United States or Afghanistan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Of Haran came Lot and two daughters, Melcha and Sara. Now I shall speak of Abram of whom our blessed lady came. He wedded Sara, daughter of his brother Haran.
We sailed from Lisbon with six ships under the command of an admiral, being bound for a certain island towards the horizon , named Melcha , famous for its riches and as a station for vessels of all kinds trading between the Gangetic and Indian seas , as Cadiz is the great intermediate harbour for the ships of all nations sailing between the west of Europe and the Levant.
To this port of Melcha the course is by the famous emporium of Calicut, from which Melcha is farther to the east and south .
As written by an Italian, Melcha has the sound of Melka, and the place here indicated is obviously the city of Malacca in the Malayan peninsula, long a famous emporium for the trade of eastern India and China. The Bay of Bengal and sea of China.
Not far from this city is a famous river named Gaza , the largest I ever saw, as it is 25 miles broad, and on the other side of it is seen the very large island of Sumatra, which by old writers was called Taprobana, and which is said by the inhabitants to be 500 miles in circuit . Upon our arrival at Malacca, called by some Melcha, we were commanded to appear before the sultan, who is a Mahometan and tributary to the great sultan of Chini , because as is said the city was built about 80 years before on account of the convenience of its harbour, being one of the best in the ocean, and to which doubtless many ships resort for trade.
Also at the righte syde of that dede See, dwellethe zit the wife of Lothe, in lyknesse of a salt ston; fur that schee loked behinde hire, whan the cytees sonken into helle. This Lothe was Araammes sone, that was brother to Abraham. And Sarra Abrahames wife, and Melcha Nachors wif, weren sustren to the seyd Lothe. And the same Sarra was of elde 90 zeer, when Ysaac hire sone was goten on hire.
In the original these positions are thus unaccountably misrepresented, as literally translated: "Melcha is more to the west, and Calicut more to the south; being situated 33° from the Antarctic pole."
Word Of The Day