is situated in a very large plain between two mountains, and has no walls, but is one of the principal marts for all sorts of spices, and various other merchandise.  One days journey from thence I came to Damar, which is situated in a fruitful soil, and carries on considerable trade.  All these cities are subject to a Sultan of Arabia-Felix, who is called Sechamir, or the holy prince; Secha signifying holy, and Amir prince, in the Arabian language.  He is so named, because he abhors to shed men’s blood.  While I was there in prison, he nourished sixteen thousand poor, including captives in prison, who had been condemned to death, and he had as many black slaves in his palace.

Departing from Damar I returned in three days journey to Aden, passing in the mid way by an exceedingly large and high mountain, on which there are many wild beasts, and in particular the whole mountain is as it were covered with monkeys.  There are also many lions, so that it is by no means safe to travel that way unless in large companies of at least a hundred men.  I passed this way along with a numerous company, yet we were in much danger from the lions and other wild beasts which followed us, insomuch that we were forced to fight them with darts, slings, and arrows, using also the aid of dogs, and after all we escaped with some difficulty.  On arriving at Aden I feigned myself sick, lurking in the mosque all day, and going only out under night to speak with the pilot of the ship formerly mentioned, from whom I obtained a bark in which I secretly left Aden.

We at length began our voyage for Persia, to which we were to go in the first place, our bark being laden with rubricke, a certain red earth used for dying cloth, with which fifteen or twenty vessels are yearly freighted from Arabia Felix.  After having sailed six days on our voyage, a sudden tempest of contrary wind drove us back again and forced us to the coast of Ethiopia, where we took shelter in the port of Zeyla.  We remained here five days to see the city, and to wait till the tempest was over and the sea become quiet.  The city of Zeyla is a famous mart for many commodities, and has marvellous abundance of gold and ivory, and a prodigious number of black slaves, which are procured by the Mahometan or Moorish inhabitants, by means of war, from Ethiopia in the country of Prester John, the Christian king of the Jacobins or Abyssinians.  These slaves are carried hence into Persia, Arabia Felix, Cairo, and Mecca.  In this city justice and good laws are observed.  The soil produces wheat and other convenient things, as oil which is not procured from olives but from something else that I do not know.  It has likewise plenty of honey and wax, and abundance of animals for food, among which are sheep having tails of sixteen pounds weight, very fat and good; their head and neck black, and all the rest of their bodies white.  There are also sheep all over white,