CHAPTER XXIV.

Returns by the river to El Zaitun — Sails for Sumatra : driven by adverse winds : at length gets to

Sumatra — Marriage ceremony — Sails for Hindustan : arrives at Kavslam. — Kalikut — Zafar in

Arabia — Maskit El Torayat — Port of Shiah : Kelba — Telhan — Hormuz — Kuzistan — Ear

Janja Bal — Kaldun — Hakan — Saman — Saba — Shiraz —Isphahm — Basra — Kifo — Ambdr —

Damascus — Aleppo — El Khalil — Damietta — Cairo — Aidhab — Judda — Mecca — Jerusalem —

Cairo — Alexandria — Jarba—Fez — Tanjiers — Gibraltar — Andalusia.

I THEN returned by the river, descending from El Khansa to ^Kan-

janfur, and thence to the city of El Zaitun. When I got there I

found some junks bound for India, and got into one belonging to El

Malik El Zahir King of Sumatra, whose servants are Mohammedans. In

this we sailed with a good wind for ten days. The sky then became ob-

scure and dark, and a storm arose, in consequence of which the vessel got

into a sea unknown to the sailors. The people in the junk were all

terribly afraid, and wished to put back : but it was impossible. After

this we saw, one morning at day-break, a mountain in the sea, at the dis-

tance of about twenty miles, and towards this the wind was carrying us.

The sailors wondered at this, because we were far from land ; and because

no mountain had been observed in that part of the sea. It was certain

that, if the wind should force us to it, we should be lost. We then betook

ourselves to repentance and prayer to Almighty God, with all our hearts ;

and, in addition to this, the merchants made many vows. The wind then

222

SUMATRA.

became calmed in some degree : when, after sun-rise, we perceived that

the mountain we had seen was in the air, and that we could see light

between it and the sea. I was much astonished at this ; but, seeing the

sailors in the utmost perturbation, and bidding farewell to one another, I

said. Pray what is the matter ? They said. What we supposed to be a

mountain, is really a Rokh,* and if he sees us, we shall assuredly perish,

there being now between us and him a distance of ten miles only. But

God, in his goodness, gave us a good wind, and we steered our course in a

direction from him, so that we saw no more of him ; nor had we any know-

ledge of the particulars of his shape.

After two months from this day, we got to "'Java, and shortly after

landed at “Sumatra. Here we met with the King of the place El Malik

El Zahir, just returning from a victory, and bringing many captives with

him. He received us very honourably, and supplied us with every thing

necessary. He was then about to marry his son and heir. I was present

at the wedding, and witnessed the ^closeting. It was a strange ceremony;

* ITie name of a bird so large that he is able to take up and fly away with a whole

rhinoceros at once. The King of Oude’s Persian Dictionary (sub voce gives the following

account of it . y yJ

^J‘^3 ‘^3^ y JA It is the name of an

animal, which like the Anka (or Simurg, the fabulous bird said to be on the mountain Kaf )

has no external existence. The one, commonly believed to feed its young with the elephant and

rhinoceros, is known to exist only in error and falsehood.

In Mr. Marsden’s interesting edition of the Travels of Marco Polo, we have a similar, but

more particular, account of this bird. “ Persons,” says the traveller, “ who have seen this bird

assert, that when the wings are spread they measure sixteen paces in extent from point to point ;

and that the feathers are eight paces in length, and thick in proportion.” We are told, a little

lower down, that the Grand Khan having heard of this extraordinary bird, sent messengers to

the island of Magastar, or San Lorenzo, to inquire about it, and that they brought back a

feather of it, which highly gratified his majesty. This, however, the traveller states on the report

of others (p. 707). Mr. Marsden’s opinion on the subject is stated in note l^^O, where he says,

he believes it to be the albatross magnified into a monster. The bird, he thinks, might occa-

sionally migrate from more southern latitudes to the island of Madagascar. What Ibn Batuta

saw was, probably, a real mountain ; the light he saw under it, might perhaps have been occasioned

by what is termed the mirage.

SUMATRA.

223

I never saw any thing like it elsewhere. It was this : They set up a large

sort of pulpit in the court-yard of the palace, and covered it with silk.

