p-travl-guides-msg – 8/18/17

Period travel guides. Pilgrimage guides.

NOTE: See also the files: travel-msg, p-tourism-art, travel-foods-msg, ships-msg, p-backpacks-msg, horses-msg, med-ships-art, carts-msg, pilgrimages-msg.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the individual authors.

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************

Subject: ANST - RE: period travel guides
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 08:42:51 -0500
From: "C. L. Ward" <gunnora at vikinganswerlady.org>
To: <Ansteorra-Laurels at ansteorra.org>

Jovian asked:
>I assume that people wrote "travel guides"
>during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Have
>any survived? Where can they be found? What
>do they cover?

Medieval "travel guides" aren't generally what you'd find today if you go to
the "Travel" section of a bookstore.  The accounts are much less factual in
many cases, and as far as I've seen never are the kind of document that
lists "what sights to see".

There are a number of more-or-less factual travellers' accounts, and then
you also get into medieval geography, which is often largely fictional or
based on hearsay.  And then there are the "fantastic travels" which I think
must descend from the common desire to astound and amaze those folks back
home.  At the edges of the world people always envisioned strange and often
dangerous creatures. For ancient peoples the earth's farthest perimeter was
a realm radically different from what they perceived as central and human.
The alien qualities of these "edges of the earth" became the basis of a
literary tradition that endured throughout antiquity and into the
Renaissance, despite the growing challenges of emerging scientific
perspectives. This phenomenon is so widespread that a number of books have
been written on the subject. In fact, the same phenomenon continues today,
providing us the many and varied aliens of science fiction and speculative
literature.

Some good ones to look at include:

VIKING TRAVELS TO BYZANTIUM
---------------------------
* Palsson, Hermann and Paul Edwards.  Vikings in Russia: Yngvar's Saga and
Eymund's Saga.   Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 1989. Out-of-print,
to have Amazon.com do a book  search for it go to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0852246234/thevikinganswerl

ARABIC SOURCES DESCRIBING THE VIKING WORLD
------------------------------------------
* M. Reinaud, trans. Geography of Abu al-Fida'. Paris. 1848. Describes the
Norse ca. early 14th century under the heading "Northern Regions of the
World"

* Allen, W. E. D., trans. The Poet and the Spae-Wife: An Attempt to
Reconstruct Al-Ghazal's  Embassy to the Vikings. Dublin: Allen Figgis & Co.
1960.
[A translation of the Arabic text describing al-Ghazal's visit to Turgeis,
ruler of the  Vikings in Ireland ca. 845. This account dates to the early
1200's.]

* Al-Mas'udi. Meadows of Gold. trans. A. Sprenger. London. 1941.
[Describes the Rus market of Bulghur prior to 947.]

* Al-Mas'udi. The Meadows of Gold: The Abbasids. Paul Lunde and Caroline
Stone, trans and  eds. Kegan Paul International. 1989. To order from
Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0710302460/thevikinganswerl

* Ibn Battuta. The Travels of Ibn Battuta. trans. H.A.R. Gibb. Hakluyt
Society 2. Cambridge.  1962. To order from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/812150614X/thevikinganswerl

* S. Janicsek. "Ibn Battuta's Journey to Bulghar." Journal Royal Asiatic
Society. 1929. pp.  792-800.

* Smyser, H. M., trans. "Ibn-Fadlan's Account of the Rus with Some
Commentary and Some  Allusions to Beowulf." Franciplegius: Medieval and
Linguistic Studies in Honor of Francis  Peabody Magoun Jr. eds. Jess B.
Bessinger and Robert P. Creed. New York: University Press.  1965. pp.
92-119.
[A translation of the Arabic text describing ibn-Fadlan's journey among the
Rus or Russian  Vikings ca. 921. This account dates to the early 1200's.]
See also the text, which I have on my webpage at:
http://www.vikinganswerlady.org/ibn_fdln.htm

FANTASTIC TRAVEL LITERATURE
---------------------------
Babcock, William Henry. Legendary Islands of the Atlantic: A Study in
Medieval Geography. New York: American Geographical Society. 1922.
Out-of-print, to have Amazon look for it:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0836969634/thevikinganswerl

Babcock, William Henry. "The So-Called Mythical Islands of the Atlantic in
Medieval Maps", Scottish Geographical Magazine 31/32 (1916).

