MUSINGS

Lived dangerously and yet survived - Varthema

by Padma Edirisinghe

Living dangerously especially in the matrix of international relations devolved more on the male sex. And that too, those living in modern times tried it more. Fewer were the men who attempted it in bygone days. "IT" here is an understatement for underworld negotiations, masquerades, tons of lies etc.

Perhaps Varthema of Bologna was the first of the lot. The writer picks on him for another reason i.e. he was in Ceylon either before or after Lourenço de Almeida's visit here and included an account in his memoirs published in Rome in 1510 according to author Hulugalle.

He had indeed spent an adventurous and unscrupulous life in those days of burgeoning sea travel when Portugal was oozing with those afflicted with sea fever and travel to unknown places.

Coffers

Varthema could have disappeared in the coffers of history if he was just one of them,

but he kept his eyes and ears more alert and even went on to Media work and writing while masquerading too.

Media? Yes. The present writer sieved rightly or wrongly that it was Varthema who had been instrumental in carrying a letter to king Manuel of Portugal informing the incident of Lourenço De Almeida accidentally appearing on our island's shores.

The letter had caused much jubilation in Lisbon, while even the contemporary Pope had been informed about it.

But of more topical interest is his "Disguise" aspect that no other global traveller of the times seems to have dared. He dared to adopt the race of the country he set his feet on.

"At Damascus he had been a Muslim or pretended to be one and visited Mecca and Medina taking the name of Yunas or Jonah.

Convert

"But he had been discovered at Mecca by a Moor who himself had been in Venice and Genoa. But he deceived him by lying that he was a convert to Islam now. He later used this person to join the Syrian caravan plodding its way to the West coast of India with sea travel being mastered intermittently. Perhaps it was travel down this coast that landed the adventurer in Ceylon.

This journey had its fair share of adventures for at Aden he was arrested and imprisoned for spying. The Sultaness helped him out. Nor did he return home straight from Ceylon

But went over to Calicut where he again acted as a Moor refuging in the capital of the Zamorin.

Informant

His greatest feat however can be reckoned as being the informant of THE DISCOVERY of CEYLON to Europe. King Manuel of Portugal was so thrilled that he conveyed the news to Pope Julius 11 who celebrated the event by a great procession organized on St.Thomas Day that fell on December 21, 1507, some 509 years ago.

What about the memoirs of Varthema? As it was the very early years of Portuguese rule he could not opine on this aspect too long. However cinnamon he touches on and Cameons, the Portuguese poet reiterates the memory by this line,

Canella com que Ceiloa hi rica, illustre e bella.

Cavern

Varthema's information sources for his memoirs could have been the Moor traders active mostly in Colombo harbour. He seems to encounter them wherever he went about.

Not knowing about the island much themselves they regaled stray visitors like Varthema with many a doubtable fact that however finally filled what came to be called Memoirs.

Here is an illustrative account of Adam's Peak.

"A Moorish trader once told me, that at the top of that very large mountain, there is a very large cavern to which men of that country go once a year, because Adam was up there praying and doing penance. Impressions of his feet are seen even today". Here is another howler."Rice does not grow in this country but comes from the mainland. The kings of this country are tributaries of the kings of Narsinghe on account of this imported rice from the mainland."

From which source Varthema got the name Narsinghe that somewhat approximates to Narendrasinghe bewilders one for the king by this name appears in the highlands years nay centuries later. The dilemma is a pointer to take these source material with not one pinch of salt but several.

Varthema himself, had later acted as Portuguese factor in Cochin and returned to Europe in 1507 or 1508. In the intervening period he had met many a liar and conman while he himself was not loth to impersonate those of other religions and races.

"He lived dangerously and yet survived."