The bride then came from the inner apartments on foot; with her were

about forty ladies, carrying her train ; these were the ladies of the Sul-

tan, his nobles, and ministers. They were all unveiled and exposed to the

gaze of high and low. This, however, is not customary among them,

except on the occasion of some noble marriage. The bride now ascended

the pulpit, preceded by musicians and singers, male and female, who

danced and sang. After this came the bridegroom, who was the King’s

son, mounted on an elephant, and sitting on a throne placed on the back of

the animal. Over his head was an awning. He had a crown on ; and on

his right and left were about a hundred young men, sons of Governors,

Ministers, and Generals. These were all clothed in white, and riding on

horses caparisoned. On their heads were caps set with gold and jewels;

and every one of them was beardless. When the prince came in, dirhems

and dinars were scattered among the people. The Sultan himself sat and

witnessed the whole. The prince then alighted and walked to his father ;

and taking hold of his foot kissed it. He then ascended the pulpit to the

bride, who rose to him and kissed hiS hand. He then sat by her side ; the

ladies standing before them richly dressed out. The fawfel-nut and betel-

leaf were then brought in, and the bridegroom taking some in his hand

put it into her mouth. The bride next took some, and put it into his

mouth. The bridegroom then took a betel-leaf, and put it into his mouth,

then into her’s. The bride did the same to him. The covering of the pul-

pit was then let down upon them, and the whole was carried into the in-

terior of the palace.* When the people had feasted themselves, they all

dispersed.

I remained in this island for two months as the King’s guest. I then

was put on board one of the junks, the Sultan having presented me with

some lignum aloes, camphor, cloves, sandal- wood, I and provisions. I then

set sail for Kawlam, where I arrived after a voyage of forty days. After

* See Marsden’s History of Sumatra, p. 266, &c. ; Crawfurd’s description of marriage ceremo-

nies in Java, vol. i. pp. 88-93.

f On this wood as found in the islands of the Indian Archipelago see Mr. Crawfurd’s work,

vol. i. pp. 519-20.

224

INDIA, ARABIA, PERSIA.

this I went to Kalikut in Malabar. I then went aboard a vessel, and after

a voyage of eight and twenty days came to ‘'Zafar. This was in the month

of Moharram, in the year forty-eight {i. e. A. H. 748 ; April, A.D. 1347.)

At this time I found its King, “^El Malik El Nasir, son of El Malik El

Moghith, the same person who reigned when I formerly visited this place.*

From this place I sailed to ®Maskit El Torayat, then to the port of Shiah,

then to the port of ^ Kelba, the name of which is the feminine form of Kelb

(a dog) ; then to ^Telhan ; all which places are subject to the government of

' Hormuz, but are considered as belonging to ^ Amman. I then proceeded

to ^Hormuz, and stayed there three days. From this place I went to

™ Kuristan (Kuzistan), and from thence to ”Lar, then to "Janja BM, from this

place to ^ Kaldun, where I remained three days. I then proceeded to ^ Hakan ;

then to '’Saman, then to the city of ®Saba, and thence to ^Shiraz, when I

found "Abu Is-hak, the reigning king ; f but who was then absent from Shiraz.

I then went on to "^Main, then to ^Bazdkhash (Yezdkhas), then to “Kalil,

then to “ Kansak, then to ^ Isphahan, then to '"Tostar, then to El Hawair, (Ha-

waiza ?) then to ^ Basra, then to-^Meshhed Ali Ibn Abi Tfilib, then to ^Kufa,

then to Sarsar, then to ' Bagdad, where I arrived in the month of Shawal

in the year 48 {i. e. 748), the King of which was at that time the '"Sheikh

Hasan, son of the aunt of the Sultan Abu Said. After this I proceeded

to the city of ' Ambar, then to Hit, then to " Haditha, then to " Ana, then

to ^E1 Rahba,j: then to ^E1 Sakhna, then to ’’Tadmor, then to 'Damascus of

jM*' .yt-,/" .uL~='‘

.L-'

* See p. 54.

f Abu Is-hak was, according to Mirkhond, the reigning King in Persia at this time ; and, in

this very j'ear he undertook an expedition against Karman, see p. 40.

1. El Harawi, after stating that this was one of the districts belonging to Emessa, proceeds

to say, that there is in the Meshhed of this place, A

SYRIA, EGYPT.

