no other Town within three hundred miles of it In this Country are abundance of Dates whence it s called Dactylorum regio This fruit is most of â—heir food and with the stones of them they feed their Goats which makes them fat and causeth them to give store of milk The air hath this property that it presently cures all that have the French disease and come into it The chief Cities are Stafilet Dausen Dara Lapsa and Teffet Lybia hath on the East Nilus on the VVest the Atlantick Ocean On the North Numidia and on the South the Land of Negroes In this Country Arius the Heretick was born who denyed the perpetual divinity of Christ. It is now called Sarra i. e. a Desart because the whole Country is full of sandy Desarts through which Merchants use to travel eight dayes together without the sight of either River Lake Bush or Tree The chief Cities are Huadan Guargata and Toherraum They have neither King nor Lawes but are governed by the chief man in every Tribe They are most Gentiles they have some Mahometans amongst them The Land of Negroes described The Land of Negroes hath on the East Aethiopia superior On the West the Atlantick Ocean On the North Lybia and on the South the Kingdome of Manicongo The people are very ignorant and bruitish most of them Gentiles yet are there some Mahometans and Christians amongst them They took the Portugal ships when they first saw them for great birds with white wings their guns for the work of the Devil and bag-pipes for living Creatures The Nobles in the presence of the King never look him in the face but sit on their buttocks with their elbows on their knees and their hands on their faces they anoint their hair with fat of fishes which makes them stink abominably They have abundance of gold and silver very pure and fine It s watered with the River Niger which from the fifteenth of June overflows its banks for the space of forty dayes and is so many more before it returns into its channel which makes the fields very fruitful In one place Niger hides it self for six miles under ground The second River is Senega upon whose Northern bank the people are cole black but on the South only tawny The Chief Kingdomes are 1 Gualata where they have no Laws 2 Guinie where there is neither Town nor Castle except Mina built by the Portugals 3 Tombutum where the Inhabitants spend all their time in singing and dancing The King hereof is the richest of all the Princes in those parts of Africa keeping a royal Palace and hath for his guard three thousand horsemen and footmen sance number 4 Melli which is three hundred miles long the Inhabitants are rich civil and industrious 5 Cana where are Plenty of Lemons and Pomegranats 6 Gialoâ—ie where the people are so nimble that they will leap upon a horse when hee gallops and stand upright when hee runs turn themselves about and suddenly sit down mount and dismount in a trice 7 Benin where the people rase their skins with three lines drawn to the Navel without which they think they cannot bee saved Both men and women go naked till they bee married and then they wear a cloath from the wast to the knees 8 Nubia where there is a poison so exceeding strong that the tenth part of a grain will kill a man in a quarter of an hour It s sold for one hundred Duckats the ounce 9 Bornum where the people have neither wives nor children that they call their own nor names but are only distinguished by some external accident 10 Goaga where the King hath no revenues but what hee winnes from his enemies 11 Ganaga where the King hath nothing but what his Nobles please daily to allow him The Country of the Mandigos described In Guinie upon the River Gambra live the Mandingos The River abounds with Crocodiles River-horses Torpedoes running-fishes c. On the banks of it are many Geese Ducks Hernes Curlews Storks Plovers c. On the Land are Beeves Goats Guinie Hens c. The people are perfeclty black and live a very idle life except it bee in their seed-time and harvest their usual food is Rice or some Grain boiled their drink is water or Dullo made of Grain like our Ale Their houses are round covered with Reeds many of them built together and compassed with a wall of Reeds six foot high to defend them from wild-beasts which yet many times much endanger them There are Ant-hills cast up by Pismires some of them twenty foot high and in compasse able to contain twelve men which with the heat of the Sun are baked into that hardnesse that our English which trade thither for gold use to hide themselves in the ragged tops of them when they take up their stands to shoot at Deer or other beasts The Town wherein the King dwels is seated on the River compassed about with Hurdles ten foot high and fastened to strong poles On the outside is a Trench of great breadth beyond which the Town is again circled with Posts set close together of about five foot high their Armes are