Flint, Valerie I. J. The Imaginative Landscape of Christopher Columbus.
Princeton University Press. 1992. To buy from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691056811/thevikinganswerl

Fuson, Robert H. Legendary Islands of the Ocean Sea. Pineapple Press. 1998.
To buy from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1561640786/thevikinganswerl

Harvey, P. D. A. Mappa Mundi: The Hereford World Map. British Library
Studies in Medieval Culture</CITE>. University of Toronto Press. 1996. To
buy from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802009859/thevikinganswerl
[This map is a great example of medieval mythical geography and how it
intermixes with the knowledge of the real world.]

Jakobsen, Alfred. "Geographical Literature."  in: Medieval Scandinavia: An
Encyclopedia.  Phillip Pulsiano et al., eds.  Garland Reference Library of
the Humanities 934.  New York & London: Garland. 1993. pp. 224-225.
Out-of-print, to have Amazon search for it:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0824047877/thevikinganswerl

Romm, James S. The Edges of the Earth in Ancient Thought. Princeton:
Princeton University Press. 1992. To buy from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691069336/thevikinganswerl

Simek, Rudolph.  "Elusive Elysia or Which Way to GlÊsisvellir."
Sagnaskemmtun: Studies in Honor of Hermann P·lsson on his 65th Birthday.
Rudolph Simek et al., eds.  Vienna, Cologne & Graz: Bˆhlau. 1986. pp.
247-275. Out-of-print, to have Amazon look for it:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3205066006/thevikinganswerl

Tomasch, Sylvia and Sealy Gilles, eds. Text and Territory: Geographical
Imagination in the European Middle Ages. The Middle Ages Series. University
of Pennsylvania Press. 1997. To buy from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812216350/thevikinganswerl

Westrem, Scott D., ed. Discovering New Worlds: Essays on Medieval
Exploration and Imagination. Garland Reference Library of the Humanities
1436. New York: Garland Publishing. 1991. Out-of-print, to have Amazon look
for it: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0815301022/thevikinganswerl

::GUNNORA::


Subject: Re: ANST - RE: period travel guides
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 14:34:12
From: "Eric Jackson" <owenapaeddan at hotmail.com>
To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org

     Gerald of Wales wrote a excelent description of his travels through
Wales recruiting for one of the crusades. He also wrote about his travels in
ireland here are a few links. You can find his books on the web if you are
interested in them

    Ireland
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/geraldwales1.html

      Wales
http://www.llangynfelyn.dabsol.co.uk/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_gerallt.html

Owen ap Aeddan.......


Subject: ANST - Period Travel Guides
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 19:40:42 -0400
From: fitzmorgan at cs.com
To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org

> I assume that people wrote "travel guides" during the Middle Ages and
> Renaissance. Have any survived? Where can they be found? What do they
> cover?
>
> Jovian

Look for "The Pilgrims Guide To Santiago De Compostela"   Written in , I
think, the 12th Century.  and translated by William Melczer.  Italica Press,
INC.  ISBN 0-934977-25-9 for $17.50 if it's still in print.  This is a travel
guide for pilgrims telling of dangers to avoid and sites to see on your
pilgrimage.
      It tells which rivers you can safely drink from and which are unsafe.
It says some rude things about the Basque.  And tells short stories about the
many Saints who's shrines you will see on the way.  It's well worth reading.

Robert Fitzmorgan
Barony of Northkeep


Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:37:10 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Travel accounts to Turkey

I would mention that the English published a number of these travel  
Accounts in the 17th century. You might already find them translated.

