AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1563-81. 



We had great good hap in our voyage, for that it rained : 



For which cause we never wanted water, but every day 



found good water, so that we could not take any hurt 



for want of water. Yet we caried a camel laden alwayes 



with water for every good respect that might chance in 



the desert, so that wee had no want neither of one thing, 



nor other that was to bee had in the countrey. For 



wee came very well furnished of every thing, and every 



day we eat fresh mutton, because there came many 



shepheards with us with their flocks, who kept those 



sheepe that we bought in Babylon, and every marchant 



marked his sheepe with his owne marke, and we gave 



the shepheards a Medin, which is two pence of our 



money, for the keeping and feeding our sheep on the 



way, and for killing of them. And beside the Medin 



they have the heads, the skinnes, and the intrals of every 



sheepe they kil. We sixe bought 20. sheepe, and when 



we came to Alepo we had 7. alive of them. And in 



the Carovan they use this order, that the marchants doe 



lende flesh one to another, because they will not cary 



raw flesh with them, but pleasure one another by lending 



one one day, and another another day. 



From Babylon to Alepo is 40. dayes journey, of the 



which they make 2^- dayes over the wildernes, in which 



36. Dayes ^5^ dayes they neither see house, trees, nor people that 



'^theicuJernes ^''^^^t)ite it, but onely a plaine, and no signe of any way 



in the world. The Pilots go before, and the Carovan 



followeth after. And when they sit downe all the 



Carovan unladeth and sitteth downe, for they know 



the stations where the wells are. I say, in 2^. dayes 



we passe over the wildernesse. For when wee depart 



from Babylon two dayes we passe by villages inhabited 



until we have passed the river Euphrates. And then 



within two dayes of Alepo we have villages inhabited. 



In this Carovan there goeth alway a Captaine that doth 



n order ho'iv T^gtice unto all men : and every nieht they keepe watch 

 to provide for ^, ir^ i -^ai 



the going to about the Carovan, and commnig to Alepo we went to 



Jerusalem. Tripoli, whereas Master Florin, and Master Andrea Polo, 



446 



