Part 33

At my arrival at _Tripolis_, when I hoped that something might have been done for the good of _Hans Ulrich Krafft_, whom I left in prison behind, as is above mention’d, towards his deliverance; that we, seeing we came out together, might have remained together a while longer, and have ended our journey to our content, I found there was not only nothing done to the purpose, but his cause came to be worse and worse, so that it was even or odd whether I should not have been cast into prison also, and beaten severely to boot. When thus he was detain’d in prison, I receiv’d a letter and command, as well from his adversary, as from my own friends, desiring me to take the cause in hand earnestly, to bring them both to an accommodation; and that if I would do so, I should do him greater service, than if I should stay a whole year longer at _Tripoli_, expecting his deliverance. Now altho’ many means were used after my departure, for his liberty, yet they proved all fruitless, unsuccessful and vain, so that he was forced to spend three intire years miserably in this severe _Turkish_ imprisonment, until at length he was miraculously deliver’d. Wherefore I got everything ready for my departure, and went aboard the ship called the St _Matthew_, on the day of St _Leonhard_, being the sixth day of _November_ in the year 1575, having first taken my leave of the above-mention’d my dear friend _Hans Ulrich Krafft_, whom I loved as my own brother, and the next day we put out, having a very good wind. So our navigation proceeded in the beginning very successfully, and we discover’d on the third day early the great island of _Cyprus_. But when we approach’d unto it, a hurricane arose suddenly, and blew so fiercely upon us, that it wound our great sail round about our main mast, so that it was a wonder to me, that it did not bring it by the board, or (as it would if the seamen had not struck it down immediately) turn the ship over, and sink her. These winds arise from a wind that is call’d by the _Greeks_, _Typhon_; and _Pliny_ calleth it _Vertex_ and _Vortex_; but as dangerous as they are, as they arise suddenly, so quickly they are laid again also. The seamen pretend, that one shall sooner perceive them in the ship below, because they come up from the depth of the sea, than above deck. After this had continued about a quarter of an hour it was quite over, so that it was perfectly calm, and the sea very quiet. So our seamen hoisted up their sail again, and steered towards the _Capo del Græco_, with an intention to run in still before sun-set into the harbour of the metropolis call’d _Famagusta_; but before we were aware of it, another wind arose that did send us back again, so we stood out at sea, and went on with it so well, that we passed the island that is one hundred and sixty _Italian_ miles long. Not long after the wind did change, and it came to be foul weather, and so contrary to us, that we went on but very slowly, and we were forced to drive upon the sea only for several days, until at length we came before the land of _Pamphylia_ and _Lycia_, which came in sight now and then, nearer to the island of _Rhodes_; then arose a northerly wind that helped us into our true road again, and blew so fresh, that in a few hours we went by that mountainous island _Scarpanthus_, and afterwards by _Solomon_’s point of the isle of _Candia_ out towards the south, which is forty leagues farther; and we had been almost quite thrown over into _Africa_, if we had not sheltered ourselves under the next mountains, so we got clear of the noise and turbulency of the wind and sea; but instead of that our ship came so near unto the shoar of _Candia_, that we feared every moment to have been shipwreck’d, which had certainly befallen us, if our _Nacchier_, that managed the sails, with his seamen (who wrought very hard, until they brought the ship out at sea again) had not for two days and nights done their utmost endeavour. When we kept thus out at sea, foul weather befel us again, and contrary and rough winds blew afresh, so that it was very dangerous sailing; wherefore our master as well as the men thought it best to get into an harbour; but finding that it was very dangerous to get in there, they went back again to the island _Calderon_, which lieth not above a _German_ mile from _Candia_, to land there, and to stay for better weather. This island is small, and so rough and sandy within, that it cannot be inhabited; but yet being full of bushes, those of _Candy_, turn, chiefly in the summer, their cattel into it. Here I found a kind of Mandrake with blew flowers in great quantity, and also very many _Oxycedri_ like unto our Juniper bushes, which are almost as high as our Pine-trees. When we, during this hard weather, were in this island _Calderon_ for shelter, we saw sometimes clouds in the shape of a pillar, that came down from the skies to the next mountain, and