Great Storm which Drives the Galley near the Coast of Apulia, and back towards Ragusa. -- Voyage to Corfu. -- Casola meets there Andrea Lanza, who shows him about the City. -- Description of Corfu. -- Cochineal and other Products. -- Additional Passengers go on Board the Galley. -- Amongst others a Spanish Prince, and Edward de Camardino, a Knight of the Order of St. John. -- Departure from Corfu. -- Vigil of St. John Baptist. -- Sermon from Fra. F. Trivulzio. -- Illuminations. -- St. John's Day. -- Fra. Francesco finishes his Sermon. -- Zante. -- Galley reaches Modone. -- Silk Industry there. -- Franciscan Friary. -- Wines, &c., of Modone. -- Government.

ON Tuesday, the 17th of June, we found ourselves only twenty miles from Ragusa, and a terrible scarocco began to rise, very unfavourable for our journey. Nevertheless the captain wished to follow the course against the will of the winds, and was thereupon carried towards Apulia, at least two hundred miles out of the course, in a raging sea. The storm continued until night, and increased.

On Wednesday, the 18th of June, the storm began to show all its grandeur, and so upset, first the pilgrims who were not used to the sea, and also many of the experienced sailors, that it was pitiful to see them. On this occasion great restitutions were made, both of what had been well taken, as well as of what had been ill taken, and without any intermission. There was also one of the number who during his life had preached restitution hundreds of times, and yet this time he did not want to follow his own precept--that is, the venerable preacher. I was exempt that time also, although I saw the restitutions made by the others; but I must confess that as this day was the vigil of the Saints Protasius and Gervasius, the first patrons of Milan, I fasted as well as the aforesaid preacher, and in the Moorish fashion (Note 60); I did not taste a thing in the world all that day, for I had neither stomach nor head for eating.

The storm constantly increased with great tossing of the sea up to the following night, and it had increased so much that owing to the great blows given by the sea, the water was beaten under the decks where the pilgrims lay, and the galley, twisted by the fury of the storm, made a noise so that it seemed as if she would break up. Such were the cries of the pilgrims below deck, because of the great mass of water which came through the hatches that, being inexperienced, I thought I had finished my voyage that time, nor did I expect to celebrate the feast of Saint Protasius then, nor on any other occasion. Many vows were made publicly and secretly by every man, including the sailors. And who would not have done and believed what I did and believed, hearing the creaking of the galley, and the water coming in during the night, and the great cries of men and women (of whom there were several belonging to various nations) who cried aloud for mercy? Although I did not cry out, nevertheless I stayed with my mind turned to God with all my might, for I believed surely, that I had done, what I had often talked publicly of doing and laughed at the idea -- that is, chosen a fish for my sepulchre. The storm was very terrible, and the terror of those who had never been out on such a holiday was beyond all description. When I was talking with the captain about this calamity he told me that, although he had been to sea forty-two years, he had never experienced such a storm at this season, or one which lasted so long, and that where he thought to advance, relying on his past experiences, he only lost ground.

On Thursday, the 19th of June, the day of Saint Protasius, as the said weather continued, he turned back towards Ragusa, and sailed back again the two hundred miles from there to Apulia. He desired to make a port out of compassion for the pilgrims, who suffered greatly, and he wanted to make the port at a fortified place called Budua, near another called Antivari. But when the sails were already furled and the anchor prepared for casting, the weather suddenly changed -- and this was indicated by certain small flags hung over the castle of the poop -- and a most remarkable provenza(1) sprang up. So amidst the loud shouts of the mariners and others thanking God, all the sails were spread and we went on our way at a great rate. This feast of Saint Protasius was very sad for me and also for many others, both pilgrims and galeotti, we were so much shaken by the storm.

1. West or north-west wind.

On Saturday, the 21st of June, before sunrise, we arrived at Corfu (Note 61), the capital of the island and the beginning of Greece. It was anciently called Corcyra, and is a city subject to the Signoria of Venice. We arrived there to the great joy of the pilgrims, who had suffered more than I can say from the storm above mentioned. It was necessary to provide the galley with fresh water, which already began to run short, and the company also hoped to get some good wines that would put the disordered stomachs in order.

The magnificent captain entered the port, giving license to the pilgrims until mid-day, and the greater part landed as they could, for there was a dearth of boats to carry the company ashore. For the most part the pilgrims were disappointed in their expectations, because there was no good wine to be found at the taverns, no good water, no fruit. The water had to be fetched from a place two miles away called the "Cardaro,"(1) and it was very hot there, and besides, on one side of the port, there is a large suburb, a good distance away, where the market is held on appointed days, and where there are all the inns and taverns; in truth, it was better to stay on board the galley -- I mean for the majority.

Against my will I was very fortunate this time,(2) for when I left Milan the very Reverend Lord the present Bishop of Piacenza(3) gave me certain letters to present to a certain Andrea Lanza, whom I sought out in order to please the aforesaid Lord. I found he was the son of the Venerable Doctor Don Pietro Lanza, Archdeacon of the Cathedral of Corfu, and Vicar of the Archbishop of Corfu. When he had read the letters of the aforesaid Lord Bishop he gave me such a welcome as I did not merit, nor could he have done more, I think, had I been the aforesaid Lord Bishop in person -- so much good wine, fruit and other good things did he offer us. My good fortune was shared by another pilgrim, a native of Friuli, who happened to be with me when I presented the letters. And because the aforesaid Don Pietro Lanza is greatly esteemed by the Venetian gentlemen, many important undertakings, temporal as well as spiritual, are entrusted to him, and the said Andrea his son has also great undertakings in his hands, and he is a very experienced person.

1. Probably a corruption of the word "Caldaio," that is the boiler.
2. Probably Casola meant that he would willingly have avoided consigning the letter on account of the heat.
3. The Bishop of Piacenza then was Fabrizio Marliani, a Milanese who was transferred from the See of Tortona to that of Piacenza in 1476. He died at Milan, 1508, but his body was taken to Piacenza and buried in the Cathedral. -- Porro.

After dinner he showed me the position of the city and also the customs. This city of Corfu is placed on a hill, and has a large suburb in the plain, as I said. It has two very strong castles, situated a bowshot one from the other, and the one which is furthest west is higher than the other. They are built on two rocks, the one loftier than the other; indeed, the whole city is built on the rock. There are few inhabitants in the said castles which dominate the city and the suburb very notably. They have a good store of provisions, especially of water, which is collected in large cisterns dug out of the rock. There is also a mill very cunningly contrived. I was told it can grind three Venetian staia(1) of grain every hour, and it is worked by two horses and three men. It is a beautiful contrivance to look at.

