more by riuer, from Babylon to Balsara.] From thence we departed in flat
bottomed barks more strong and greater then those of Euphrates, and were
eight and twenty dayes also in passing downe this riuer to Balsara, but we
might haue done it in eighteene or less, if the water had bene higher. Vpon
the waters side stand by the way diuer townes resembling much the names of
the olde prophets: the first towne they call Ozeah, and another Zecchiah.
Before we come to Balsara by one dayes iourney, the two riuers of Tigris
and Euphrates meet, and there standeth a castle called Curna, kept by the
Turks, where all marchants pay a small custome. Here the two riuers ioyned
together begin to be eight or nine miles broad: here also it beginneth to
ebbe and flow, and the water ouerflowing maketh the countrey all about very
fertile of corne, rice, pulse, and dates. The towne of Balsara is a mile
and an halfe in circuit: all the buildings, castle and wals, are made of
bricke, dried in the Sun. The Turke hath here fiue hundred Ianisaries,
besides other souldiers continually in garison and pay, but his chiefe
strength is of gallies which are about fiue and twenty or thirty very faire
and furnished with goodly ordinance. To this port of Balsara come monethly
diuers ships from Ormuz, laden with all sorts of Indian marchandise, as
spices, drugs, Indico and Calecut cloth. These ships are vsually from forty
to threescore tunnes, hauing their planks sowed together with corde made of
the barke of Date trees, and in stead of Occam they vse the shiuerings of
the barke of the sayd trees, and of the same they also make their tackling.
[Sidenote: Ships made without yron in the Persian gulfe.] They haue no kind
of yron worke belonging to these vessels, saue only their ankers. From this
place six dayes sailing downe the gulfe, they goe to a place called Baharem
in the mid way to Ormus: there they fish for pearles foure moneths in the
yeere, to wit, in Iune, Iuly, August, and September. [Sidenote: Zelabdim
Echebar king of Cambaia.] My abode in Balsara was iust sixe moneths, during
which time I receiued diuers letters from M. Iohn Newberry from Ormus, who
as he passed that way with her Maiesties letters to Zelabdim Echebar king