The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 571 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 571 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11.
and Ierusalem about seuen dayes iourney from thence:  but to returne to Cayro.  There is a Castle wherein is the house that Pharaoes wiues were kept in, and in the Pallace or Court thereof stande 55 marble pillars, in such order, as our Exchange standeth in London:  the said pillars are in beigth 60 foote:  and in compasse 14 foote:  also in the said Citie is the castle were Joseph was in prison, where to this day they put in rich men, when the king would haue any summe of money of them:  there are seuen gates to the sayd prison, and it goeth neere fiftie yardes downe right:  also, the water that serueth this castle, commeth out of the foresaide riuer of Nilus, vpon a wall made with arches, fiue miles long, and it is twelue foote thicke.  Also there are in old Cayro two Monasteries, the one called S. Georges, the other S. Maries:  and in the Courts where the Churches be, was the house of king Pharao.  In this Citie is great store of marchandize, especially pepper, and nutmegs, which come thither by land, out of the East India:  and it is very plentifull of all maner of victuals, especially of bread, rootes, and hearbes:  to the Eastwards of Cayro, there is a Well, fiue miles off called Matria, and as they say, when the Virgin Marie fled from Bethleem, and came into AEgypt, and being there, had neither water, nor any other thing to sustaine them, by the prouidence of God, an Angell came from heauen, and strake the ground with his wings, where presently issued out a fountaine of water:  and the wall did open where the Israelites did hide themselues, which fountains or well is walled foure square till this day. [Sidenote:  Carthage.] Also we were at an old Citie, all ruinated and destroyed, called in olde time, the great Citie of Carthage where Hannibal and Queene Dido dwelt:  this Citie was but narrow, but was very long:  for there was, and is yet to bee seene, one streete three mile long, to which Citie fresh water was brought vpon arches (as afore) aboue 25 miles, of which arches some are standing to this day. [Sidenote:  Argier.] Also we were at diuers other places on the coast, as we came from Cayro, but of other antiquities we saw but few.  The towne of Argier which was our first and last part, within the streights standeth vpon the side of an hill, close vpon the sea shore:  it is very strong both by sea and land, and it is very well victualed with all manner of fruites bread and fish good store, and very cheape.  It is inhabited with Turkes, Moores, and Iewes, and so are Alexandria and Cayro.  In this towne are a great number of Christian captiues, whereof there are of Englishmen onely fifteene, from which port we set sayle towardes England, the seuenth of Ianuarie, Anno 1587, and the 30 day of the sayd moneth, we arriued at Dartmouth on the coast of England.

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The second voyage of M. Laurence Aldersey, to the Cities of Alexandria, and
  Cayro in Aegypt.  Anno 1586.

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