Account of the Journey of Hieronimo di Santo Stefano, A Genovese, Addressed to Messer Giovan Jacobo Mainer.

Although it recalls many painful recollections, I will nevertheless, in compliance with your request, give you an account of our disastrous journey. You must know, then, that Messer Hieronimo Adorno and I went together to Cairo, where, having purchased a certain quantity of coral beads and other merchandize, we started for India, and at the end of a fortnight arrived at Cariz, and found a good port called Cane (Keneh). On our road we met with the ruins of many ancient cities, and many admirable buildings constructed in the time of the gentiles, in which several temples are still standing. Afterwards we departed from the abovenamed port of Cane, and travelled by land for several days through those mountains and deserts, wherein Moses and the people of Israel wandered when they were driven out by Pharaoh. At the end of these seven days we arrived at Cosir (Cosseir), ¹ a port of the Red Sea, and here embarked on board a ship, the timbers of which were sewn together with cords and the sails made of rush mats. In this ship we sailed for twenty-five days, putting in 4every evening at very fine but uninhabited ports’, and ultimately arrived at an island called Mazua (Massawa), off the right shore of the said sea, distant about a mile from the land, where is the port of the country of Prester John: the lord of this island is a Moor. Here we remained two months and then departed. Sailing through the said sea in the manner described above for twenty-five days more, we saw many boats fishing for pearls, and having examined them we found that they were not of so good quality as the oriental pearls. At the end of the said twenty-five days we arrived at the city of Adem, situate on the left shore of the sea and on the mainland. This city is inhabited by Moors, and a very extensive traffic is carried on there. The lord of this country is so just and good, that I do not think any other infidel potentate can be compared with him. We abode in this city four months, whence we embarked for India in another ship, fastened together with cords, but the sails were made of cotton. We sailed for twenty-five days with a prosperous wind without seeing land, and then we saw several islands, but did not touch at them; and continuing our voyage for ten days more, with a favourable wind, we finally arrived at a great city called Calicut.