The buildings of the said city are very numerous, and so close together that the roof of one touches the roof of the next, and the sun does not give too much annoyance to the people. There is a dense population of men and women, both in the city and in the suburb; but for the most part they are of a low class, although there are some of gentle birth. The said city, together with the suburb, used to be like a small island. Now the Signoria has separated the city from the suburb by a very thick wall made of square blocks, and the said city will be an island by itself, and by means of a moat which is being constructed to strengthen the said city it will be possible to circumnavigate it, though not with large ships. The work is constantly going on under the direction of the aforesaid Don Pietro.

I went into the Cathedral, but I will not write more about it because I did not find anything there worthy of record, for there is no single vestige of a choir in the said church, nor sign of its being a collegiate church. In the said church, as I was told, the body of Saint Arsenius reposes under the altar. I saw two bells in a window; I think that must be the bell-tower, because there is no other. The archiepiscopal dwelling does not seem to me worthy of such dignity, nor even of the merits of the person who lives there -- that is, of the aforesaid Don Pietro, the Vicar. The deficiencies must be attributed to the person who enjoys the revenues end does not provide what is necessary.

1. A Venetian Staio =83. 317200 litres; a Milanese Staio=18. 279287 litres.

The streets of the said city are so very narrow and dark that, exploring them alone, as I did, I was afraid at first. The said city is governed by an official called the Bailo,(1) aided by two councillors and treasurers sent by the Signoria of Venice every three years. The Governors of the two castles are changed every sixteen months. From what I could hear, the men of the said city are very skilful sailors, and there are always a great many away at sea.

This city has an island a hundred miles long, and the said island produces grain, wines in perfection -- such as malmsey -- and every kind of fruit. The chief product is grana,(2) of which a great quantity is gathered -- I mean for dyeing cloths, and while we were in port it was being collected. The said grana is made with great care. I watched how they extract, first, the fine powder, then the second and the third, and how there then remains what is sold as grana. I wanted to understand how it is collected, what the plants are like, which are not higher than the brugh (Note 62) at home, what the leaves are like which resemble those of the oak, and by whom it is gathered -- that is, by poor men. What is gathered looks like the grains of buckwheat at home.

After it is carried with great care (for in a moment the sun would spoil it) by the women to the buyers, the first powder is extracted, et cetera, and each kind as I said, and without great care the said seed would become worms. The said island produces cotton and silk, and there is also a great quantity of a seed called valania(1) used for tanning leather, and there is a great trade in that.

In the said city I saw a great many ugly faces, and also some pretty ones, as in Venice. As I had no more time because the trumpet was sounding and hurrying the pilgrims aboard, I did not learn any more about the said city, but I hoped on the return to see it better. And as all were being hastened on board the galley, the aforesaid Don Pietro, or rather his son Andrea, who had never left me, and who had shown me all he could, took a boat on his own account with certain slaves, and loaded it with much fruit and young geese -- he wanted also to put in wine and oxen, but I would not let him -- and he took me to the galley and bestowed the very generous present on the captain of the galley -- for thus I wished. Then embracing me many times, he recommended me to the aforesaid captain, who promised to go to his house on our return.

Several additional passengers came on board, who had been waiting for the galley. Amongst these there was one said to be a nephew of the King Spain. He was very young and magnificent, and said that he also wished to come to Jerusalem and then return to Rhodes to take the habit of the Jerusalem friars, for he was expecting a very large and rich benefice in Spain. He had been in Naples, and King Alfonso had given him some horses and certain falcons, and he had everything in a greppo(1)brought from Ancona, which followed at the side of the galley. With him there was another Lord called the Lord of Longo(2) (an island near Rhodes), whose name was Eduardus de Camardino (Note 63). He is a Genoese, and has a commendam called the Commendam of Longo, worth, it was said, eight thousand ducats. He is a person of importance on sea and land, and is held in repute by the Order of Saint John. As I had formerly made his acquaintance at the Court of Rome, I made myself known to him, and he showed me many attentions both on sea and on land. These two Lords had left Rome together to join the pilgrim galley for greater security. Because of waiting for these two Lords we stayed longer at Corfu than we expected; nevertheless at the twenty-third hour we set sail.

By Sunday, the 22nd of June, at sunrise, we had made little progress. The island of Corfu was continually on our left hand, and on the right hand the island of Cephalonia,(3) belonging to the Turk, and other islands, belonging to the Signoria of Venice. We sailed through the Ionian Sea, leaving Arcadia on the one side and the Morea on the other; and we suffered greatly from the heat,(4) because there was a great calm at sea, and the galley could not be moved with the oars because it was too heavy.

On Monday, the 23rd of June, the Vigil of Saint John the Baptist, we found in the morning that we were opposite a mountain called the Capo del Ducato (Note 64), in Turkey; and there was still a great calm very contrary to our purpose. As the pilgrims and also the sailors were very discontented because the barrels of fresh water were beginning to run short, and many other things also, and we were all very weary, the Venerable Father Don Frate Francesco Trivulzio. who in truth was a holy man, and had a wonderful library in his breast, at the seventeenth hour, by means of the comito of the galley, invited the company to a sermon in order to cheer the discontented on the occasion of the said vigil.

His Reverence went to the castle of the galley, where lived the magnificent captain and other distinguished men on the galley, both pilgrims and also passengers. All were congregated there, even the galeotti, who had nothing else to do because the galley was so becalmed. And beginning the said sermon in a way he had perhaps never done before -- that is, sitting down -- he took his text from the Gospel for Saint John's day, that is, "quis putas hic puer erit, etc."(1) Thereupon he began to show the company that he had in his mind some remarkable things to offer in praise of Saint John, and divided his sermon into nine meditations to be made on the Saint. As all, however, were not suitable before the day of the nativity, he said a great deal suitable for the vigil, that is, of the prophecies of the said Saint made by the prophets and of the annunciation of him made by the Angel, and in what place. With his charming words he comforted all the galley there until sundown, and promised to give the rest of the sermon he had prepared, the following day, if the weather did not prevent him.

1. "What manner of child shall this boy be?" -- Luke i. 66.

