "Tamarani!" that is, "Yes, by God!"
His companion answers, and says : " Biti banno ; " that is, " Come to my house."
And when he has arrived at his house he calls his wife and says to her : " Penna, ingaba idocon dopoi ; " that is, " Wife, come here, go with this man, for he is your hus- band."
The wife answers: "E indi?" that is, "Wherefore? Do you speak the truth, by God, Tamarani?"
The husband replies: " Ho gran patangociolli; " that is, "I speak the truth."
Says the wife : " Perga manno ; " that is, " It pleases me."
"Gnanpoi;"that is,"I go."
And so she goes away with his companion to his house. The friend then tells his wife to go with the other, and in this manner they exchange their wives; but the sons of each remain with him.
And amongst the other classes of Pagans above-mentioned, one woman has five, six, and seven husbands, and even eight. And one sleeps with her one night, and another another night."
The chapter showing how the wife is burnt alive after the death of her husband
"In this city of Tarnassari, when fifteen days have passed after the death of the husband, the wife makes a banquet for all her relations and all those of her husband. And then they go with all the relations to the place where the husband was burnt, and at the same hour of the night.
The said woman puts on all her jewels and other objects in gold, all that she possesses. And then her relations cause a hole to be made of the height of a human being, and around the hole they put four or five canes, around which they place a silken cloth, and in the said hole they make a fire of the above mentioned things, such as were used for the husband. And then the said wife, when the feast is prepared, eats a great deal of betel, and eats so much that she loses her wits, and the instruments of the city are constantly sounding, together with the above mentioned men clothed like devils, who carry fire in their mouths, as I have already told you in Calicut.
They also offer a sacrifice to Deumo. And the said wife goes many times up and down that place, dancing with the other women. And she goes many times to the said men clothed like devils, to entreat and tell them to pray the Deumo that he will be pleased to accept her as his own. And there are always present here a great many women who are her relations.
Do not imagine, however, that she is unwilling to do this ; she even imagines that she shall be carried forthwith intoheaven. And thus running violently of her own free will, she seizes the above mentioned cloth with her hands, and throws herself into the midst of the fire.
And immediately her relations and those most nearly allied to her fall upon her with sticks and with balls of pitch, and this they do only that she may die the sooner. And if the said wife were not to do this, she would be held in like estimation as a public prostitute is among us, and her relations would put her to death. "
p. 200-1
The said woman puts on all her jewels and other objects in gold, all that she possesses. And then her relations cause a hole to be made of the height of a human being, and around the hole they put four or five canes, around which they place a silken cloth, and in the said hole they make a fire of the above mentioned things, such as were used for the husband. And then the said wife, when the feast is prepared, eats a great deal of betel, and eats so much that she loses her wits, and the instruments of the city are constantly sounding, together with the above mentioned men clothed like devils, who carry fire in their mouths, as I have already told you in Calicut.
They also offer a sacrifice to Deumo. And the said wife goes many times up and down that place, dancing with the other women. And she goes many times to the said men clothed like devils, to entreat and tell them to pray the Deumo that he will be pleased to accept her as his own. And there are always present here a great many women who are her relations.
Do not imagine, however, that she is unwilling to do this ; she even imagines that she shall be carried forthwith intoheaven. And thus running violently of her own free will, she seizes the above mentioned cloth with her hands, and throws herself into the midst of the fire.
And immediately her relations and those most nearly allied to her fall upon her with sticks and with balls of pitch, and this they do only that she may die the sooner. And if the said wife were not to do this, she would be held in like estimation as a public prostitute is among us, and her relations would put her to death. "
p. 200-1
The chapter concerning the assault of the Portuguese upon Pannani
"Now, the time approached for the return homewards, for the captain of the fleet began to load the ships to return to Portugal, and I, having been seven years from my own house, and from my love and good feeling towards my country, and also in order that I might carry to it an account of a great part of the world, was constrained to ask leave of my lord the Viceroy, which of his grace he granted to me, and said that he wished me first to go with him where you shall know.
Wherefore, he and all his company put ourselves in order in white armour, so that few people remained in Cucin, and on the twenty-fourth of November of the year above mentioned we made the assault within the port of Pannani.