Johnnae

Those with access to EEBO might look for such titles as follow:

A description of the grand signour's seraglio or Turkish emperours  
court [edited] by John Greaves.  Author: Bon, Ottaviano, 1552-1623.  
Publication Info: London : Printed for Jo. Ridley, 1653.

Headings to look for: [Harem] [Turkey -- Court and courtiers]  
[Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description]

----------

The four epistles of A.G. Busbequius concerning his embassy into  
Turkey being remarks upon the religion, customs, riches, strength and  
government of that people : as also a description of their chief  
cities, and places of trade and commerce : to which is added, his  
advice how to manage war against the Turks. Author: Busbecq, Ogier  
Ghislain de, 1522-1592. Publication Info: London : Printed for J.  
Taylor ... and J. Wyat ..., 1694.

The author died a century before publication in this case.

-----------

The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through  
Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years  
giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the  
religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the  
figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to  
which is added A new description of the Seraglio

Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste, 1605-1689., Phillips, John, 1631-1706., Cox,  
Daniel,

London: Printed by William Godbid for Robert Littlebury ... and Moses  
Pitt ...1677.


Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:10:20 -0400
From: Sam Wallace <guillaumedep at gmail.com>
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: [Sca-cooks] 15th Century Travelogues

I found this set of travelogues while digging through Google Books. They 
are of a pair of Italians who ventured to Persia, Poland, Russia and 
other regions. There is some interesting mention of cuisine and culinary 
customs, but not as many details as might be desired. It is worth 
digging around in them as these areas did not produce many culinary 
works until well after 1600.

Travels to Tana and Persia
http://books.google.com/books?id=RxgRAQAAIAAJ

Guillaume


Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 06:53:51 -0400
From: "Daniel & Elizabeth Phelps" <dephelps at embarqmail.com>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] The Adventures of Ibn Battula

I'm rereading "The Adventures of Ibn Battula" by Ross E. Dunn and came 
across a description of a meal that might prove interesting.  Ibn Battula 
was a Muslim traveler in the 14th century who is often referred to as "the 
Muslim Marco Polo".  Dunn uses an account of his travels to recreate his 
itinerary.  The meal, served in Mogadishu, is describes as follows:

... the party addressed themselves to a meal of local fare, compliments of 
the palace: a stew of chicken, meat, fish, and vegetables poured over rice 
cooked in ghee: unripe bananas in fresh milk: and a dish comprising of sour 
milk, green ginger, mangoes, and pickled lemons and chilies.  The citizens 
of Mogadishu, Ibn Battula observed, did justice to such meals as these: "A 
single citizen... eats as much as a whole company of us would eat, as a 
matter of habit, and they are corpulent and fat in the extreme."

I am puzzled at the inclusion of chilies in this description as I understand 
them to have been introduced from the new world.  Perhaps the translation 
from the original text is in error?

Dan


Date: Sat, 02 Oct 2010 08:52:32 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] The Adventures of Ibn Battula

The adventures of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler of the fourteenth  
century by Ross E. Dunn. Google books has it up. The quote is on page  
124.

The version The travels of Ibn Battuta: A.D. 1325 1354 by Ibn Batuta,  
B. R. Sanguinetti doesn't contain the word "chilies."
The question would be--- do other versions use the word or are certain  
versions using a modern word or term for Ibn Battuta's 14th century  
peppers? (Numerous texts point out that the region now uses a very hot  
chile pepper extensively. Was the modern pepper known as the African  
devil chile thought to be the traditional pepper of centuries past?)

Running a search on Ibn Battuta and the word chilies through Google  
Books leads to Ibn Battuta in Black Africa
 By Ibn Batuta, Said Hamdun, No?l Quinton King.
A footnote in that book on page 78 reads
"The word translated 'chilies' is fulfil, compare Kiswahili pilipili."


