or 7. turks vpon the old towers for guard thereof with foure faulcons vpon one of the corners of the city to the land-ward. also to sea-ward where the wall ioyneth with the water, there is lately made a fort like vnto a bulwarke, where they haue planted 25 pieces of the best ordinance that might be had, which are very well kept and guarded. more outward towards the sea vpon the farthest olde tower are other fiue good pieces with 30 men to guard them. [sidenote: the portugals greatly feared in the red sea.] on the other side of the city at the end of the wall there is lately builded a bulwarke strong and well guarded by a saniaccho with 150 turks wel prouided with ordinance and all other necessaries and munition, and all these fortifyings are for none other cause then for feare and suspition of the portugals. and if the port were good this were in vaine: but the port cannot be worse nor more dangerous; being all full of rocks and sands, in such wise, that the ships cannot come neere, but perforce ride at the least two miles off. [sidenote: forty or fifty rich ships arriue yeerely at grida.] at this port arriue euery yeere forty or fifty great shippes laden with spices and other rich marchandize which yeeld in custome 150000 ducats, the halfe whereof goeth vnto the grand signior, and the other halfe to the serifo. and because there is none other thing worthy mention in grida we wil returne to our carouan which hath almost rested enough. of their going to medina. the carouan departeth for medina returning the same way they came vnto bedrihonem abouesayd, where they leaue their ordinance and other cariages, whereof they haue no need, with the pilgrims which haue seene medina aforetime, and desire not to see it againe, but stay in that place, expecting the carouan, and resting vntill the carouan go from bedrihonem to medina, where they alwayes finde goodly habitations, with abundance of sweet waters, and dates enough, and being within foureteene miles of medina they come vnto a great plaine called by them iabel el salema, that is to say, the mountaine of health, from which they begin to descry the citie and tombe of mahomet, at which sight they light from their horses in token of reuerence. and being ascended vp the sayd mountaine with shouting which pierceth the skies they say, sala tuua salema alaccha iarah sul allah. sala tuua salema alaccha ianabi allah, sala tuua salema allaccha iahabit allah: which words in the arabian tongue signifie: prayer and health be vnto thee, oh prophet of god: prayer and health be vpon thee, oh beloued of god. and hauing pronounced this salutacion, they proceed on their iourney, so that they lodge that night within three miles of medina: and the next morning the captaine of the pilgrimage ariseth, and proceeding towards the city, and drawing neere, there commeth the gouernour vnder the serifo, accompanied with his people to receiue the carouan, hauing pitched their tents in the midst of a goodly field where they lodge. of medina. medina is a little city of great antiquity, containing in circuit not aboue two miles, hauing therein but one castle, which is olde and weake, guarded by an aga with fifty pieces of artillery, but not very good. the houses thereof are faire and well situated, built of lime and stone, and in the midst of the city stands a fouresquare mosquita, not so great as that of mecca, but more goodly, rich, and sumptuous in building. within the same in a corner thereof is a tombe built vpon foure pillers with a vault, as if it were vnder a pauement, which bindeth all the foure pillers together. the tombe is so high, that it farre exceedeth in heighth the mosquita, being couered with lead, and the top all inamelled with golde, with an halfe moone vpon the top: and within the pauement it is all very artificially wrought with golde. below there are round about very great staires of yron ascending vp vntill the midst of the pillers, and in the very midst thereof is buried the body of mahomet, and not in a chest of yron cleauing to the adamant, as many affirme that know not the trueth thereof. moreouer, ouer the body they haue built a tombe of speckled stone a brace and a halfe high, [marginal note: or, a fathom.] and ouer the same another of legmame fouresquare in maner of a pyramis. after this, round about the sepulture there hangeth a curtaine of silke, which letteth the sight of those without that they cannot see the sepulture. beyond this in the same mosquita are other two sepulchres couered with greene cloth, and in the one of them is buried fatma the daughter of mahomet, and alli is buried in the other, who was the husband of the sayd fatma. the attendants vpon these sepulchres are fifty eunuches white and tawny, neither is it granted to any of them to enter within the tombe, sauing to three white eunuches the oldest and best of credit; vnto whom it is lawfull to enter but twise in the day, to light the lamps, and to doe other seruices. all the other eunuchs attend without to the seruice of the mosquita, and the other two sepulchres of fatma, and alli, where euery one may go and touch at his pleasure, and take of the earth for deuotion, as many do. of things without the city. without the city and on euery side are most