Of certaine notable monuments without the citie of
Cairo
.
WITHOUT the Citie, sixe miles higher into the land, are
to be seene neere unto the river diverse Piramides, among
which are three marvellous great, and very artificially
wrought. Out of one of these are dayly digged the bodies
of auncient men, not rotten but all whole, the cause
whereof is the qualitie of the Egyptian soile, which will
not consume the flesh of man, but rather dry and harden
the same, and so alwayes conserveth it. And these dead
bodies are the Mummie which the Phisitians and Apothecaries doe against our willes make us to swallow. Also
by digging in these Pyramides oftentimes are found
certaine Idoles or Images of golde, silver, and other
mettall, but under the other piramides the bodies are not
taken up so whole as in this, but there are found legges
and armes comparable to the limmes of giants. Neare
to these piramides appeareth out of the sand a great
head of stone somewhat like marble, which is discovered
so farre as the necke joyneth with the shoulders, being
all whole, saving that it wanteth a little tippe of the
nose. The necke of this head contayneth in circuit about
sixe and thirty foot, so that it may be according to the
necke considered, what greatnesse the head is of. The
river Nilus is a mile broad, wherein are very many great
Croccodiles from Cairo
upward, but lower then Cairo
passeth no such creature: and this, they say, is by reason
of an inchantment made long since which hindereth their
passage for comming any lower then Cairo
. Moreover
of these creatures there are sometimes found some of an
incredible bignesse, that is to say, of fourtie foot about.
The males have their members like to a man, and the
females like to a woman. These monsters oftentimes
issue out of the water to feede, and finding any small
beasts, as sheepe, lambes, goates, or other like, doe great
harme. And whiles they are foorth of the water, if they
happen at unwares upon any man, woman or childe,
whom they can overcome, they spare not their lives. In
the yeere of our Lorde one thousand five hundred and
sixtie it happened, that certaine poore Christians travelling by Cairo
towardes the countrey of Prete Janni to
rescue certaine slaves, were guided by a Chaus, and
journeyed alongst the banke of the said river. The Chaus
remained lingering alone behinde to make his prayers (as
their custome is) at a place called Tana, whom being
busie in his double devotion one of these Crocodiles ceazed
by the shoulders, and drew him under water, so that he
was never after seene. And for this cause they have
made in sundry places certaine hedges as bankes within
the water, so that betwixt the hedge and banke of the
river there remaineth so much water, that the women
washing may take water without danger at their pleasure.
This countrey is so fruitfull, that it causeth the women
as also other creatures to bring foorth one, two, and
oft-times three at a birth. Five miles southwarde of
Cairo
is a place called Matarea, where the balme is
refined : and therefore some will say, that the trees which
beare the balme growe in the said place, wherein they
are deceived: for the sayde trees growe two dayes
journey from Mecca
, in a place called Bedrihone, which
yeeldeth balme in great plenty, but salvage, wilde, and
without vertue, and therefore the Moores carying the
same within litle chests from Bedrihone to Matarea, where
the trees being replanted (be it by vertue of the soyle,
or the water, aire, or any other thing whatsoever) it
sufficeth that here they beare the true balme and licour
so much in these dayes esteemed of. In this place of
Matarea there are certaine little houses, with most goodly
gardens, and a chappell of antiquity, where the very
Moores themselves affirme, that the mother of the blessed
Christ fleeing from the fury of wicked Herode there saved
her selfe with the childe, wherein that saying of the
Prophet was fulfilled, Ex Ægypto vocavi filium meum.
The which Chappell in the yeare of our Lorde one
thousand five hundred and foure, the Magnifico Daniel
Barbaro first Consull of that place went to visite, and
caused it to be renued and reedified, so that in these dayes
there resort thither many Christians, who oftentimes
bring with them a Priest, to say masse there. Also about
an Harquebuz-shotte from Matarea is a spire of great
height like to that at Rome, and more beautifull to
beholde. Neere unto the olde Cairo
are yet twelve storehouses of great antiquitie, but now very much decayed,
and these till late dayes served to keepe come for behoofe
of the kingdome, concerning which many are of opinion,
that the founder hereof was Joseph the sonne of Jacob,
for consideration of the seven deare yeeres. Also passing
higher up by the banke of Nilus, there is to bee seene
a fayre Citie overflowed with water, the which at such
time as Nilus floweth lyeth under water, but when the
water returneth to the marke, there plainely appeare
princely palaces, and stately pillars, being of some called
Thebes
, where they say that Pharao was resident. Moreover three dayes journey higher up are two great images
of speckled marble, all whole, and somewhat sunke into
the earth, being things wonderfull to consider of, for the
nose of either is two spannes and an halfe long, and the
space from one eare to the other conteineth tenne spannes,
the bodies being correspondent to their heads, and graven
in excellent proportion, so that they are shapes of marvellous hugenesse, and these they call The wife, and The
daughter of Pharao.