On Tuesday, the 24th of June, the day of the nativity of Saint John, the calm continued, and the galley made little progress. When the company therefore had risen and several dry Masses had been said, as is the custom at sea, the preacher above mentioned went to the place he had chosen the day before and proceeded to give the promised sermon. He continued to treat the meditations to be made on Saint John, and preaching from the same text, "Quid putas erit puer iste, etc.," he finished the exposition of the nine meditations he had laid down in the preceding sermon on Saint John. He preached for two hours, to the great satisfaction of every nation, and especially of the learned persons. Many who had never heard him before, although he had preached on land in the course of the journey, came to ask me afterwards who that venerable father was, and I -- not only for the honour of the fatherland, but also that the truth should not remain hidden -- told all I could about him. And the company, satisfied with this spiritual food, went to refresh the body to the sound of the trumpet.

While the galley was so becalmed that she made hardly a mile an hour, we came opposite the island of Zante, which belongs to the Venetians. At nightfall we were still without a favourable wind, and every man went to sleep with a great longing to reach Modone. All complained of the extreme heat except the Germans and certain other nations, who -- said the Venerable Don Fra Francesco in his sermon -- ate and drank from morning till night and then went supperless to bed. These individuals did not feel the heat; the rest of us did unfortunately. And thus ended the day of St. John the Baptist.

On Wednesday, the 25th of June, we thought to have reached Modone by the morning, but when the company arose we found ourselves still in the Sea of Arcadia on the left hand, and near the rock of Prodano, eighteen miles from Modone. On the right side there was the Ionian Sea, and Sicily opposite, according to what the sailors said, and that is the way to go to Barbary. We were still sailing past a part of the Morea. On a rock seven miles from Modone there is a castle called Gionchio, on the borders of the Turk, which belongs to the Signoria Venice.

At length, by the grace of God, we arrived at Modone (Note 65) at the twentieth hour, and all landed in great haste, without waiting for the casting of the anchor, so great was the desire to go on land. Although, in truth, there was not much comfort in the way of lodgings to be found there for the pilgrims, beginning with the venerable father, who on leaving the galley went to the Franciscan Friary, and I followed him thinking to better my condition. But there was little to be had; it
was as much as we could do to find a few eggs. I did the cooking as well as I could to restore the father preacher;
anything was good enough for me.

On Thursday, the 26th of June, we remained at Modone, the galeotti having landed with their merchandise to hold
a fair, as is usual when a port is made. And because I never stayed to sleep on land, but always returned to the galley, I accompanied the captain in the morning to a certain small church outside the city, which is being restored with the offerings of sailors. After hearing Mass he performed his devotions, and returned to the galley without entering Modone.

After dinner, seeing that he did not intend to set sail for that day, I went with certain companions to see the aforesaid city of Modone a little better. The said city is in a plain. The sea washes the walls, and it has a port capable of receiving the largest ships. It has strong walls drawbridges at every gate, which are four according to my reckoning. It is well furnished with towers, and on the towers and the walls there are large pieces of artillery of every size. Towards the mainland it is very strong, and is being continually strengthened. The Signoria is adding there a large moat and a double line of thick walls, and it will be a stupendous thing and well placed when it is finished.

There is a large suburb, also walled. It seems to me that the greater part of the silk industry is carried on in the said suburb; certainly many Jews, both men and women, live there, who work in silk. They are very dirty people in every way and full of very bad smells. Their society did not please me; I speak, however, of those outside the city. Turning back, I entered the city, where I did not see either houses or palaces worthy of description; for its size it has many houses, and they are close together. I think there are few inhabitants, for in the finest and widest street there, the houses appeared to
be shut up for the most part, and when I stood in the market place I did not see many people. Those I saw, besides that they are Greeks -- for they also belong to the Morea -- are thin and ugly to look at. The majority of their houses, whether they are large or small -- at least from the middle upwards and on the side facing the public streets -- are built of timbers. In short, I did not see any other beauty there.

The Cathedral, which is an episcopal church, can join the company of the other miserable churches, being badly kept in every way. I did not indeed see the Bishop, but they said he was in the city. His palace, such as it is, stands in front of the church, and the entrance to the said palace is a flight of steps of hard stone in the piazza. Certain of the pilgrims asked to see the relics -- I mean those of the aforesaid church. Beginning with the caretaker -- who seemed to me a cobbler, though he had a large tonsure -- and then all the rest, it seemed to me a very wretched affair. At length the relics were shown us with a very poor light. We were shown the head of Saint Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria (I mean the greater)(1) who composed the creed "quicumque vult salvus esse, etc.,"(2) and then the body of Saint Leo. I wanted to know who he was, and was told that he was a pilgrim who came from the Sepulchre and died on the galley, and was buried on the seashore. Afterwards he was revealed to the Bishop, who caused him to be brought into the church where he worked many miracles; this is what I could find out about him. To tell the truth, the said body was kept in a wooden chest which was in a very bad condition. I do not mention the other churches, because I saw nothing there worthy of remark. As I said before, I accompanied the Venerable Father Don Frate Francesco to the Franciscan Friary, which follows the rule of Saint Francis. It is poor and even more than poor, because when I sought firewood to make a little supper it was not possible to find any, and I had to make a fire with what material I could get. The said convent has no cloister and no refectory; the dormitory consists of four rooms made of planks; in short, the friars are indeed poor.

This city is governed by a Captain(1) and a Governor of the castle, who are sent by the Signoria, and they are changed every two years. Good malmsey, muscatel wines and Roumanian wines are also to be found there.

Galley leaves Modone. -- Corone Sighted. --Islands of Cerigo, Cerigotto, Paros. -- Great Storm. --Arrival in Candia. -- Great Earthquake. -- Procession. -- Greek Rites and Ceremonies. -- Description of the City of Candia. -- Cathedral of St. Titus. -- Franciscan Convent and Church. -- Bad Smells. -- Wines. -- Cheeses. -- Galley Sails from Candia. -- Death of a Priest at Sea. -- Arrival at Rhodes. -- Turkish Pirates. -- Description of Rhodes. -- The Great Siege of 1480. -- Palace of the Grand Master and of the Governor of Longo. -- Stories about some of the Islands belonging to the Knights of St. John. -- Casola Visits the Grand Master. -- Great Heat Experienced. -- Relics Seen. -- Departure from Rhodes.

ON Friday, the 27th of June, about the twelfth hour, the magnificent captain, seeing that the weather was changing for the better, sent a trumpeter on shore to hasten every- where and tell the pilgrims and galeotti that they must return at once to the galley because he intended to set sail. And about the fourteenth hour he did so, though not with the wind he hoped for, and the galley sailed very slowly. By the evening we found ourselves only opposite Corone, also a city belonging to the Signoria. It seems to be situated in a plain, and the position is not less beautiful than that of Modone -- I repeat what I heard. The distance between them is not more than twenty miles. We left Corone behind on the left hand.

