they did n't go into the teeming , hilly town , but remained among the fortified docks , splitting up to search among the sailors , tradesmen , and travelers busy about their fishing smacks , their shallops , and their caravels , carracks , and cogs , visiting the taverns and brothels , and all in frantic haste , for no one , spanish , italian , or arab , seemed to have an answer to their question : `` have you seen a big man , with huge hands , scars on his face , thin , seeking passage to valencia ? ''