On that day we came before the city of Pannani. On the next morning, two hours before day, the Viceroy summoned all the boats of the ships with all the people of the fleet, and told them how that was the country which made war upon us more than any other country in India, and therefore he begged us all that we would go with a good will to attack that place, which truly is stronger than any other on that coast. When the Viceroy had spoken, the spiritual father made such a discourse that every one wept, and many said that for the love of God they were willing to die in that place.
A little before day, we began a most deadly war against those dogs, who were eight thousand, and we were about six hundred. But it is true that the two galleys did not do much, because they could not approach so near to the land as the boats. The first knight who leapt on shore was the valiant knight, Don Lorenzo, son of the Viceroy. The second beat was that of the Viceroy, in which I was, and at the first assault a cruel battle took place, because here the river was very narrow ; and on the border of the city there were a great many mortars, of which we captured more than forty pieces.
For a short time the battle was very severe. But after our galleys got to the land, those dogs began to retire, and, as the water began to fall, we would not follow them farther. And these dogs began to increase, and therefore we set fire to their ships, of which thirteen were burnt, the greater part new and large.1 And then the Viceroy withdrew all his people to the headland, and here made some knights, amongst whom, out of his grace, he also made me one, and the most valiant captain Tristan da Cugna was my sponsor."
p. 286-8
Wherefore, he and all his company put ourselves in order in white armour, so that few people remained in Cucin, and on the twenty-fourth of November of the year above mentioned we made the assault within the port of Pannani.
On that day we came before the city of Pannani. On the next morning, two hours before day, the Viceroy summoned all the boats of the ships with all the people of the fleet, and told them how that was the country which made war upon us more than any other country in India, and therefore he begged us all that we would go with a good will to attack that place, which truly is stronger than any other on that coast. When the Viceroy had spoken, the spiritual father made such a discourse that every one wept, and many said that for the love of God they were willing to die in that place.
A little before day, we began a most deadly war against those dogs, who were eight thousand, and we were about six hundred. But it is true that the two galleys did not do much, because they could not approach so near to the land as the boats. The first knight who leapt on shore was the valiant knight, Don Lorenzo, son of the Viceroy. The second beat was that of the Viceroy, in which I was, and at the first assault a cruel battle took place, because here the river was very narrow ; and on the border of the city there were a great many mortars, of which we captured more than forty pieces.
For a short time the battle was very severe. But after our galleys got to the land, those dogs began to retire, and, as the water began to fall, we would not follow them farther. And these dogs began to increase, and therefore we set fire to their ships, of which thirteen were burnt, the greater part new and large.1 And then the Viceroy withdrew all his people to the headland, and here made some knights, amongst whom, out of his grace, he also made me one, and the most valiant captain Tristan da Cugna was my sponsor."
p. 286-8
About the Astori
"Having passed this island (Saint Helena), when we had sailed for some days we began to see the north star, and yet many say that when the north star is not seen it is not possible to navigate save by the Antarctic Pole. Let me tell you that the Portuguese always sail by the north star, although some days the said star is not seen, nevertheless the magnet performs its office and is adjusted to the Arctic Pole.
Some days afterwards, we arrived in a beautiful country, that is, at the islands of the Astori, which belong to the king of Portugal. And first we saw the island of Picco, that of Corvo, the island of Flores, that of San Giorgio, La Gratiosa, the island of Faial, and then we arrived at the island of Tertiera, at which we remained two days. These islands are very fruitful. We then departed thence and went towards Portugal, and in seven days arrived at the noble city of Lisbon, which is one of the noble and good cities I have seen."
p. 297
Some days afterwards, we arrived in a beautiful country, that is, at the islands of the Astori, which belong to the king of Portugal. And first we saw the island of Picco, that of Corvo, the island of Flores, that of San Giorgio, La Gratiosa, the island of Faial, and then we arrived at the island of Tertiera, at which we remained two days. These islands are very fruitful. We then departed thence and went towards Portugal, and in seven days arrived at the noble city of Lisbon, which is one of the noble and good cities I have seen."
p. 297