225

Syria ; the whole time of my absence from which had been twenty full

years. The chief judge of the sect of Shafia was now * Taki Oddln El Sabki,

From this place I went to “Aleppo, and then returned to Damascus, then to

Jerusalem, and to the city of 'El Khalil (Hebron), then to ^ Gaza, then to

^Damietta, then to “ Fariskur, then to ’’ El Mahalla El Kobra (or the great sta-

tion), then to ‘^Damanhur, then to '^ Alexandria, then to Cairo. At this time

there was a general plague throughout Egypt. I was told that the number

of those who died daily in Cairo amounted to one and twenty thousand.

The reigning prince at the time I entered Egypt was El Malik El Nasir

Hasan Ibn El Malik El Nasir Mohammed Ibn Kalawun. I then proceeded

from Cairo on the way to Upper Egypt, for ^ Aidhab. There I took ship-

ping, and got to Judda, then to 'Mecca, may God ennoble it ! I arrived

at this place in the month of ^ Shaaban, in the nine and fortieth year (i. e.

A. H. 749) ; and in this year I performed the pilgrimage, I then returned

with a Syrian caravan to ^Taiba, the city of the prophet. I visited his grave,

and returned with them to Jerusalem. I then hired a passage back to

Cairo ; but, as a desire of seeing my native country now came upon me, I

prepared to take my journey to the west. I travelled, accordingly, to

Alexandria : and, in the month Safar, A. H. 750, I set sail and arrived at

the island of ’"Jarba. From this place I sailed in another vessel to ” Fez,

then to"Safakus, then to^Milyana, then to the city of ^ Tunis, then to

" . ilii *

ciliU

. (

'i\j A thigh bone of one of the giants, the length of which is three cubits : its

width is that of two spans. It is said that its weight is five-and thirty ratls (of Rahba). Some of

the learned, however, say that there is no monument of antiquity in Rahba, and that it was first

built by Malik Ibn Tauk ; which is not true : for it was built by Nimrod, son of Kush ; and it is

a city mentioned in the Bible. — It is, probably, the city Rehoboth, which we are told, Gen.x. 11,

was built by Ashur. This is, no doubt, the truth : and, if so, the historians mentioned here, as

well as by Mr, Ewald in his Mesopotamia of El Wakedi (p. xiii) are to be treated as fabulous.

2 G

226

B A R B A 11 Y.

’ Tilimsan : then to the * * palace of Fez, where I arrived in the latter part of

the month Shaaban, in the year 750. The reigning king at this time was

the Commander of the Faithful, 'Abu Anan. I presented myself to him,

and was honoured by a sight of him. The awe that surrounded him, made

me forget that of the King of " Irak ; his elegance, that of the Emperor of

India; his politeness, that of the King oP^^ Yemen; his bravery, that of

the King of the Turks; his mildness, that of the Emperor of Constantino-

ple; his religious carriage, that of the Emperor of -"'Turkistan; his know-

ledge, that of the King of 'Sumatra; for he so overwhelmed me with his

favours, that I found myself quite unequal to express my gratitude. In Fez,

too, I terminated my “travels, after I had assured myself, that it is the

most beautiful of countries. The poet has truly said of it :

f Ask me my proof : Why in the west

Countries you find the sweetest, best?

’Tis this: Hence rides the full orbed moon,

And hither hastes the sun at noon.

It was now my wish to visit the tomb of my father; and accordingly I

left Fez for Tanjiers. From that place I went to ^Subta. It then occurred

to me, that I should have pleasure in the warfare for the faith ; I therefore

set sail from Subta to Spain ; and the first place I saw was the “ Hill of

Victory. This is one of the greatest refuges of Islamism, and one which

forced sorrow down the necks of the idolaters. From this place com-

menced Islamism, in the great victory ; for here landed ‘'Tarik Ibn Ziad,

the slave of Musa Ibn Nasir, at the time of his passing over to Spain.

From this circumstance it was named after him, and called “Jabal Tarik

. y . . jlydl “ •

JJo

* See the Histoire generale des Huns by De Guignes, tom. i. p. 347. See also “ Histoire

de la Domination des Arabes et des Maures en Espagne et en Portugal, depuis I’invasion de ces

peoples jusqu’a leur expulsion definitive ; redigee sur I’histoire traduite de I’Arabe en Espagnol

de M. Joseph Conde,” Paris, 1825, tom. i. pp. 68-105; and the Annales Muslemici, tom. i.

pp. 262-3, and 426-7, tom. iii. p. 583.

SPAIN.