Azegaies or Javelins made of Reeds six foot long with an Iron Pike artificially made and dangerous they have others that they cast like Darts with barbed heads as also swords about two foot long Some have Bows and Arrows made of Reeds headed with Iron poisoned when any of them come to the King they presently kneel down and comming nearer they lay their hands first upon the ground then upon their head then comming to him they lay their hand with much submission upon the Kings thigh and so retire back the King answers them with nodding his head They are generally cloathed in cloth made of Cotton whereof there is plenty their apparrel is a shirt to their knees and a pair of breeches they are mostly bare-headed their hair bedecked with Gregories made of leather of several fashions which whilst they wear they think that no evil can betide them The King hath two wives sitting by him laying their hands on his naked skin stroaking and gently pulling the same VVhen the woman is with child shee lyes no more with her husband till the child bee weaned The wives live in great servitude beating their Grain in Morters they never are admitted to sit and eat with their husbands you shall never see kissing or dalliance betwixt husband and wife nor brawling amongst the wives though one man hath many and they equal each woman hath her several house for the night and when they appear in the morning they salute their husbands kneeling laying their hands on his thigh her apparrel is loose and party-coloured from the wast upward shee is bare to shew her painted razed body whereof they are proud turning themselves to shew it and well pleased when you handle it Few either of men or women are without Tobacco-pipes made of earth well glazed about two inches long
though the Plague rage never so much as many times it doth yet upon that very day wherein Sol enters into Leo which is usually the twelfth or thirteenth day of July it immediately ceaseth and all that are then sick amend and such as are then come abroad need fear no further danger The Turks call Aleppo Halep which signifies milk because it yeilds great store of milk It s usuall here with many Christians to take a woman of the Country provided shee bee not a Turk for its death for a Christian to meddle with them and when they have bought them to enroll them in the Cadi's book and so to use them as wives at bed and board while they sojourn there and then at their departure to leave them to shift for themselves and children Tripolis is a City on the main land of Syria neer unto Mount Libanus which is a Mountain of three days journey in length reaching from Trypolis to Damascus The Christians which dwell upon this Mountain are called Maronites they are a very simple and ignorant People yet civil kind and curteous to strangers There are now few Cedars growing here only in one place there are four and twenty growing together they are tall and as big as the greatest Oaks with diverse rows of branches one over another stretching strait out as though they were kept by Art There is no place in all the VVorld wherein they speak the Syriack tongue naturally at this day but only in four villages on this mountain which are Eden Hatcheeth Shany and Boloza Neer unto Tripolis there is a gallant plain of about a mile in length full of Olive and Fig-trees Scandaroon by Christians called Alexandretta is in the very bottome of the Straights The Air is very unwholsome and infects those that stay any time there occasioned by two high mountains which keep away the Sunne from it for a great part of the day the water also neer the Town is very unwholsome Here our Merchants land their goods and send them by Caravan upon Camels to Aleppo distant about three days journey Here are many Jackalls which in the night make a great crying and comming to a grave where a Corse hath been buried the day before if the grave bee not well filled with many great stones upon it they will scrape up the Earth and devour the corps Mr. Bidulphs Travels The Empire of Persia Described Persia at this day hath many famous Provinces subjected to her Command as Persia Parthia Media Hyrcania Bactria Sogdiana Evergeta Arâ—a Drangiana Margiana Paropamisa Caramania Gedrosia Susiana Arabia Chaldea Mesopotamia Armenia Iberia and Mengrellia twenty Noble Kingdomes of old The whole Empire is bounded East West North and South with India Arabia the Caspian and Persian Seas In length from East to West is one thousand three hundred and twenty miles and in breadth from North to South it s One thousand four hundred fourscore and eight miles So that the whole Circuit is about Four thousand miles the Revenues of the Persian King amount yearly to the sum of one million and one hundred and ninty thousand pounds sterling The Persians are usually big-boned strong straight and proper Of an Olive colour the women paint the men love Arms