On Saturday, the 28th of June, the vigil of Saint Peter's day, we had made very little progress, and so at the sixteenth hour we came opposite an island called Cerigo(1) on the left hand. Not far from there we passed a rock coiled Cape Malea, where the Aegean Sea, otherwise called the Archipelago, begins. When we entered the said sea we passed another island called Cicerigo,(2) which is very unfruitful, and also another called the island of Paros, from whence the whitest marble in the world is obtained. There, various winds arose which drove the galley into the open sea, to the great perturbation of the stomachs of the pilgrims and sailors. It was very pitiful to see them, and especially the Venerable Fra Francesco, who about the twentieth hour had come to the magnificent captain and given him to understand that, being a feast day, he wished to preach a sermon on St. Peter at supper time. As soon as the said weather began he was obliged to go and hide himself away like the rest. It was very pitiful to see them, and especially the Verable Fra Francesco, who about the twentieth hour had come to the magnificent captain and given him to understand that, being a feast day, he wished to preach a sermon on St. Peter at supper time. As soon as the said weather began he was obliged to go and hide himself away like the rest. It was very sad to see a man like him so quickly placed in peril of his life, together with many others. For my part, reassured as I was by the magnificent captain, I had no more fear of the sea as regards seeing the storms, nor indeed as regards the stomach either. The said storm continued all the following night, and it seemed as if we must inevitably all go to the bottom, so terrible were the blows given by the sea and the great mass of water dashed over the galley.

On Sunday, the 29th of June, which was the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul the Apostles, many of the seasick got up, thinking the sea had calmed down a little. They found it raging more furiously than ever, so that, notwithstanding that they had fasted on the vigil, many were also obliged to fast on the festival. Suddenly the wind changed and began to blow with such force in the direction of our route that, had it not been for the merchandise of the captain and of several other merchants who had business in Candia, we should have gone as far in two days as we had previously gone in fifteen; but it was decided at all costs to enter the port of Candia. And as the wind was contrary, it was necessary to lower the sails and stop some distance from the city of Candia, twelve miles out of our course. We were at the mercy of the sea, because when the anchor was cast with the largest cable on board called the gomena, which was six hundred feet long, it did not reach to the bottom of the sea.

1. Cerigo, the ancient Cythera, belonged to Venice from 1204; and every two years a noble was sent there as governor of the Castie.
2. Cicerigo or Cerigotto was the ancient Aegilla. It lies between Cerigo and Candia.

Thus, after we arrived at the said place, everyone was very dissatisfied, not only because of the disturbance due to the preceding storm, but also because we were disappointed in our great desire to go to the said city, which we saw, but which we could not enter. Certain of our company were courageous enough to face the stormy sea, and entered a small boat to go ashore, but several times, when I saw the waves wash over the boat, I thought they had foundered. And the fury of the sea continued, and the galley was struck by the waves with such force that at times it seemed as if she must break up.

On Monday, the last day of June, the sea had not yet calmed down, and the weather continued as on the previous day. But several eager or rather rash spirits went ashore in that small boat. I chose to stay with the majority on the galley, fearing to make shipwreck otherwise -- from what the magnificent captain said, with whom I passed most of my time.

On Tuesday, the first day of July, at dawn, as the sea had somewhat calmed down, the necessary sails were spread -- that is, the mizzen sail and the fore sail -- with loud shouts from the sailors, who sweated terribly in pulling those cords, for it was difficult work, and great care on the part of the officers -- that is, the comito, parono, companion of the parono, and councillors. We finally entered the desired port of Candia (Note 67), which, because of the great fury of the sea, the large size of the galley and the narrow entrance to the port, could not be entered without peril.

Although it was very early, there were so many people of every kind on the quay -- some come to see the galley, which was adorned with many flags, and some to help -- that it was a marvellous sight. When the galley was fastened in the port, everyone who wished to do so went ashore. There was not one of the pilgrims who was well who did not go on land. We found that those who had left on chance the day before, because of their desire to go on land, had not yet arrived in Candia.

I accompanied the venerable preacher to his friary called San Francesco, where he was received by the friars with great cordiality, and we dined there together. After dinner -- when the aforesaid preacher had gone to lie down, because he had suffered greatly from the sea, and I was enjoying the cool in a certain passage also in the convent -- about the sixteenth hour, there was an earthquake of such a nature, that I was almost thrown from the seat on which I was sitting, to the ground. The friary seemed on the point of falling, the beams were seen to come out of their places, and made a great dust; and the friars cried aloud "Misericordia," as did the others who were in the convent. I desired to flee with the rest, but it was impossible; on the one side were the convent and the church, from which came clouds of dust, and on the other side were the walls of the city, from which we could fall headlong and break our necks. There were dangers on every side, and we thought to have escaped the sea only to perish on land. What terrible experiences! At last we got out of the friary, and heard all the city crying "Misericordia," some in Greek, some in Latin, and all the people were running to the open country. It was a pitiful thing to hear and to see.

The said earthquake did much damage in the city to the bell-towers, the churches and also the private houses. A procession was at once formed to go through the city. It was joined by the priests, both Greek and Latin, and also by the friars of every kind, though there were only a few of them. Behind them went many men and women, who beat their breasts with their fists most mierably. It was said that there had been other earthquakes, but they had not lasted long or been so terrible as this one. All the people were terrified, the foreigners as much as the natives. And when I returned to the galley, because I was afraid, I found another thing which greatly alarmed the company. For the sea was stormier than when we had landed, and the great waves were dashing all the ships in the port one against another, so that it seemed as if they would all be broken to pieces; and the water was of various colours, so that the company was stupified at the sight. The captain told me that he had never seen the like.

This earthquake so frightened the company that many pilgrims who had decided to sleep in the city returned on board the galley to sleep; and then, whoever desired a stronger dose, drank another cup. For about the third hour of the night the earthquake was renewed with such violence, that people arose out of the bed and fled to the open country. It was said that letters were brought to the Governors of the city from several places in the island which was destroyed by this earthquake.

On Wednesday, the 2nd of July, I left the galley to go and see the city of Candia, and I happened to see the beginning of the procession made in consequence of the earthquake. It was a very pitiful thing to see and to hear. For in front of the great company of Greek boys without any order, who cried with a loud voice "Kyrie Elieson," and nothing else, those Greeks carried in the said procession many very large figures of Our Lady and other saints. There was a great display of handsome vestments on the part of the Greek priests. They all wear on their heads certain hats, of which some are white, some black. Those who have their wives living wear a white hat, the widowers were a black one. The cords hang down like those of the cardinals' hats. The higher in rank the priests are the more beautiful is the hat.

