fe that she should procure me
the means of going along with the pilgrims who were to depart from
_Zide_ or Juddah the port of Mecca for India. This port of Juddah is 40
miles from Mecca. I cannot well express the kindness of the Mamelukes
wife to me during the time I lay hid in her house; and what contributed
mainly to my good entertainment was that a beautiful young maid who
dwelt in the house, being niece to the Mameluke, was in love with me;
but at that time I was so environed with troubles and fear of danger,
that the passion of love was almost extinct in my bosom, yet I kept
myself in her favour by kind words and fair promises.

On the Friday, three days after the departure of the caravan of Syria, I
departed about noon from Mecca along with the caravan of India; and
about midnight we came to an Arabian village, where we rested all the
rest of that night and the next day till noon. From thence continuing
our journey we arrived at Juddah on the second night of our journey. The
city of Juddah has no walls, but the houses are well built, resembling
those in the Italian cities. At this place there is great abundance of
all kinds of merchandise, being in a manner the resort of all nations,
except that it is held unlawful for Jews or Christians to come there. As
soon as I entered Juddah I went to the mosque, where I saw a prodigious
number of poor people, not less than 25,000, who were attending upon
the different pilots, that they might go back to their countries. Here I
suffered much trouble and affliction, being constrained to hide myself
among these poor wretches and to feign myself sick, that no one might be
too inquisitive about who I was, whence I came, or whether I was going.
The city of Juddah is under the dominion of the Soldan of Babylon or
Cairo, the Sultan of Mecca being his brother and his subject. The
inhabitants are all Mahometans; the soil around the town is very
unfruitful, as it wants water; yet this town, which stands on the shore
of the Red Sea, enjoys abundance of all necessaries which are brought
from Egypt, Arabia Felix, and various other places. The heat is so
excessive that the people are in a manner dried up, and there is
generally great sickness among the inhabitants. This city contains about
500 houses. After sojourning here for fifteen days, I at length agreed
for a certain sum with a pilot or ship-master, who engaged to convey me
to Persia. At this time there lay at anchor in the haven of Me