227

(corruptedly Gibraltar). It is also called the Hill of Victory, because his

beginnings had their commencement here. But, a despicable foe had had

possession of this place for about twenty years, until our Lord the Sultan

' Abu El Hasan reduced him, and sent his son with an army, which he

strengthened with many reinforcements, and obtained a complete victory.

He then rebuilt and strengthened its fortifications and walls, and stored it

with cavalry, treasure, and warlike machines. This was one of his good

deeds, the effects of which still remain.^

I proceeded from the hill of victory (Gibraltar), which is one of the most

extensive and handsome strongholds of Islamism, where I had met its cele-

brated and learned men, of whom one was my maternal uncle’s son, ^Abu

El Kasim Ibn Batuta, after I had remained there some days, and then went

to the city of ^ Marbella, which is a strong and handsome place. From this

place I went to the city of ’ Malaga, one of the chief cities of Andalusia.

Its charming districts lie together, and enjoy the advantages both of sea and

land. It abounds with excellent productions, so that eight ratls of grapes

are sold for a small dinar. Its figs and pomegranates are unequalled.

From this place I travelled to the city of ^'Tabsh, from that to 'Hama,

which is a small town, and in which there are warm springs. I then went

to Granada, the chief city of "’Andalusia, which, for its structures and

* Abu’l Hasan, according to Mr. Conde, mounted the throne of Fez in 1330, and held Gibral-

tar during the greater part of his reign. At what time he gained possession of it, we are not

told ; but that he was in the habit of supplying his friends and allies in Spain with troops and

ammunition, there can be no doubt. The French translator and editor of Mr. Conde’s work is

most likely correct when he says, “ Get Abul Hasan ne fut point roi de Maroc, comrae on I’a dit,

mais roi de Fez.” Tom. iii. p. 187. But, whether he is so, when he further says, ih. “ II n’est

pas non plus exact de dire, avec quelques historiens Espagnols, qu’ Abul Hasan envoya en Espagne

son fils Abdelmelek avec une armee ; Abdelmelek n’ etait point fils, mais general du roi de Fez — ”

Ibn Batuta has not informed us ; for he has said nothing about the name of this son of the King of

Fez : he has only told us, that he sent his son : and so far it is probable the Spanish historians

are correct. In a note a little lower down (p. 213), we are told that, “ Plusieurs historiens

Espagnols disent qu’a cette occasions Abul Hasan envoya une arm€e sous la conduite d’Aly, un

de ses fils...Les Arabes affirment positivement un fait bien different, puis qu’ils disent qu’ Abul

Hasan n’envoya point de secours.” I merely remark, that Ibn Batuta here agrees with the

Spanish historians in the fact of a son of Abul Hasan’s having been sent : and by them he is

here named Ali, not Abdelmelek.

2 G 2

228

SPAIN.

suburbs is unequalled in the whole world. It is divided by the well-known

river " Shenll ; besides this, however, there are many other rivers, as well

as cisterns, gardens, orchards, and palaces, surrounding it on all sides.

The King of Granada was at this time "Abu El Walid Yusuf Ibn

Nasir. I never met him, on account of a disease under which he then

laboured.* His noble and excellent mother, however, sent me some dinars

for my support. I here met some of the learned men of the place, of

whom the most surprising was a young man named ^ Abu Jaafar Ahmed Ibn

Rizwan El Jadhani. His astonishing peculiarity was this, that although

he was brought up in a desert, and had never either studied or given himself

any trouble about learning, yet he produced poetry so good as scarcely

to be equalled by the most accomplished writers. The following is a

specimen.!

Friend, from whom ’tis pain to part,

Take thy station in my heart.

Through my eye, its lucid door.

View the structure o’er and o’er ;

There enthroned thou’lt always see

Every chamber filled with thee.

But when from thee, with pain distrest

I feel the void within my breast.

My vacant eyes too well declare

Their favourite inmate is not there:

But, when thy charms my spirits fill,

I close my lids to keep thee still.

* This prince, who is styled by Mr. Conde (tom. iii. p. 229) “ le vertueux Jusef Abul Kegag,

was assassinated at Granada in 1354, and was succeeded in the throne by his son Mohammed the

Fifth.

(a) One of the MSS. reads , and for • The species is that termed W U ^

and consists of six feet, of the measure ^ v. repeated, with its variations. See

Clarke’s Prosody, p. 55, &c.

AFRICA.

229