The Author embarks on board a ship at Jeddeh bound to Hoogly, in Ben­gal.

ON the first of Rebby ul Awwel, A. H. 1155 (or the 24th of April 1742), after staying three months at Mecca, I departed from that place to the port of Jeddeh, which is two days journey. At a short distance from the town of Jeddeh, is the place where Eve* is said to be interred. The grave, which resem­bles a flower-bed, measures 197 of my paces. On the middle of the grave, a small dome is erected, and the ends are enclosed with wooden pales. The governor of Jeddeh is appointed by the Emperor of Constantinople; who also nominates the Shereefs of Mecca, but he is always a descendant of the ancient Shereefs, who have been for the most part of the tribe of Beni Hassan. If a man quarrels with another, and calls him a bastard, he is cited before the Shereef and punished; because many of the principal persons of Mecca are born of concubines. The Europeans have a factory at Jeddeh: but the Shereef will not permit any one of them to go to Mecca.

After remaining a month at Jeddeh, I embarked on board a ship commanded by an European captain, that was bound to Bengal.

We staid fifteen days at the port of Mokha, to take in water and provi­sions, as well as to traffick. Mokha is dependant upon Yemen, the Prince of which territory is called the Imam of Yemen, and Sanaa is his capital. The people of Yemen are chiefly of the sect of Zyed*. Here are the tombs of Sheikh Osman Shadely, and Sheikh Abul Hassan Shadely. The author of the Nefehât ul Uns asserts, that all the wells in this country were brackish before these holy men were interred there, since when the water is perfectly sweet. It was now the month of June, when grapes, mangoes, and peaches, are common in the markets. Some of the houses are three, and others four stories high; and the house of the governor, whom they stile Dowlah, consists of six stories.

When the captain had transacted his business at Mokha, we embarked and set sail; and passing the island of Seco­torah, famous for its aloes, came into the main ocean. It is said to be unfathomable, and which is the reason that no fish are to be found there. After twenty days sailing, when we had crossed the ocean, we saw a snake, at which the captain and his officers thanked God, it being a sign of our near approach to land. Three days after this we discovered on our left side, Ceylon, famous for cinnamon. This is a very large island, and its mountains abound with springs of fresh water. It is now in the possession of the Europeans. We saw Ceylon four days, and on the fifth it disappeared.

Four days after losing sight of Ceylon, we arrived at Pondichery*, a French set­tlement on the coast, near Arcot. They obtained the Emperor’s permission to erect a factory and warehouses, merely to carry on trade, instead of which they have built a large city on the sea-shore. We remained here twenty days to refresh our crew and carry on some trade. We then set sail for Kheenaputten, (or Madras) in its neighbourhood, and where ships touch, on account of its being a very flourishing place. Through the negligence of the officers of the ship, and the night being dark, we got about four cose beyond it before morning, and the wind proving unfavourable, the ship, which with a fair wind will sail one hundred and fifty cose in twenty-four hours, was above eight days in gaining the port, which we had missed by so inconsiderable a distance. On the ninth day after leaving Pondicherry, the wind coming fair, we arrived at Madras in an instant. The English have long pos­sessed this settlement on the coast of Arcot. Here they live entirely after their own manners and customs. The women of all ranks appear in public, and go about where-ever they please, the same as the men. After finishing our business at Madras, we weighed anchor and set sail for Hooghly.

God having hitherto granted us fair weather, I was not aware of the danger of a sea voyage. But when we approached Balasore, which is at all times con­sidered as a perilous navigation, we had such a violent storm, that it called to my remembrance the old saying, “That no wise man will make two voyages to sea; for in the first, he will experience sufficient danger to deter him from exposing himself to a second adventure.” From the violence of the storm, the waves dashed against the ship with such force, that she sprang a leak, and the captain and his officers had resolved to abandon their property, and escape in the boat at night, without informing the crew of their intention.

But the Almighty, for the sake of the few righteous persons who were on board, spared the lives of the rest. The storm ceased, and the wind proved favorable, as it is promised in the divine book, “After difficulty cometh ease: and whosoever placeth his confidence on the Lord, he will deliver him from out of his distress.”

After escaping the perils above described, we arrived at a channel, where if the ship’s course inclines too much to the left, she will strike upon a hard sand, and most probably perish. The officers are particularly careful when they come to this part of the river; and on account of the many losses that have here been sustained by European and native mer­chants, marks are placed on the water, to direct the vessel what course to follow, by pointing out the places to be avoided: the mark is a wooden float, resembling a wine vessel, which the Europeans call a pipe. Upon enquiry I was informed, that it is fastened by a rope to an anchor sunk in the bottom of the river, and the rope being covered with tar, the same preparation that is spread over the bot­tom of ships, is not easily injured by the water. From Balasore to Hooghly you see about twenty of these floats. Providentially we had now a fair wind; and through God’s mercy, arrived safe at the port of Hooghly in Bengal.