I was greatly astonished at the chanting of the said Greeks, because it appeared to me that they chanted with great discords. Nevertheless I think this was due to the motive of the said procession, which was the general sadness. And I think so the more, because of the custom of the Ambrosian Church, which takes its origin from the Greek, for in the service for the vigil of the saints or in the service for the dead they use many of these discords. At the end of the said procession walked the priests of the Cathedral, with the Archbishop's Vicar.

When the said procession, which I wanted to see entirely, was over, I set about seeing the city and learning its customs, especially with the aid of Don Nocolo de Domo a doctor and a good Milanese citizen, who, in order to earn a good income amongst those Greek, exercises the profession of procurator and advocate. He has plenty to do.

The city of Candia is in the Island of Crete, which, so they say, measures not less than eight hundred miles in circumference. In the said island there are several cities which have a bishop. Candia is the capital, and the seat of an archbishop. Anciently the said island was more thickly populated than it is at present, and the part which was most beautiful and most thickly populated is now destroyed. The true histories tell a great deal about this, and poets also have invented much; but it has nothing to do with our journey. I only want to speak about Candia because I was ten days there on the outward and homeward journey.

Candia is a very large, strongly walled city, situated in a plain. It has beautiful houses, although they have flat roofs in the Eastern fashion. It has a fine port, which is very narrow and somewhat dangerous at the entrance, especially for large ships.

The Cathedral Church, dedicated to Saint Titus, is very beautiful. He is the Titus to whom Saint Paul wrote, and who was ordained bishop by Timotheus, a disciple of Saint Paul. There are many other smaller churches served by very ignorant Greek priests. The most beautiful is the Church of San Francesco, belonging to the observant friars. It is more beautiful than the Cathedral, and has a most beautiful choir with three rows of stalls beautifully carved and a beautiful convent. It is above the city wall. There are also two other Orders, but their churches and monasteries have not much dignity.

The said city has a suburb on the land side which everyone would consider more beautiful than the city. It contains beautiful palaces, beautiful gardens and beautiful streets; and there is the place of the markets, expecially of the provision markets. On account of its importance the Signoria of Venice, to whom the city as well as the whole island is subject, has begun to enclose the said suburb with a strong and thick wall. When it is finished it will be more beautiful than the city. Just outside the gate which leads to the said suburb there is a beautiful chapel of Our Lady governed by the Greek priests, whom they call "calogeri;" but the Masses are also said there in Latin.

However beautiful their palaces and houses are, as I said before, they appear nevertheless houses begun and not finished, because they have flat roofs, and they have not the necessary place for purging the human body; and this is a general want. In the houses the people have portable vessels which they employ during the day, then in the evening, at the sound of a bell in the tower of Saint Mark's, they all empty the vessels from the windows or the doors without taking any precaution. And once the said signal has been fiven, though the contents should fall on a person's head, no penalty is incurred; and there is a great stink. I can testify to this fact from what I saw. When I remember that the city is called Candia, with this horrible smell, I think the name must have been applied for antiphrase. Perhaps they trust the good odours they have, such as that of the cypress, to confound those stinks.

There is an abundance of most excellent wines -- malmseys and muscatels -- in the said city, and not only in the city but also in the whole island, especially in a city called Rethemo. When a man asks for rough wine they give him malmsey. In the season there are good melons, grapes and other good fruit. The vines are left trailing on the ground as we leave the melons and watermelons; and when they gather the grapes to make the malmseys and muscatels they crush them on chalk, because otherwise they could not extract the wine nor even preserve it; and that chalk gives them the great odour and perfume they have. A great quantity of every kind of wine is made all over the island, and all is brough to this city to be sold to the merchants. I inquired from experienced persons as to the quantity sold, and they told me that not less than sixty thousand botte(1)of malmsey and muscatel are sold every year. And they said that the whole island produces at least as much milk as wine -- I mean ewe's milk.

They make a great many cheeses; but it is a pity they are so salted. I saw great warehouses full of them, and some in which the brine or "salmoria," as we say, was a braccio(2) deep, and the large cheeses were floating within. Those in charge told me that the cheeses could not be preserved otherwise, because they are so rich. They do not know how to extract the butter. They sell a great quantity to the ships that call there. It was astonishing to see the number of cheeses taken by our galley.

As there are so many sheep there I asked if wool and cloths are made, and was told no, that there is no wool industry either in the city of Candia or in the island. I can well believe it. Several times I some of their sheep, and they had
[a leaf is here missing from the MSS.]
through the city telling the pilgrims that they must be on board the galley by the eighteenth hour; and this was done -- the company supplying themselves with what was needed for the voyage to Jerusalem.

On Friday, the 4th of July, at dawn, with great difficulty we left the port of Candia and entered the open sea. All three sails were spread, but the wind was garbino(3) and rather contrary than otherwise, and in consequence many of the pilgrims were seasick. Neverthe less the galley made good progress, though with great fastings. Perhaps they were necessary because of the life we had led in Candia.

1. A Venetian "Botte" = 751.170 litres.
2. The Venetian "braccio" = .683396 metres; the Milanese "braccio" = .594936 metres.
3. South-west wind.

The following night, towards Saturday, after even I had been upset by the sea, another trouble befell me. For a priest called Giovanni, belonging to the diocese of Lausanne, whose lodging was next to mine, and who was ill when he came on board the galley, died, and there was great distress and agitation until day broke. His fellow countrymen begged the captain to permit them to place the body in a case and keep it thus until the evening, because, being then, as was hoped, at Rhodes, they wished to bury him on land. He consented, and thus sailing we passed on the left the island of Longo,(1) which belongs to the Rhodians -- that is to say, it is held by a Commander of the Jerusalem Order, and, as I mentioned, the Commander of the said island was on board the galley. We also passed many other rocks, about which I will say something on the return.

On Sunday, the 6th of July, I left the galley in company with the magnificent captain, and we went to hear Mass at Saint Augustine's. Then, as he joined the Prior or Commander of the island of Longo, who, as I said, had come on board the galley at Corfu to come to Rhodes, I left his magnificence and set about certain commissions I had to do for friends in Rhodes. After dinner I went to see Rhodes, especially what was said to be best worth seening.