so extended themselves sloping down into the next sea. _Pliny_ makes mention also of them in his forty ninth chapter of the second book. When this did touch the sea, it begun to suck, as it were, thro’ a spout so fiercely, that the water began to move in that place, as if it were in a storm, so that we could not only hear the noise, but also see the great motion thereof. In the beginning it was pretty clear, but the longer it remained there the darker it grew, until at length it arose up again and ascended into the skies like unto a thick cloud. Wherefore it may very well be, that sometimes worms, frogs, fungusses, snails, muscles, _&c._ may fall down with the rain, chiefly in those places that are near to the sea; for I have myself seen it many times in my travels between _Bononia_ and _Florence_ on the high mountains, where I have found several of them. When the wind blew fair for us again, and we had sufficiently provided ourselves with wood and fresh water, we hoisted up our sails again and came away; and at length, not without great labour and changing of the wind, we got out before the island of _Candy_, which is about two hundred and fifty _Italian_ leagues long, into the open sea, with an intention to go strait away for _Venice_. In the mean time one of our seamen did catch on a hook, that he had baited with some meat, a large fish, by the Latins call’d _Lamia_, but this fish being of some hundred weight in bulk, he brought him upon the hook by degrees to the ship, then they fastened a rope about his gills, and so drew him up very safely. When they did cut it open to salt it, I found that it’s bones were but very small, and not harder than a cartilage. They gave us now and then some of it to eat, but it was so much salted, that we could not eat it, so that at last they were forced to leave it. Soon after one of the Pilgrims, that was a Priest at _Lille_ in _Flanders_, got a bloody flux so violently, that he was in danger of his life, so I took care of him, and gave him what physic I had by me in the ship. When we came to the island of _Cerygo_, else call’d _Cithera_, belonging to the _Venetians_, lying near to the _Morea_, (from whence _Paris_ took away the Queen of King _Menelaus_, and carry’d her to _Troy_) upon a sudden a hurricane arose towards night with blowing, thundering and lightening, so that we at several times did despair of our lives. For when the waves swelled as big as large rocks, and pressed very hard upon our ship, so that they did fling it now on this, and then on the other side again, with great violence; so that not only our goods, arms, trunks, and boxes were tumbled up and down in the ship, but that also we were forced to take great care of ourselves during this tempest, that we might not tumble over board, of which we were in great danger. But how terribly soever this looked in the dark night, yet it still increased; for in a little while after the place that held the cannon shot that were near unto the steerage, where I had my cabin, broke open, so that the balls ran up and down over all the ship according as she rolled. Soon after the beating of the waves knock’d off the garland that was behind at the outside of the ship, and left some nails about a finger thick, that held it in the wood, with such a power, that one might hear it almost all over the ship. After all this the great sail was also torn off and fell down into the sea, so that we thought no less than that we were all lost; for then the ship was wholly left to the mercy of the roaring waves, that flung her, and tossed her about like a football from place to place, (which you may deduce from thence, that the Guardian that held himself fast by the main mast upon the deck, was sometimes above a man’s depth under water) so that every moment we expected to be overturned, and drown’d. Yet in all this calamity, we did not give over all, but did what we could for our safety, seeing that we could not do what we would, we stood together and pulled the sail out again, yet we did not all pull together, for it was so dark that we could not see one another but when it lightened, and in the place of the torn one we put up another new one; for generally in such ships they are provided with two sails, and also with two masts and rudders. After the seamen had put on the new sail, not without great labour, difficulty and danger, they fell down upon their knees, and began to pray to their intercessors and patrons, which every one chused for himself, by their names, some to _Peter_, others to St _Paul_, others to the holy Virgin _Mary_, but chiefly and before all the rest to St _Nicholas_, who in the like imminent dangers, necessities and calamities, hath oftenest before all the rest shew’d himself by sundry tokens, according to their opinion, ready to assist and to help, so that they might be sure of his help, and so comfort themselves with a certain deliverance.