and all love Poetry No part of their body is allowed hair the upper lip excepted where it grows long and thick they turn it downwards the meaner sort reserve a lock in the middest of their head by which they believe Mahomet will pluck them up into Paradise Their eyes are black their foreheads high and their Noses hooked upon their heads they wear Shashes of great rowls of Calico silk and gold the higher the more beautiful They wear no bands their outside garment is usually of Calico stitched with silk quilted with Cotton the better sort have them farre richer of silk silver and gold their sleeves are straight and long their garment reaches to the Calf of the leg their wasts are girt with Towels of silk and gold very long next their skin they wear smocks of Cotton very short their breeches and stockings are sowed together from the ankle to the shooes they are naked their shooes have no latchets sharp at the toes and turn upward Circumcision is so necessary that without it none can call himself a Mussulman Both men and women use it the women at any time from nine to fifteen the men at twelve which was Ishmaels age when Abraham circumcised him whom they make their progenitor Their ordinary houshold furniture is a Pan a Platter and a Carpet their diet is soon drest and as soon eaten their Table is the ground covered with a Carpet over which they spread a Pintado cloth before each man they lay four or six thin Cakes of Wheat for every one a wooden spoon their handles almost a yard long and huge big mouthes Their only meat is Pelo dressed after diverse manners It consists of Rice Mutton and Hens boiled together to which they adde various sauces c. Their drink is Sherbet made of fair water sugar Rosewater and juice of Lemmons mixt together The chief Cities in Persia described The City of Lar described Lar is the chief City in the Province of Larestan It s not walled about In that Art is needlesse the lofty Rock so naturally defending her shee hath a brave Castle on the North Quarter mounted upon an imperious Hill not only threatning an enemy but awing the Town with her frowninâ— posture the ascent is narrow and steep the Castle of good stone the walls are furnished with good battlements whereon are mounted twelve brasse Cannons and two Basilisks the spoils of Ormus within the walls are one hundred houses stored with souldiers who have there a gallant Armory able to furnish with Lance Bow and Gun three thousand men The Buzzar or Market-place is a gallant Fabrick the materials a good Chalkie-stone long strong and beautiful It s covered a top arched and containing in it a Burse or Exchange wherein the shops are stored with variety of wares the walk from North to South is a hundred and seventy paces from East to West one hundred and sixty the Oval in the Center is about one hundred and ninety The Mosques or Churches are not many One especially is round figuring eternity in some places engraven with Arabick letters and painted with knots and in other places with Mosaick fancies It s low and without glasse windows woodden trellizes excellently cut after their manner supplying that want Here are the fairest Dates Orenges Lemmons and Pomecitrons in all Persia at easy rates you may have Hens Goats Rice Rache and Aquavitae The Inhabitants are for the most part naked being a mixture of Jews and Mahumetans their habit is only a wreath of Calico tyed about their heads a cloth about their loins and sandals on their feet the rest naked Herb. Trav. Shyraz described Shyraz is at this day the second City for magnificence in the Persian Monarchy It 's watered by
parts proportionable and all gilt over When Muani the fifth Caliph of Babylon overcame Constance the Emperour in a Sea-fight and had taken the Isle of Rhodes this image being formerly thrown down by an Earthquake was sold by him to a Jew who loaded nine hundred Camels with the brasse of it Theoph. Pez Mel. Hist. The Islands and Countries in the East-Indies Described Malabar Described Malabar is neer to Cape Comeryn It s four hundred miles in length but not above a hundred in breadth yet so populous that one of the Samorines or Kings hath brought into the field two hundred thousand men The Countrey is green and full of all delights Cattel Corn Fruit Cotton silk-worms and other Merchandise it hath store of strong Towns and safe Harbours It s divided into many Toparchies but all obeying the Samorine a naked Negro yet as proud as Lucifer The Nayroes are his Lords a sort of Mammeluks that live by the sweat of other mens brows lust wholly Mastering them they always go armed with sword and Buckler The people generally are big-limmed strong cole-black wear their hair which is like wool long and curled about their heads they have a wreath of a curious sort of linnen wrought with gold and silk about their wast a peece of Calico all the rest naked the vulgar sort pink