The site of the city of Rhodes is very ancient, and it is the city to which Paul formerly wrote the Epistle to the Colossians. There are several reasons why it is now called Rhodes, but I omit them in order not to be too lengthy, and also because they are related by persons incomparably more learned than I am. It has been always been very strong, and proved it a few years ago when it offered such a strenuous resistance to the Grand Turk in the year 1480.

Many traces of the siege remain which stupefy the beholder; it is an incredible thing to anyone who has not seen it. And hearing the account, as I heard it, from those who were there during that war, one can more readily say and believe that it was a miracle than due to the power of man. For while the Rhodians believed they were going to their death, they gained the victory over the thousand of Turks who were besiefing the city of Rhodes. I think the sings will remain until the day of the last Judgment. One cannot go about Rhodes without finding stones, and terrible ones, which were fired from the mortars. Some of them are so enormous that it seems incredible that they were thrown from the cannon. It is also an incredible thing that so many having been fired as have left their traces -- that is, the stones I mentioned, which are of every size -- the city still exists; and yet there it is, and it does not ever appear to have been besieged. It was said by those who were present at the siege that not less than five thousand were fired, between large and small.

I went to see the palace of the Grand Master, who is a Cardinal Deacon, with the title of Saint Adrian; his name in the Lord Peter Daubusson. I saw also the rest of the city from a height towards the land; it looked to me like a piece of Rome. There is no order, either in the palaces or in the circle of the walls. The city cannot be described as long or square or triangular. It is very strong, and is being continually strengthened; work is constantly going on around the walls, especially towards the sea, at a tower called the tower of St. Nicholas. The palace of the Grand Master, together with the Church of Saint John, appears to ascend somewhat, yet everything is in the plain. There are a few beautiful facades, especially going towards the palace of the Grand Master, but inside there is nothing very rich.

The palace of the aforesaid Governor of Longo is handsome, though not more so than its neighbours, and it adjoines the city wall which looks towards the sea. I saw this palace all through, for the aforesaid Lord of Longo being, as I said before, a native of Genoa,(1) where a very rich brother of his still lives, and I a Milanese, and I having made friends with him on the galley, he was pleased to invite me to dinner with him together with the Magnificent Don Agostino Contarini. At dinner, although we were the only guests, there was such a display of silver, such diversity of viands, and everything was so well decorated and served that it would have sufficed for any great lord, in spite of the fact that everything there is dear.

1. In the 14th and 15th centuries Genoa had to struggle against the ambition of the ruling families of Milan and other enemies, and was not always strong enough to maintain its independence. From 1315-35 Genoa was under the protection of Robert of Anjou: from 1353-56 and 1421-35 it was subject to the Viscontis of Milan: from 1396-1413 and from 1458-61 it was subject to the King of France: and from 1464-78 and from 1487-98 it was subject to the Sforzas of Milan. In 1494, therefore, Casola belonged to the dominant, and the Governor of Longo to the subject State.

After dinner he showed me the said palace very thoroughly and all the decorations, which were worthy of such a potect Lord. From what I could hear afterwards, he is the most exteemed Knight and Commander in Rhodes. Because I was subject of the Most Illustrious Lord the Duke of Milan, he made me great offers, beginning with money, and pressed me to go to his house on my return. He did the same to the Venerable Fra Francesco Trivulzio, hearing that he was a Milanese and of such a noble family, and as the said Fra Francesco was lodged at the Monastery, he paid him a visit and made him a beautiful present. I went to his hospital. It is beautiful in appearance, and where the infirmary was, there was a great display of tapestry, and there are large offices also and other arrangements. When I saw it, there were very few sick people, and for that reason I think they spend little.

The port of Rhodes seems to me the largest and strongest between Venice and Jaffa. It can be entered without danger because it is very deep. The said city has many windmills on the walls and also outside. I went to see these mills, which seemed to me beautiful contrivances. When I asked how much they ground, I was told a quantity which I could not believe, because when I saw the result it did not appear to me to be likely. There is a way of regulating the amount of wind by enlarging and reducing certain sails which catch the wind. I counted sixteen of the said mills on the walls of the port; the others, placed here and there, were more numerous.

Rhodes is an island which has, they say, a circumference of hundred miles. It is very sterile, and everything is dear; more so than at any other place visited on this journey. If, indeed, there is some merchandise there, everything is brought either from Turkey, as are carpets, or from Italy, as are cloths.

The inhabitants of the said city are for the most part foreign Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem or merchants of every nation under the sun. The Rhodians are Greeks. I saw some very beautiful women there of every nation. There are many and rich Jews, and they carry on the silk industry. The Rhodians live very long; it may be, either because the air is excellent, or because they eat very sparingly. Men are to be found there aged a hundred years, a hundred and ten and a hundred and twenty, in excellent health and spirits; and I was told by persons worthy of credence that the air of Rhodes is so good that anyone who knew how to regulate his manner of living would have difficulty in dying.

Besides the island of Rhodes, the Grand Master and his order have under their government several other islands, which, on account of their peculiarities, I must not omit to mention. I heard, from people who had seen it, that there is an island called the island of the Symie(1) where the air is so good, they say, that amongst the inhabitants there are ment of a hundred and ten, a hundred and twenty, and even a hundred and forty years of age.

1. This is evidently the island of Kherki, a very few miles to the west of Rhodes.
2. The island of Tilos or Piskopi is one of the Sporades, and lies between Rhodes and Cos or Longo.

The same day, I went with the captain to visit the Grand Master, and presented several letters to him. He paid me many attentions; I think that was partly because I brough him, from Milan, some money, which he is always glad to see. It was said in Rhodes that he did nothing else but accumulate, and that he was the chief merchant. While we were in the presence of his most Reverend Lordship, there came a messenger sent by his captain of the fleet, whose name is Frate Furiano, and who had gone to recover the nave and caravel stolen by the Turkish pirates, as I said above. The said messenger brough letters which related how he had recovered everything, but that he had not been able to take a single prisoner save Arigi's boy, whom he had cut in pieces(Note 70). The reason why he had not been able to seize any other persons was that the Turkish ships had entered a certain torrent where the ships of the Rhodians, which were larger, could not follow them quickly enough. However, everything had gone well; he had recovered all that had been stolen, and had also taken the Turkish ships without crews. This news completely reassured the captain, and the pilgrims also, when it was made known, because we had been very perplexed about going further on account of what had happened.