Searching on pilipili
pilipili, pili-pili, piripiri n. from pilipili "pepper": red pepper,  
capsicum, bird's-eye chili; red-pepper sauce [< Swahili < Persian]

I suspect that what Ibn Battula was served was a variety of black  
pepper or even long pepper. Was it served fresh? Some of the texts  
call it chopped. One would think that it should have been ground.

http://www.fiery-foods.com/pepper-profiles/152-baccatum-pubescens-and-frutescens-species/107-pepper-profile-african-birdseye

profiles the African Birdseye pepper (another new world in origin  
capsicum pepper) and notes "pili-pili simply means "pepper-pepper" and  
is a generic term for any African chile."

I think it's safe to say he was served a hot pepper of old world origin.

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200801/ 
where.the.pepper.grows.htm  talks about Where the pepper grows in  
relation to its use in Arab history.

Johnnae


Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 17:37:11 -0400
From: "Daniel & Elizabeth Phelps" <dephelps at embarqmail.com>
To: "cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Ibn Battula"s Meals

In Dunn's book, page 166, he translates the account of a meal at Azak (Tana, now Azov (at the mouth of the Don for those interested in geography) as follows:

"millet gruel, macaroni, boiled meat of horse and sheep, and fermented mare's milk, called qumizz."

The reference to macaroni puzzles.  It references some sort of pasta of that I'm reasonably sure.  I'm suspecting that he is likely talking about broad flat noodles.  Would they be made from wheat? 

Dan


Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 14:51:42 -0700
From: David Friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] The Adventures of Ibn Battula

<<< I'm rereading "The Adventures of Ibn Battula"  by Ross E. Dunn and 
came across a description of a meal that might prove interesting. 
Ibn Battula was a Muslim traveler in the 14th century who is often 
referred to as "the Muslim Marco Polo".  Dunn uses an account of his 
travels to recreate his itinerary.  The meal, served in Mogadishu, 
is describes as follows:

... the party addressed themselves to a meal of local fare, 
compliments of the palace: a stew of chicken, meat, fish, and 
vegetables poured over rice cooked in ghee: unripe bananas in fresh 
milk: and a dish comprising of sour milk, green ginger, mangoes, and 
pickled lemons and chilies.  The citizens of Mogadishu, Ibn Battula 
observed, did justice to such meals as these: "A singe citizen... 
eats as much as a whole company of us would eat, as a matter of 
habit, and they are corpulent and fat in the extreme."

I am puzzled at the inclusion of chilies in this description as I 
understand them to have been introduced from the new world.  Perhaps 
the translation from the original text is in error?

Dan >>>

The relevant passage is on page 376 of the Gibb translation of The 
Travels. It isn't entirely clear if Ibn Battuta is describing the 
food he was offered, or starting with that and then commenting on 
what the local people eat.

"and in another dish they put curdled milk, on which they place 
[pieces of] pickled lemon, bunches of pickled pepper steeped in 
vinegar and salted, green ginger, and mangoes. "

That's clearly the passage he is referring to, and it sounds as 
though Dunn has turned peppers into chilis. I haven't read his book, 
but Ibn Battuta's own account of his travels, in the Gibb 
translation, is a lot of fun. I like to describe Marco Polo as a 13th 
c. Italian imitator of the 14th c. North African world traveler Ibn 
Battuta.
-- 
David/Cariadoc
www.daviddfriedman.com


Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 22:19:55 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Ibn Battula"s Meals

<<< The reference to macaroni puzzles.  It references some sort of pasta of 
that I'm reasonably sure.  I'm suspecting that he is likely talking about 
broad flat noodles.  Would they be made from wheat?

Dan >>>

Triticun durum (AKA T. turgidum), the wheat most commonly used in making 
pasta, has been grown in North Africa since at least Roman times.  It would 
have been a trade good in the Moslem world of the 14th Century, so there is 
a good possibility that the pasta mentioned was made from T. durum.  Since 
durum was being grown in Dhufar (west coast of the Arabian Peninsula), the 
Horn of Africa would have had easy access to it.