After they had said their prayers, they let me understand that they had seen three burning candles on the top of the main mast, wherefore some of them for joy vowed solemnly to go a Pilgrimage to certain Holy Places, or else to give a certain Sum to one of their churches. This tempestuous weather held on all the night long and also for a great part of the next day, so that the seamen prayed three several times; I cannot justly tell whether I was more astonished at their prayers or at the tempestuousness of the sea, but chiefly when I understood, that they sought, without _Christ_ our true Saviour and Helper, in this great danger to others, and such that did not only know nothing of us, as we may see by the words of _Esaiah_, when he saith, _Abraham knoweth nothing of us, and Israel doth not know us_; but that they also (if they had been still alive) would have directed us themselves to the true and only Mediator _Jesus Christ_. And so we read, That the virgin _Mary_ her self did not know what was become of her Son, until she found him sitting amongst the teachers in the temple of _Jerusalem_: and also at the wedding of _Cana_ in _Galilea_, she did direct the servants (that told her that they wanted wine) herself to her son our Lord _Christ_, (that they might not look upon her any more) when she saith to them, _What he bids you so do_. Seeing then that the saints will not receive such honour that only belongs unto the Lord, and on the contrary, the Lord bids us come to him, I turned from them all to _Christ_ (when our ship was almost quite covered over with the waves) to awake the _Lord_ as his Disciples did when he was asleep, saying, _Lord help us or else we perish_; and with the Apostle St _Peter_, _O Lord save and deliver us, let us not sink down quite, but draw us out from the depth of the sea, and preserve us graciously in this great danger_. This tempest made our seamen so distracted, that they did hardly know whether, and how far the weather had drove us out of our way, until we came quite about the _Morea_, and saw the Island _Zant_ (formerly called _Zacynthus_). This we left on our right, and did go strait forwards to the next Island of _Cephalonia_. This is about 250 leagues distant from _Candy_, and doth belong as well as _Zant_, to the _Venetians_, and had over against us a fine large and strong port called _Argostala_, before which it was 14 days before we arrived: towards the left, a ship (being under full sail before a strong wind and missing the entry) was staved all in pieces. Into this we got (the Lord be thanked) safe, and remained there for some days to refresh ourselves. Just behind this island is the channel _Viscardo_, wherein the great _Armada_ of the _Christians_ did ride against the _Turkish_ ones, until at length it came to a fight before it, where the _Christians_ obtained a glorious victory. After we found our selves in a safer and quieter place than we were before, and did hope quickly to get good bread also, instead of our old black and worm-eaten biskets (which had been loaden in _Spain_ a great while agone, wherewith we had made shift a good while) some of us went the next morning into the next village (which was pretty large) to buy some. But we did miss our aim very much; for being that the inhabitants continually and hourly feared that the _Turks_, whose _Armada_ was not far off, would make a descent, upon them, therefore they conveyed all the goods they had into the castle, that we could see lye very high beyond the great harbour, and had kept no more but what was necessary for their daily use; so that no provision at all was to be had or found: And they had so little bread, that we went about in the village from house to house and could hardly get for money as much bread as would serve us for our dinner. But as for wine they let us have what we would, which was red, and very good, which the Merchants knew very well, wherefore they bought a considerable quantity thereof, to carry to _Venice_, and so did our ship’s master also. We also found many small grapes growing there, on the vines, as many as I saw of them, are rather less and lower than ours in our vineyards. During this our tarrying, our pilot being sick, so that he was not able to direct the ship any farther according to the compass, our master strove to get another, and that the rather, because the _Adriatick_ sea, whereinto we expected to come daily, is very dangerous, because of it’s narrowness, plenty of islands, and hidden rocks, to navigate. So we got a _Greek_, and after the weather began to be fairer, we put out to sea again. But this did not continue long, for when we came a little out of the harbour, we had other winds upon the sea, that were rather contrary to us, and hindered us so very much in our navigation, that after many days we arrived only before the fort of _Corfu_, otherwise call’d _Corsica_, which we could hardly see in that misty and foggy weather, not without great pains and labour. This ill weather, with the contrary wind, lasted very long, and encreased more and more, the wind continuing high; so that we had almost been cast over into _Apulia_ against our intention, chiefly between _Cataxo_ and _Ragusa_, which _Ptolemy_ called _Epidaurus_, had we not quickly made the island of _Meleda_. So we spent our time in this navigation, not only in hard and contrary winds, with great pains and labour, but were besides obliged to be above deck, because she was filled up with goods all within to the weight of above twelve thousand centners, where we endured great cold, and must remain there in all the rain and storms.