their skins in many places some are Mahometans others Gentiles the Mahometan women use vails like other Indians such as are Gentiles affect nakedness their greatest pride is in their noses and ears and they judge them most brave which are bigest and widest their ears they make big by weighty bables which they hang in them they wring their snouts with silver brass or Ivory their arms and legs are chained richly Their Braminies or Priests have the maiden heads of all that are married they are couragious and politick The City of Callecut in Malabar Described Callecut a City is not large nor of any beauty the houses are low thick and dark The Samorine or Emperor usually abides here many deformed Pagathoes are here worshipped The chappel where their grand Idol sits is covered and about three yards high the wooden entrance is ingraven with infernal shapes within their beloved Priapus is imperiously enthronized upon a brasen Mount his head hath a resplendent Diadem from whence issue four great Rams horns his eyes squint his mouth is wide from whence branch four Monstrous Tusks his nose is flat his beard like the Sun beams of an affrighting aspect his hands are like the claws of a Vulture his thighs and legs big and hairy his feet and tail resemble a Munkies Other Temples have other Pagods ugly all yet all differ in invention They commonly exchange their wives As men have many wives so one woman may have many husbands The Isle of Zeiloon Described Zeiloon or Ceilon is two hundred and fifty miles in length one hundred and forty in breadth It abounds with sundry sorts of aromatick spices but especially with Cinamon It hath plenty of Orenges Dates Cocoes Ananas Plantans and Mastick It hath Elephants Bufolos Cowes Sheep Hogs c. Smaragds Rubies Ambergreece c. The King hereof to shew his bravery to the Portugals invited them to see him walk upon a Tarras arraied in an imbroidered Coat powdered with Gold Smaragds Diamonds and Pearl altogether darting out rayes wonderfull delightfull and pleasant Hereupon Selveira the Portugese Governor builds a stately and strong Castle amongst them under pretence of defending them from the Mallabars but it was rather to bee his Jewel keeper for in a short time hee ravished the King of all his riches In this Island there is scarce any village or Mount without its Pagod amongst which that Apes tooth god was the principal resorted to by millions of Indians and when Columbo the Vice-Roy of Goa took it away they proâ—ered to redeem it with three hundred thousand Duckets Their Idols are horribly deformed and ugly yea the more ugly the more venerable The Manner of fishing for Pearls in the Isle of Zeilan They begin their fishing every year in March or April and it lasteth fifty dayes and when this time draweth neer they send very good Divers to discover where there is the greatest plenty of Oisters under water and right against that place they pitch their Tents on the shore making as it were a little Village and so when the time is come they go out in their Boats and Anchor in fifteen or eighteen fathom of water and then they cast a rope into the Sea with a great stone fastened at the end of it Then a man that hath his nose and ears well stopped and anointed with Oile with a basket under his left arm goes down by the rope to the bottome of the Sea and as fast as hee can fills the basket with Oisters and then shaking the rope his fellowes in the boat pull him up with his basket and thus they go on till they have filled their Boats with Oisters and so at evening when they come to their Tents each lay their heap of Oisters by themselves and none of them are opened till their fishing bee ended At which time they open every man his own which is easily done because then they are drie and brittle There are but few of these Oisters in comparison that have Pearles in them There are also certain that are expert in Pearles present that set the price upon them according to their carracts beauty and goodness the round ones are best Choromandel described Choromandel stretches from Cape Comoryn to the famous Gulph of Bengala and hath in it these famous Towns of Trade Negapatan Meliapore Polycat Armagun Narsinga Mesulipatan and Bipilipatan Negapatan is hot and unwholesome the wind and raines being for the greatest part of the year high and unseasonable The Town hath good water and fruits well relished cooling and nutritive yet the people are much vexed with feavers fluxes c. they are blackish blockish unapt for study or exercise by reason of the heat A small thin shuddery or lawn is drawn before their secret parts their head hath a small wreath the rest is all naked they have gold and precious stones which they esteem as wee do trifles The Bannians Wives have here more freedome to burn themselves when their Husbands dye than in other places so that in this place the custome is usual If any refuse to burn they must shave and are accounted as Monsters The City of Goa described Goa is the bravest and best defenced City in all the Orient where the Vice-Roy of Portugal keeps his residence and seats of Justice It s built three hours journey within land in an Island thirty miles compass surrounded by a River that flows from the mighty mountain Bellaguate It s compassed with a strong and beautiful wall proud in her aspiring Turrets dreadful in many tormenting Cannons The Market-place or Buzzar is in the Center of the City richly built pleasant and capacious the other streets