Bear 


Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 02:33:59 -0400
From: "Daniel & Elizabeth Phelps" <dephelps at embarqmail.com>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Ibn Battula"s Meals

Was written:
<<< Since durum was being grown in Dhufar (west coast of the Arabian 
Peninsula), the Horn of Africa would have had easy access to it. >>>

My reply:

Yes but we are talking about a meal served in Azov a city up the River Don. 
Azov (Russian: ?????, pronounced [a'zof]) is a town in Rostov Oblast, 
Russia, situated on the Don River just sixteen kilometers from the Sea of 
Azov.  The River Don flows into the Sea of Azov from the north east.  The 
Sea of Azov connects to the Black Sea on its north side.

I suspect that "macaroni" is used by Dunn generically for pasta.  All that 
being said the grain used in making the pasta could have been grown locally? 
We know that millet was also served at the meal.   The "macaroni" referenced 
could have been made from wheat, buckwheat or millet.  Macaroni as we know 
it is in the form of tubular noodles.  Did tubular noodles exist in Azov at 
the time?

Daniel 


Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:24:54 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] The Adventures of Ibn Battuta

Came across this 3 part article on Ibn Battuta that people might enjoy.

Again from Saudi Aramco World

The Longest Hajj: The Journeys of Ibn Battuta: Editor's Note
The Longest Hajj: The Journeys of Ibn Battuta, Part 1: From Pilgrim to  
Traveler?Tangier to Makkah
The Longest Hajj: The Journeys of Ibn Battuta, Part 2: From Riches to  
Rags?Makkah to India
The Longest Hajj: The Journeys of Ibn Battuta, Part 3: From Traveler  
to Memoirist?China, Mali and Home

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200004/the.longest.hajj.the.journeys.of.ibn.battuta-editor.s.note.htm

will get one started.

Johnna

<<< http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200801/where.the.pepper.grows.htm 
talks about Where the pepper grows in relation to its use in Arab  
history.

Johnnae >>>


Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 11:17:02 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Ibn Battula"s Meals

I shouldn't try to follow a thread when I'm tired.

The area you are describing is in the grain growing region of Southeast 
Europe.  While they might or might not have had durum, they would have had 
wheat and I would generally assume that any pasta would be made from some 
variety of wheat, except possibly in times of famine.  Neither buckwheat nor 
millet have gluten and any pasta made from them would likely be extremely 
friable.

The term macaroni derives from the Italian "maccaroni" meaning "dumpling." 
In the original usage, the word can be used to refer to almost any form of 
pasta.  IIRC, the first reference to tubular pasta shows up in early 15th 
Century Italy (check for references before taking that as gospel), but I 
don't remember that usage being outside of Italy.  In my view, tubular pasta 
is a remote possibility.  It is much more likely that the pasta would be 
flat noodles or dumplings.

Millet, BTW, makes a very decent polenta, either as a soft mush or a drier 
loaf.  I suspect that this was probably served as mush.

Bear

<<< Yes but we are talking about a meal served in Azov a city up the River 
Don. Azov (Russian: ?????, pronounced [a'zof]) is a town in Rostov Oblast, 
Russia, situated on the Don River just sixteen kilometers from the Sea of 
Azov.  The River Don flows into the Sea of Azov from the north east.  The 
Sea of Azov connects to the Black Sea on its north side.

I suspect that "macaroni" is used by Dunn generically for pasta.  All that 
being said the grain used in making the pasta could have been grown 
locally? We know that millet was also served at the meal.   The "macaroni" 
referenced could have been made from wheat, buckwheat or millet?  Macaroni 
as we know it is in the form of tubular noodles.  Did tubular noodles 
exist in Azov at the time?

Daniel >>>


Date: Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:33:23 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Ibn Battula"s Meals

And of course it may just be a mistranslation. Perhaps instead of
macaroni, the translator should have used the term noodles.
Would we have noticed if the phrase had been

"millet gruel, noodles, boiled meat of horse and sheep, and fermented  
mare's milk, called qumizz"?