faire gardens, with many fountaines of most sweet water, infinite pondes, abundance of fruit, with much honest liuing, so that this place is very pleasant and delightfull. this city hath three gates, one of which is an hospitall caused to be built by cassachi, called the rosel who was wife to sultan solimam grandfather to this emperour. the sayd hospitall hath nought els woorthy mention, saue that it is fairely built, and hath large reuenues belonging thereunto, and nourisheth many poore people. a mile from the city are certaine houses whereof they affirme one to be the same, where mahumet in his lifetime dwelt. this house hath on euery side very many faire date trees, amongst which there are two which grow out of one stocke exceeding high, and these, they say, their prophet graffed with his owne hand: the fruit thereof is alwayes sent to constantinople, to be presented vnto the grand signior, and is sayd to be that blessed fruit of the prophet. nere vnto the date trees is a faire fountaine of cleere and sweet water, the which by a conduct pipe is brought into the city of medina. also there is a little mosquita, wherein three places are counted holy, and greatly reuerenced: the first they affirme, that their prophet made his first prayer in, after he knew god: the second is that whither he went when he would see the holy house of abraham, where when he sate down to that intent, they say the mountaines opened from toppe to bottome to shew him the house, and after closed againe as before: the third holy place is in the midst of the sayd mosquita, where is a tombe made of lime and stone fouresquare, and full of sand, wherein, they say, was buried that blessed camel which mahumet was alwayes woont to ride vpon. on the other side of the city are other tombes of holy mahumetans, and euery one or them hath a tombe built vpon foure pillers, amongst which three were the companions of mahumet, to wit, abubacar; ottoman, and omar; all which are visited of the pilgrims as holy places. the offering of the vestures vnto the sepulchres. the carouan being come to medina two houres before day, and resting there till the euening, the captaine then with his company and other pilgrims setteth forward, with the greatest pompe possible: and taking with him the vesture which is made in maner of a pyramis, with many other of golde and silke, departeth, going thorow the midst of the city, vntill he come to the mosquita, where hauing praied, he presenteth vnto the tombe of his prophet (where the eunuchs receiuing hands are ready) the vesture for the sayd tombe: and certaine eunuchs entring in take away the old vesture, and lay on the new, burning the olde one, and diuiding the golde thereof into equall portions. after this are presented other vestures for the ornament of the mosquita. also the people without deliuer vnto the eunuchs ech man somewhat to touch the tombe therewith, which they keepe as a relique with great deuotion. this ceremony being ended, the captaine resteth in medina two dayes, to the end the pilgrims may finish their deuotion and ceremonies: and after they depart to iambor. a good dayes iourney thence is a steepe mountaine, ouer which is no passage, sauing by one narrow path called demir capi, which was in times past called the yron gate. of this gate the mahumetans say, that ally the companion and sonne in law of mahumet, being here pursued by many christians, and comming vnto this mountaine, not seeing any way whereby to flee, drew out his sword, and striking the said mountaine, diuided it in sunder, and passing thorow saued his life on the other side. moreouer, this alli among the persians is had in greater reuerence than mahumet, who affirme, that the sayd alli hath done greater things and more miraculous than mahumet, and therefore they esteeme him for god almighty his fellow. but to returne to our matter, the captaine with the carouan within two dayes after returneth for cairo, and comming to ezlem, findeth there a captaine with threescore horses come thither to bring refreshments to the said captaine of the pilgrimage, as also to sell vnto the pilgrims some victuals. from thence they set forward, and comming to birca within two leagues of cairo, there is the master of the house of the bassha of cairo with all his horsemen come thither to receiue him with a sumptuous and costly banket made at the cost of the basha for the captaine and his retinue, who after he is well refreshed departeth toward the castle of cairo to salute the basha, who receiuing him with great ioy and gladnesse in token of good wil presenteth him with a garment of cloth of golde very rich: and the captaine taking the alcaron out of the chest presenteth it to the basha, who hauing kissed it, commandeth to lay it vp againe. some there are which affirme, that being arriued at cairo, they kill that goodly camell which caried the alcaron, and eate him; which is nothing so: for they are so superstitious to the contrary, that to gaine all the world they would not kill him. but if by casuality he should die, in this case happy and blessed they thinke themselues, which can get a morsell to eat. and thus much concerning the voyage of the captaine of the carouan of cairo. the voyage and trauell of m