hot Thus hath the wise disposer of all things tempered bitter things with sweet to teach us that there is no true and perfect content in any Kingdome but that of heaven They have store of good Horses and Camels Dromedaries Mules Asses Rhynocerots which are as long as the fairest Oxe in England their skines lye plaited in wrinkles on their backs They have many Elephants their King having usually fourteen thousand and many of the Nobles a hunded a peece There are some of them fifteen foot high all of them black their skin thick and smooth without hair they take much delight in the water and will swim excellent well they are exceeding docible so that they will do almost any thing the keeper bids them If he would have them affright a man he will make towards him as if hee would tread him in peeces and yet when hee comes to him not touch him If hee bid him abuse a man hee will take dirt or kennel water in his trunk and dash it in his face c. They are most sure of foot never stumbling they are governed with a hook of steel with which their keeper sitting on their Necks pull them back or prick them forward at their pleasure Every Male hath allowed to him four females The Inhabitants of Indostan Described The Inhabitants before they were conquered by Tamerlane were all Gentiles but now they are mixed with Mahometans they are of stature like us very streight seldome or never is there a crooked person amongst them They are of an Olive colour have black hair but not curled they love not any that are white saying that they are like Lepers their chins are bare but have long hair on their upper lips shave their heads only reserve a lock on the Crown for Mahomet to pull them to heaven by The habits of men and women differ little mostly made of white Cotton cloth made close to the middle then hanging loose down below the knee under them they have long breeches reaching to the ancle and close to their bodies their feet are bare in their shooes which they commonly wear like Slippers which they put off when they come into their houses whose floores are covered with excellent Carpets upon which they sit when they talk or eat like Taylors on their shop boards on the mens heads are shashes which is a long thin wreath of cloath white or coloured The Mahometan women cover their heads with vails their hair hangs down behind twisted with silk oft bedecked with jewels about their necks and wrists their ears have pendants their nostrils pierced to put in rings at their pleasure Their ease in child bearing is admirable for it is a common thing there for women great with child one day to ride carrying their Infants in their bodies and the next day to ride carrying them in their arms The great Mogol every year at the entring of the Sun into Aries makes a feast to his Nobles which lasts nine days at which time they present him with gifts and he again repays them with Princely rewards I was astonished saith mine Author who was an eye witnesse of it when I beheld at that time the incredible riches of gold pearls Pretious stones jewels and many other glittering vanities which were amongst them The walls in the Kings house are painted or beautified with pure white Lime the floores are covered with rich and costly Carpets there lodge none with him in his house but his Eunuches and women and some little boys that hee keeps for detestable uses hee always eats in private amongst his women upon great variety of excellent dishes which being prepared and proved by the Taster are served up in vessels of Gold covered and sealed up and so by the Eunuches brought to him In this Empire there are no Inns to entertain strangers onely in great Towns are fair houses built for their receit which they call Sarrays not inhabited where Travellers have room freely but they must bring with them beds food and other necessaries which they usually carry upon Camells or in Carts drawn with Oxen wherein they have tents to pitch when they meet with no Sarray's The inferior sort of people ride upon Oxen Horses Mules Camels or Dromedaries and the women like unto the men or else in slight Coaches drawn with Oxen many whereof are white and large and they are guided with cords which go through the parting of their Nostrils and so betwixt their horns into the Coach-mans hands they