After this we went into a small channel between this and another island, where we lay at anchor all night; early in the morning we saw a galley coming from the sea upon us. As soon as we saw her, before we could well discern her, because of the too great distance, we made all ready for our defence to resist her; but when she came nearer to us, and we found by her flags that she was our friend, we were at rest again, and discharged, when she went by us, three great guns to salute her according to the usual custom of the sea. When she was past by, we weighed our anchor also, and sailed to _Curtzola_, another island and town, towards _Dalmatia_, call’d _Corcyra nigra_, which is very strong, and formerly did belong to _Ragusa_, but now it is subjected to the _Venetians_. This we left on the left hand, and went towards another, now call’d _Liesana_, by _Ptolomy_ call’d _Pharia_, which lay about fifty leagues nearer to us. This we did soon make, and arrived in the port on Christmass-eve, which is close by the town, so that one can look very pleasantly into the wide open place. In the morning early at the breaking of the day, those in the town discharged some great guns for joy, which were in the next church standing near to the harbour, according to their ancient custom on such great holy-days. When these had begun, those also that were upon the castle, which is very strong, and lieth close to the town walls up very high, did discharge some; after them, those also that were upon the six gallies, that arrived in the harbour after us, did the same; at length it came also to our turn, that lay at anchor in the harbour, as well the little as the great ones, whereof there was a great many; there it began to bounce and crackle, for in our ship we had sixteen great ones, and it made such a noise in the harbour, that one would have thought all the buildings fell over one another. This shooting also occasioned so great and thick a smoak, that we could hardly see one another. After dinner we went ashore to buy good new bread, instead of our worm-eaten biskets, whereof, God be thanked, we found enough, which did refresh us very much. In this time the Priest that was dangerously ill of the bloody flux, was so well recover’d of it, that he with his comrades went over to _Ancona_, to go from thence to _Rome_. After we had rode at anchor in this harbour for four days, by reason of bad weather, we weighed at length, and came away to the ancient and famous town _Zara_, by _Ptolomy_ call’d _Jadera_, which is thought to be one hundred and fifty leagues. Between _Liesana_ and _Zara_ there lie abundance of small islands, where a great many pirates shelter themselves, that are call’d by a peculiar name _Scacki_. These sleep in the day time, and are here and there on high places, to take notice of the ships that go up and down, that they may fall upon them in the night, and take them at a disadvantage, so that it is very dangerous to ride there; and that so much the more, because the sea is hereabouts very narrow, by reason of the many islands that lie in it, wherefore the pilots must daily take care to get in good time into a port, where they may ride securely all night; nay, sometimes even the ships in the harbours are not secure from these _Scacki_ or pirates, for so it happened that we were once in a port at anchor in our voyage, which although it was very well secured and strong, yet we were not secure there from the _Scacki_’s; as it had happened in this same harbour but a year before, to a ship called _Cantarena_, (which the _Scacki_ did get into by night,) which came off greatly by the loss, so that they had great occasion to remember it; wherefore we divided ourselves into four parts, and so kept watch by turns all night long. While we thus kept watching, we saw them several times come in small boats, as if they were fisher-men, yet as I am informed, there are often forty, fifty and sixty men that lie hid in these small boats, and watch their opportunity to get near to the great ships, to board them, and enter upon them. Wherefore as soon as we saw that they would come to us, we cry’d out: _Fuoco, fuoco_, that is to say, _Fire_, to shoot off the guns at them; when they heard this, they presently answer’d: _Amici, amici_; that is to say, _we are friends_, and so they went away again. Now when we believed that we were escaped all danger, we got into a greater one by the oversight of our pilot; for when he had order to go to _Zara_, he did not obey this command, fearing that our ship-master would put him out there because of his ill behaviour, and take another in his room, wherefore that he might stay longer with us, he steered for the islands of _Vergetes_, thinking that because he could get over with gallies (whom he had all along generally served) he might also get over with a merchant-man (that was heavy laden, and so drew more water) safe and without any danger. But this did not succeed well, for when we sailed along between the islands, we lost the depth of water by degrees, and at last struck with a great cracking, so that we could expect nothing but shipwreck, which would of necessity have followed, if our rudder had not remained whole in this striking, and lifted up the poop of the ship, and so shoved the fore-part sidewards into the depth; to which success the swelling sails did not also contribute a little. So did God, our dear Lord, miraculously send that the ship, chiefly by the help of the rudder, which was at least three spans deeper in the water than the ship, got off and went on her way. Having escaped again this great misery and danger, we landed in another island, that was not far off; over-against which, on the side of _Dalmatia_, lieth the village _Mortera_, between two famous towns, _viz._ _Zara_ and _Sebernis_, by _Ptolemy_ called _Ficum_, on a mountain of this island, behind which lieth a good village, you may pleasantly see the whole situation, together with the confines of the _Turks_, very plainly; in this village we took up and lodged in it, until our sloop, that we had sent out to _Zara_ for another and more expert pilot, came back again.

As soon as they arrived with the new pilot, we broke up again, embarked and sailed for _Venice_, whither we had about two hundred and fifty _Italian_ leagues. When we came out before the castle of St _Michael_, which lieth in the sea over-against _Zara_ on a high mountain, a north wind arose, with such a tempestuousness, that it had almost cast us towards _Italy_, had not our pilot (who knew the shores, and landing of ships, better than the former) done his best, and landed presently, which could not be done but with great might and labour, for we were bound to go against the wind, yet we accomplish’d it; which you may easily guess, for of those six gallies that met us in _Liesena_, but two could make our harbour (because they were not strong enough for the wind, altho’ they used their utmost force in rowing) the rest were forced to go back again, and shelter themselves behind the outward islands.