Chronicles of the Eastern Mission of Clavijo

Author: Ruy Gómez de Clavijo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1982-02-01
Features: Chapter Five From Baiyu Road to Trebizond Since arriving in E on October 24 (Friday), we have been staying on Baiyu Road. It is now November 13 (Tuesday), and we are still stranded here, unable to leave. Every day, we inquire about the ships to Trebizond, but there has been no news. With winter approaching, the dangers of sailing in the Black Sea are immense. Later, we decided to take a ship that later delayed our journey. The captain, named Sokono, was a Cretan. After making some preparations for the voyage, he set sail; however, he did not leave that day because some crew members had not arrived, and the supplies needed for the journey were also insufficient.
On the afternoon of November 14 (Wednesday), everything on the ship was ready, and it set sail, sailing with the wind. After a short time, the ship entered the of the northern part of E. Three hours later, the ship anchored in front of a lighthouse on the European coast. The lighthouse was on the shore and was named Tara-bya. After entering the harbor, after eating and refueling, we reached the end of the, where the were steep cliffs with forts built on them. At this point, we had already entered the Black Sea. The two forts on the cliffs belonged to the Turks, while the other was a watchtower or watchpost for the Greeks. The Greek fort at the had long been abandoned, but the Turkish fort was manned by soldiers. In addition to these two opposing forts, there was another fort on the west coast, and the Turks on the east coast had built another one on the cliffs and protected both forts with a wall. It is said that in the past, when the was narrower, iron chains were sunk to defend the entrance. At the same time, ships going to the Black Sea could not pass without paying taxes.
When we arrived at the, it was already evening, so we decided to sail out in the dark. The right bank of the belonged to the Turks, while the left bank was in the hands of the Greeks. The ruins of churches on both banks were still visible. At midnight, we weighed anchor and set sail, heading into the Black Sea. At 9 a.m. on Thursday, while sailing with the wind, the mast of the ship suddenly broke. The crew quickly took the oars and steered the ship toward the shore. They made some repairs near the shore in the afternoon and then continued sailing. Ahead, we saw a fort built on the rocky Turkish coast, as if a crown had been placed on the rock. The sea continuously crashed against the rocks below the fort, and only one side of the fort was connected to the land. The fort was named Sekolyo. As the sun was setting, the ship had arrived at the port of Finagonya, which was the port of the small island of Finagonya and belonged to the Genoese.
The Genoese authorities in the Baiyu Road area had recently sent two warships to search for and intercept Venetian ships coming from the Azov Sea. Now, the Venetian ships, full of goods, thought they were safe and could return to their homeland. However, since the conflict between the Genoese and the Venetians began, the Genoese had seized Venetian ships and detained all the crew. When we arrived in Finagonya, a Genoese warship was anchored outside the harbor. We had planned to continue our journey the next day (Friday), but due to unfavorable winds, we could not. At the same time, the Genoese warship was also anchored there.
Finagonya Island had no indigenous inhabitants. About 2 miles away was the Turkish coast, and the forts on the island could control the entrance and regulate the movement of ships. Realizing that the safety of the island was at risk, we suggested leaving early and anchoring the ship in Firika, which was a island 6 miles further east. There was a Genoese warship there, but the crew thought it was safer to stay in Finagonya and anchored the ship near the fort. At midnight, a hurricane broke out at sea, and the crew thought it was safer to sail out and anchor near the Genoese warship. They weighed anchor and set sail, but the waves were so high that they could not get close to the warship.
The hurricane grew stronger, and the rain poured down like a waterfall. We then abandoned the idea of approaching the warship and decided to return to our original anchoring point. This time, we dropped two anchors, but they could not withstand the wind and waves. The ship and anchors were swept away by the water. We feared that the ship would crash into the rocks; thanks to God's mercy, the anchors held fast to the seabed, and we were saved. If the ship had hit the rocks, the crew would have been crushed to death.
Even then, the wind did not subside but grew stronger. We all prayed on the ship, asking God for help. The waves were still surging, and the wave heights were so high that they reached the mast, causing the mast to lean. The ship was already full of water, and we were all soaked in water. Our last breath depended entirely on God's mercy.
If this had happened during the day, we could have raised the sails and sailed to the shore. But at midnight, it was pitch dark, and we dared not move. The crew of the ship could no longer help each other at this time. Just as the wind and rain were raging, the Genoese warship also left its anchoring point and swayed toward our ship, as if it were about to collide with us. We were deeply grateful to God for helping us, and the warship slid past our ship. The reason the warship suddenly set sail was not because the crew wanted to, but because the ropes suddenly broke, and the ship was carried away by the water and drifted. The strong wind eventually sent a large ship crashing into the rocks and breaking apart. The sailors saw the situation was dire and had already lowered the lifeboats before the ship hit the rocks, and everyone managed to land safely. Of course, all the military equipment and belongings on the ship sank into the sea, and nothing could be recovered. The mast of the warship was then floating near our ship. Fortunately, it did not hit our ship but was carried away by a huge wave.
The crew of our ship was drenched and had to work together to pump out the water that had entered the ship. They continued this work until dawn. By then, the wind had subsided slightly, but everyone was exhausted. They managed to raise the sails and sail near the Turkish coast. The Genoese sailors who had escaped the hurricane thought we had perished in the storm. When they saw our ship raise its sails again, they were surprised. When our ship approached the Turkish coast, we all swam ashore and gradually moved the belongings from the ship to the shore. The gifts sent by the Spanish King to Timur were completely unharmed. Thus, I was able to preserve the gifts entrusted to me by the King.
We then transported these items from the coast to a nearby hill. The sailors of the warship told us, "If the Turks ask about you, say that you are Genoese and that the gifts you carry are for the Sultan." Indeed, shortly after landing, some Turks came to ask about us. We told them we were from the warship that had crashed into the rocks the night before. The purpose of this story was to transfer the items to another ship, as another Genoese ship was anchored in Girin, but it would be difficult to transport them from here without horses. After discussing with the Turks, they agreed to inform the nearby villages and arrange for horses, but it would take at least until tomorrow to do so.
The next day, the horses for transporting the items arrived, and we went to Girin together. There were two Genoese ships anchored in Girin, and we met the captain, Amiros. We explained everything that had happened. The captain was very kind and said, "His own ship is no different from that of the King of Spain, and he can help with any needs." We accepted his kindness and loaded all the gifts and belongings onto his ship. The captain also told the Turks that we were from the warship that had crashed into the rocks.
At this point, one of our companions, the envoy of Timur to Spain, asked him to change into our clothes to avoid being recognized by the Turks. The envoy also disguised himself as a Spaniard, as otherwise, his life would be in danger, and he might even be killed. When we boarded the ship, we saw that all the items were already properly arranged. To thank God for helping us survive, we all prayed. The captain told us that this hurricane was the fiercest in 12 years. Yet, we were able to escape with our lives, which was truly a miracle.
Furthermore, our items, whether moved by the sailors or transported by the Turks, were all intact and undamaged, which was also unexpected. The captain told us, "The ship we are now on would have met the same fate and been destroyed on the rocks, but because it entered the harbor in time to avoid danger, it was saved." After boarding the ship, we had to wait for favorable winds. That day, a Turk came to speak to us. He was a village elder and said, "Since the embassy has passed through the Sultan's territory and carries gifts for the Sultan, it must pay taxes." We refused this request, as the Turks may have realized that we were not Genoese. To avoid trouble, the next day we raised the sails and sailed back to E.
On November 22, the ship returned to E, and we went ashore and returned to our residence in the Baiyu Road area.