On Monday, the 7th of July, we remained at Rhodes because the captain and also the galeotti had much business to do. The pilgrims who had no other occupation went to see the place. They avoided the heat -- which was in truth very great -- as much as possible, and they drove away their thirst with those malmseys, watered as much as possible. I do not say anything about the relics shown to us, because they are ordinary; there is that thorn which blossoms on Good Friday (Note 71).

On Thursday, the 8th of July, after dinner, the magnificent captain, by means of the trumpet, sent to warn the pilgrims to be on board the galley by the evening, as he intended to depart. The pilgims were obedient, and the galley was already outside the port with a favourable wind, and we were on the point of setting sail, when it was discovered that one of the noble deputies, whom I mentioned before,(1) called Don Alvise Morosini, was missing. As it was hoped he would come, the galley was left all night without the sails, thus drifting at the mercy of the water until morning. We lost more that a hundred miles of the course, and on this account every man on board said Litanies, but they were in truth Spanish ones.(2)

1. One of the two Venetian gentlemen apprentices appointed to the galley by the Signora. (See Note 53.)
2. To say Spanish Litanies=to blaspheme.

Voyage through the Gulf of Satalia. -- Encounter with Seven Venetian Ships at Paphos. -- Supply of Wood and Water taken at Limasol. -- Description of the Ruins there. -- Plague Raging at Famagosta and Nicosia. -- Casola Vists the Famous Cornaro Sugar Plantations at Episcopia in Cyprus. -- Cotton Growing. -- Carob Beans. -- Fresh News of Turkish Pirates. -- Alarm of the Captain and His Efforts to Ensure the Safety of the Pilgrim Galley. -- Voyage continued to Jaffa.

ON Wednesday, the 9th of July, at sunrise, we set sail with what little wind remained, and made good progress in that Euxine Sea, now called the Sea of Natalia, from a city held by the Turks, which is called Natalia.(1) When the sun was somewhat up, however, the sea so settled into a calm that every man feared to die of heat, and this continued until night; then a fair provenza arose and good progress was made that night.

On Thursday, the 10th of July, as the provenza continued, we sailed through that gulf, and at midday discovered the point of the island of Cyprus (Note 72), and came over against a fortified place called Paphos. There, seven Venetian ships, coming from Syria loaded with goods, had stopped, and because they had heard of the capture made by the Turkish pirates, of whom I spoke above, they were afraid of going further. When the captains of the said ships saw our galley a long way off, they sent the scribe or secretary off in a small boat. As we were not sailing fast and as he had good galeotti, he came up with us and, being aided by a rope, as is usual in similar cases, he climbed on to the galley and gave the messages of his captains to our magnificent captain. The latter encouraged them to continue their voyage, sending them back word of what had happened while we were at Rhodes -- that is, of the good provision made by the Grand Master for what had occurred and of the victory gained by Frate Furiano.

On Friday, the 11th of July, we arrived near Limasol at sundown, and the sails being lowered, we approached a certain place where preparations were made for taking a supply of wood and of fresh water. This water is obtained almost from the impossible. That night the men dug several large trenches some distance from the seashore. In the morning they were so many beautiful springs flowing into the sea, and all the galley was furnished with that water: I say all, because, besides the captain, many others kept a supply in barrels.

On Saturday, the 12th of July, when the sun had risen, the magnificent captain made the port, and ordered the anchor to be cast off the shore of Limasol -- an ancient city of the island of Cyprus -- because there is no harbour there. All the pilgrims left the galley, thinking to refresh themselves with something good, for they were excessively afflicted by the heat which they had endured on the galley during the preceding days. But they were all disappointed in their expectations, not having found on the journey so far, a more arid place than Limasol. I can assure you that everything was lacking there, so that it was necessary for those who wished to dine on land, to get supplies at once from the galley. As both the magnificent captain and the Venerable Fra Francesco went ashore, I determined to go with them, fearing I should remain hungry if I went elsewhere, as in truth would have been the case.

When we landed the galley we went immediately, as was fitting, to the Cathedral, which is indeed still upright, but which is on the point of tumbling down. It is enough to say, that it has a good revenue, from what I could hear. For the service of the said church there is no one but a certain priest from Mantua who has learnt to speak Greek.

After Mass and after dinner, taken in a certain house near the quay facing the sea, which appeared to me a warehouse -- a storehouse for merchandise, because there were many bales of cotton and boxes of sugar there, which also served the company in the lack of other beds -- I went to see this city or remains of a city. I saw from the ruins and beautiful walls, that it must have been a large and beautiful place, but there is not a single good house in the whole city. I saw the said church reposefully, because in all Limasol there was not a place so suited for repose on account of the shade there. I saw nothing worth mentioning except the high altar. There is a beautiful altar-piece with certain figures in gilded wood, and the tomb of one of our Milanese named Fra de Corte, which has a Pieta painted above. All the other churches are in ruins.

I saw that in the said city the inhabitants do not spend very much money in covering their dwellings, because they are covered with green boughs or with straw. If it rained there as often as it does in Lombardy perhaps they would adopt another system of roofing. It never rains there. I went to the castle, which is guarded by a soldier. Certainly it must have been a fine strong place; neverthless it is also tumbling down, and nothing is being done to repair it. What little remains standing is a notable sight, and within, there is the best water to be found in that country. I drank some of it, albeit in a shoe, and it revived my spirits which were dried up in my body.

When I asked the cause of the destruction of such a great city, I received various explanations. Some said it was due to earthquakes, other attributed it to the many incursions of the Moors. The captain told me, when I spoke to him on the subject, that it had been thus destroyed by a King of England (Note 73) to avenge a niece who was oppressed by a King of Cyprus on the way from the from the Sepulchre. When I asked why the Signoria did not seek to repopulate it, standing as it does on the sea, he told me that people do not care to settle there on account of the earthquakes, and also because it is a very unhealthy place. The inhabitants have in truth an unhealty appearance. They all appear to be ill. True there are only a few of them.

I do not write about the size and wealth of the island of Cyprus, in which the city of Limasol is situated, because I could not get any reliable information; however, it is commonly said to be five hundred miles in circumference. I heard much about the abundance and delicacy of the sugar, cotton and other good things. I can say little about what I saw of the island. The captain would not give anyone leave to go to Nicosia or to Famagosta, the principle cities of the island of Cyprus, because a guard at Limasol told him that the people were dying(1) there, and there was no prospect of improvement. Certain merchants who had come with us went to Nicosia with their woollen cloths and proved the truth of what the guard said, for when we returned we found they were dead.

