— of the fourme and situation of the citie of mecha; and why the mohumetans resort thyther.

nowe the tyme requireth to speake somewhat of the famous citie of mecha, or mecca, what it is, howe it is situate, and by whom it is gouerned. the citie is very fayre and well inhabited, and conteyneth in rounde fourme syxe thousande houses, as well buylded as ours, and some that cost three or foure thousande peeces of golde: it hath no walles. about two furlongs from the citie is a mount, where the way is cutte out,25 whiche leadeth to a playne beneath. it is on euery syde fortified with mountains, in the stead of walles or bulwarkes, and hath foure entries. the gouernour is a soltan, and one of the foure brethern of the progenie of mahumet, and is subject to the soltan of babylon of whom we haue spoken before. his other three brethren be at continuall warre with hym. the eighteen daye of maye we entered into the citie by the north syde; then, by a declynyng way, we came into a playne. on the south syde are two mountaynes, the one very neere the other, distant onely by a little valley, which is the way that leadeth to the gate of mecha. on the east syde is an open place betweene two mountaynes, lyke vnto a valley,26 and is the waye to the mountayne where they sacrifice to the patriarkes abraham and isaac.27 this mountayne is from the citie about ten or twelve myles, and of the heyght of three stones cast: it is of stone as harde as marble, yet no marble.28 in the toppe of the mountaine is a temple or meschita, made after their fashion, and hath three wayes to enter into it.29 at the foote of the mountayne are two cesterns, which conserue waters without corruption: of these, the one is reserued to minister water to the camels of the carauana of babylon or alcayr; and the other, for them of damasco. it is rayne water, and is deriued far of.30

but to returne to speake of the citie; for as touchyng the maner of sacrifice which they vse at the foote of the mountayne wee wyll speake hereafter. entryng, therefore, into the citie, wee founde there the carauana of memphis, or babylon, which prevented vs eyght dayes, and came not the waye that wee came. this carauana conteyned threescore and foure thousande camelles, and a hundred mamalukes to guyde them. and here ought you to consyder that, by the opinion of all men, this citie is greatly cursed of god, as appereth by the great barrennesse thereof, for it is destitute of all maner of fruites and corne.31 it is scorched with drynesse for lacke of water, and therefore the water is there growen to suche pryce, that you cannot for twelve pence buye as much water as wyll satysfie your thyrst for one day. nowe, therefore, i wyll declare what prouision they have for victuales. the most part is brought them from the citie of babylon, otherwyse named memphis, cayrus, or alcayr, a citie of the ryuer of nilus in egypt as we have sayde before, and is brought by the red sea (called mare erythreum) from a certayne port named gida, distaunt from mecha fourtie myles.32 the rest of theyr prouisions is brought from arabia faelix, (that is) the happye or blessed arabia: so named for the fruitfulnesse thereof, in respect of the other two arabiaes, called petrea and diserta, that is, stonye and desart. they haue also muche corne from ethyopia. here we found a marueylous number of straungers and peregrynes, or pylgryms; of the whiche some came from syria, some from persia, and other from both the east indiaes, (that is to say) both india within the ryuer of ganges, and also the other india without the same ryuer. i neuer sawe in anye place greater abundaunce and frequentation of people, forasmuche as i could perceyue by tarrying there the space of 20 dayes. these people resort thyther for diuers causes, as some for merchandies, some to obserue theyr vowe of pylgrymage, and other to haue pardon for theyr sinnes: as touchyng the whiche we wyll speake more hereafter.