Letter: T-S 12.114

Recto

I faced death and unbearable dangers from the day I parted from my parents, whom I disobeyed. Likewise, when I visited Amalfi, there were difficulties when I was preparing to leave the city. Disturbances surrounded [it?] and I wondered why all that should happen. M. Hananel and M. Menahem—may they be remembered with a thousand blessings—were very good to me. [They introduced me] to the merchants, and all my dealings were carried out according to their instructions; also all other matters, such as the customs to be paid to the city, [.. .]. They also tried to persuade us not to continue our way. But we did not listen, for thus it was destined by God. We arrived in Palermo on the [. ..] and paid customs for everything of the ship. We were [there] a week and waited. Finally we found a large ship there which sailed to Alexandria, Egypt. We paid the fare and embarked before the New Year Holiday. But on the fifth of the month of Tishri, on Monday at noon time, a storm broke loose upon us [. . .], storming upon us for three days. On the third day the ship began to leak and water penetrated into it from all sides. [We worked hard] to reduce its load and to bale the water out, for there was a big crowd on the ship, about four hundred persons [. . .]. The sea became ever wilder and the ship was tossed about with its entire load. All the people lay down, for no strength was left to anyone, [and cried to] God. Then they approached the captain and pleaded with him, saying, "Save us! Turn the ship toward the land as long [as there is daylight], before the sun sets, when everything will be lost." And all cried with a loud voice. The ship was steered toward the coast and all embraced one another, trembling. I am unable to describe how we8 cried. For when I saw that those who knew how to swim had given up hope for life, what should I do who cannot stand water as high up as the ankles? Finally, the ship touched ground and cracked asunder, as [an egg] would crack when a man presses it with his two hands. Passengers began to drown here and [there and pieces from] the ship floated above them. We three stood on a cabin on the uppermost part of the ship and did not know how to escape. People from below called us saying: "Come down quickly, each of you, catch a piece of wood and ride upon it, perhaps God will grant you rescue." [We] cried to God with a bitter voice, but when [I] saw that everyone was riding on a piece of w[ood I said to . . .] and to Elijah: "Why should we sit here, let us do as they do." I emitted a loud cry [and moved. We went down] together, one helping the other, [praying] to Him who hears Israel. [. . .] and he got upon a piece of wood.

(Here the first page of the manuscript breaks off. On the reverse side the remainders of six lines are preserved, which despite their entirely fragmentary character are not without interest. Line 2:) "... much from the sea," alluding probably to the fact that many of the goods were salvaged, as happened often with ships foundering near the seashore. (Line 4:) "Money is nothing . . . I shall replace ...."