I can only speak of a great farm not far from Limasol, which belongs to a certain Don Federico Cornaro, a patrician of Venice, and is called Espicopia (Note 74), where they make so much sugar, that, in my judgment, it should suffice for all the world. Indeed it is said to be the best which goes to Venice, and the quantity sold is always increasing. It seems to me that no one ought ever to die there. It was very interesting to see how they make the sugar -- both the fine and the coarse -- and so many people at work. There were not less than four hundred persons there, all employed -- some in one way, some in another. It was interesting too, to see such a number of utensils; it was like another world to me. There were cauldrons of such a size that if I described them no one would believe me. One of the factors of the aforesaid Don Federico told me that every man was paid every Saturday. The said factor was an Italian, but he knew Greek. There was also a great quantity of cotton in the fields, but it was not yet ripe for gathering. It was also a great pleasure to see so many trees in the woods, loaded with carob-beans, bazane ultramarine, as we call them. They were still green, and the taste was bitter; when they are ripe they are sweet. Everything in that island pleased me, except that they make their wine with resin, and I could not drink it.

I did not see any other people of the said island save certain peasants living in the neighbourhood of Limasol, who came to sell their fruits, which, however, were few, and to buy some of the things which the galeotti had brought to sell -- cloths and other goods. They speak Greek. I know little about the island, because I was afraid of endangering my life.

While the captain was on shore, as I said, there came a messenger from the Captain of the island,(1) who showed him a letter received from the Vice-Consul of Tripoli in Syria (a city belonging to the Sultan), which informed the said Captain of the island that there were four armed light galleys belonging Camalio, a Turkish pirate, in the river of Tripoli, and that he was expecting two others which were at Lisso, and that they were hourly waiting to go in chase of and plunder, anyone less strong than themselves, and that he (the Vice-Consul) had heard, amongst other things, that they were waiting for news of the arrival of the pilgrim galley in order to plunder it if possible. This letter made our captain very anxious and also many of the pilgrims who heard the news; they were few, however, because the rest were dispersed here and there among the ruins in order to remain in the shade.

After taking counsel with those who were present, our captain wrote back to the aforesaid Captain of the island at Famagosta, asking him to send word whether the galleys of the Signoria of Venice had been sent, as they ought to have been, to make the sea secure, in order that Venetian ships could go on their way in safety; and to reply at once so that he might know what to do. When the letter had been despatched, by the same messenger, our captain thought of another plan -- that is, to re-write the letters and say to the Captain of the island that if the said galleys had not yet started, that he must despatch them at all costs, and that he himself would not depart until he received his reply. But it appeared to him that, without laying himself open to blame, he could not take such a course without the consent of the pilgrims, because four or five days would thus be lost and was very inconvenient on account of the dearth in the place and the lack of victuals.

On Sunday, the 13th of July, having heard Mass in the chief church because there were no others, our magnificent captain, through the interpreter whom he had taken at Rhodes, as was the custom, summoned all the pilgrims before the door of the church and told them what he thought, and asked their opinion. When he had made his proposal -- whether, because they did not understand, or for other reasons -- the magnificent captain remained almost alone or at least with very few supporters. The rest of the company departed one by one, thinking some evil of the captain, and the only conclusion come to was, that he must do as he thought best, and this he did. For when he returned to his lodgine, he wrote again to the Captain of the island, asking him at all costs to send the armed galleys for the protection of the pilgrim galley, and he was much blamed for this. Many of the pilgrims, expecially the Ultramontanes, murmured, saying that this was an invention made on purpose to extort many ducats from the pilgrims, as had been asserted already. In consequence, the captain, reassurred by his officers and galeotti, having sent the letter, determined to continue the voyage.

Thus, at the hour of Vespers, the trumpet was sounded among those ruins to give notice to the pilgrims and to the galeotti who were outside with their goods to sell, that all must be on board the galley that evening. And his magnificence, together with Don Frate Francesco, and those belonging to his mess, having had supper, entered the galley, and so did the others.

On Monday, the 14th of July, after sunrise, when the anchor was heaved, we set out and went to anchor at a place called La Canute, six miles, so the sailors said, from Limasol, where there are many common woods, from what I could understand. Many galeotti, skilled in that work, were sent to cut down wood enough to supply the galley all the time it had to stay at Jaffa, because wood is not to be found there for love or money, and also to get a supply of water, because there were the springs freshly made, as I said above. Close by, there was a place called the Case of the Cats,(1) where, as the persons said who knew it well, there used to be a hospital which kept many cats. Because that place was uninhabitable on account of the multitude of serpents, and many cats were brought there who destroyed the said serpents which infested those places.

While we were there, the secretary of the galley or the scribe, as they call him, arrived at the twenty-third hour. He had remained at Limasol to await the rely to the letters written to the Captain or Vice-Governor of the island of Cyprus to secure our way, for the reasons above stated. He brought letters, in reply to those written, which said, in short, that our captain might confidently continue his voyage, and that those two galleys he had asked for, for his protection, had gone to recover the ship of the Commander of Cyprus (of which I spoke above when I described the events at Rhodes), which had been seized by Arigi, the Turkish Corsair, and that, finding it had been recovered, they would return towards Syria. When he had read this letter the captain ordered a mortar to be fired, and gave orders that every man must return aboard because he wanted to set sail, and this he did without losing any time in the world.

On Tuesday, the 15th of July, we sailed through the great Gulf of Satalia with all the three sails spread to catch the wind, which was garbino and not a stern wind. There was no land to be seen, nothing else, though the sailors comforted us continually with the assurance that on the morrow we should reach Jaffa.

On Wednesday, the 16th of July, there was a calm at sea for a while, which did not at all please the company, beginning with the captain, because no land was to be seen in any direction, as had bee hoped. After midday there arose a considerable war of words between the comito, the councillor and the pilot (or guide, as he may be called), who was taken by order at Modone. One said we were near our destination, another said no; at length a galeotti was sent up to the masthead of the galley to look carefully if he could make out land on any side. And remaining thus, at the twentieth hour, two towers at Jaffa were sighted, which greatly cheered the company.

While the captain was preparing letters to send to the Governor of Rama(1) and to the Governor of Jerusalem, we arrived at Jaffa, with the aid of a little good wind, which sprang up a little before the twenty-third hour. The scribe, bearing the letters, was at once put into a small boat and sent to Rama for permission to land, as is the custom, and all the rest of us remained on board the galley in the greatest heat I ever experienced in all my life. The Te Deum Laudamus was sung by the pilgrims, especially by the priests and friars, and many prayers said at the good pleasure of each one.