Johnnae

On Oct 5, 2010, at 7:26 AM, Claire Clarke wrote:
<<< Maccaroni in fifteenth century Italian sources refers to at least  
two shapes - something that resembles modern fettucine and something that resembles modern penne. There may be more that I haven't seen. But my understanding is that macaroni was the name used for what we would call spaghetti until the 19th century.
Angharad >>>


Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2015 23:36:48 -0500
From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Glimpses of Turkish food (1432-1433)

The Travels of Bertrandon de la Brocqui?re [...] to Palestine, and His 
Return from Jerusalem Overland to France During the Years 1432 and 1433
https://books.google.com/books?id=A9YWAAAAQAAJ&vq=We%20halted%20among%20the
m%3A&dq=Bertrandon&pg=PA164#v=onepage&q&f=false

"We halted among them: they placed before us one of the table-cloths before 
mentioned, in which there remained fragments of bread, cheese and grapes. 
They then.brought us a dozen of thin cakes of bread, with a large jug of curdled milk, called by them Yogort. The cakes are a foot broad, round, and thinner than wafers: they fold them up as grocers do their papers for spices, and eat them filled with the curdled milk....

once more lodged with the Turcomans, who again served us with milk. It was 
here I saw women make those thin cakes I spoke of. This is their manner of 
making them: they have a small round table, very smooth, on which they 
throw some flour, and mix it with water to a paste, softer than that for bread. 

This paste they divide into round pieces, which they flatten as much as 
possible with a wooden roller, of a smaller diameter than an egg, until they 
make them as thin as 1 have mentioned. During this operation, they have a 
convex plate of iron placed on a tripod, and heated by a gentle fire 
underneath, on which they spread the cake, and instantly turn it, so that they make two of their cakes sooner than a waferman can make one wafer."


"[The mufti (Amarath II)] loves liquor, and those who drink hard: as for 
himself, he can easily quaff off from ten to twelve gondils of wine, which 
amount to six or seven quarts*. When he has drunk much, he becomes generous, 
and distributes his great gifts: his attendants, therefore, are very happy 
when they hear him call for wine. Last year, a Moor took it into his head 
to preach to him on this subject, admonishing him that wine was forbidden by 
the prophet, and that those who drank it were not good Saracens. The only 
answer the prince gave was to order him to prison"

"The prince waited to reseat himself, until the ambassador had sitten 
down: then the different officers on duty who were in the apartment sat down on the floor,?and the person who had introduced the ambassador went to seek 
for us his attendants, and placed us near the Bosnians. In the mean time, a 
silken napkin was attached to the prince, and a round piece of thin red 
leather was placed before him, for their usage is to eat only from 
table-coverings of leather, then some dressed meat was brought to him in two gilded dishes. When he was served, his officers went and took the tin dishes I have spoken of, and distributed them to the persons in the hall, one dish among four. There was in each a piece of mutton, and some clear rice, but neither bread nor any thing to drink. I saw, however, in a corner of the court a high buffet with shelves, which had some little plate on them, and at the foot was a large silver vase, in the shape of a drinking cup, which I 
perceived many to drink out of, but whether water or wine I know not. With regard to the meat on the dishes, some tasted of it, others not; but before all Were served, it was necessary to take away, for the prince had not been 
inclined to eat." 

"I descended into this plain to dinner, for I had brought with me chickens 
and wine. My guides conducted me to the house of a man, who, when he saw 
my wine, took me for a person of consequence, and received me well. He 
brought me a porringer of milk, another of honey, and a branch loaded with 
dates." 

"They dress sheeps feet here with a cleanliness I have no where seen. I 
regaled myself with them the more eagerly, as I had not eaten any dressed meat since I had left Couhongue. They cook also a nice dish with
green walnuts. Their manner is to peel them, cut them into two, and put 
them on a string: then they are besprinkled with boiled wine, which attaches 
itself to them, and forms a jelly like paste all around them. It is a very 
agreeable food, especially when a person is hungry. We were obliged to lay 
in a stock of bread and cheese for two days, as I was disgusted with raw 
meat."

Jim Chevallier


<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	p-travl-guides-msg	2 of 12