are nimble and will go twenty miles a day The better sort ride upon Elephants or are carried on mens shoulders in Sedans which they call Palankeenes In all their great Cities they have Markets twice a day early in the morning and in the evening wherein they sell almost every thing by weight They are generally so superstitious that they will rather dye than eat or drink any thing that their Law forbids The chief Cities in the great Mogols Countries Described Lahore in the great Mogols Country is a vast and famous City not much inferiour to Agra the Metropolis yea for circuit and bravery it much excells it The aire for eight months is pure and restorative the streets are paved and gracefull which are cleansed and watered by the River Ravee which flows most pleasantly into this City from the Casmyrian Mountains and after a stately course of three thousand English miles deep enough for Junks of sixty Tun it falls into Indus at Tutia This City is beautified with stately palaces Mosques Hummums or Sudatories Tanks or Ponds Gardens c. The Castle is large strong uniform pleasant and bravely seated being built of hard white and polished stone armed with twelve Posternes within which is a Palace sweet and comely entred by two Gates and Courts on the walls are pictured sundry stories and pastimes From this City to Agra is five hundred miles the Country in all that distance being even without Mountains and hills and the high way planted on both sides with shady Ash-trees whose spreading green tops lenefies the scorching heat of the Sun At the end of each eight miles is a fair and convenient lodge built for travellers to repose themselves in Herb. Trav. p. 69. Pur. Pil. v. 2. p. 1468. Brampore in the same Countrey is a City seated low and in an unhealthful plain very large and spacious and inhabited most by the Bannians the streets are many and narrow the houses not high and but meanly beautifull In the North-East end it hath a Castle standing by the Rivers side large and defensive In the River is an Artificial Elephant so skilfully shaped that by the Bannians it is adored and by others admired Idem Fettipore if the water were good it had triumphed over all the Cities in India It is walled about and to the North North West hath a lake or fish pond five miles over The North East hath a fair Buzzar or market place five hundred paces long well paved and built on all sides
revenues whereof amount to two hundred thousand peices of gold called Saraffi The Suburbs are very large wherein also are many stately buildings especially a Colledge being of a wonderful height and great strength Besides many other Palaces Colledges and Temples Here they have great store of poultry For in certain Ovens built upon sundry lofts they put abundance of Eggs which Ovens being kept in a moderate heat will in seven days hatch all those eggs into chickens P. Pil. There are in it eighteen thousand streets It is so populous that its reputed in very good health if there dye but a thousand a day or thirty hundred thousand in a year I mean when the Plague which comes once in seven years is amongst them Heil In one of the streets are about threescore Cooks shops then follow othâ—r shops wherein are to bee sold delicate waters and drinks made of all kinds of fruits which are kept charily in fine vessels next to these are shops where diverse confections of honey and Sugar like to ours in Europe are to bee sold Then follow the Fruiterers shops who have out-Landish fruits out of Syria as Quinces Pomgranats c. Next to them are shops wherein they sell Eggs Cheese and Pancakes fryed with Oyle Next is a street wherein all manner of Artificers dwell Then there are diverse ranks of Drapers shops In the first rank they sell excellent fine linnen fine cloth of Cotton and cloth called Mosal of a marvellous breadth and finenesse whereof the greatest persons make shirts and scarfs to wear upon their Tulipants Then are Mercers shops wherein they sell Silks Damask Cloth of Gold and Velvet brought out of Italy The next are woollen Drapers with all sorts of European cloth next of all are store of Chamblets to bee sold. At the gate of Zuaila dwell great store of Artificers Next to the forenamed Burse is a street of shops where are all kind of Perfumes as Civet Musk Ambergreece c. Next follows the street of Paper Merchants with most excellent smooth Paper There are also to bee sold pretious stones and Jewels of great value which the Brokers carry from shop to shop Then come you to the Gold-Smiths street inhabited mostly by Jews who deal in rich commodities Then are there Upholsters and Brokers who sell apparel and rich furniture at the second hand as Cloaks Coats Nappery c. It hath many large Suburbs as that of Bed Zuaila containing about twelve thousand Families being a mile and an half in length The Suburb called Gemâ—li Tailon adorned with a most admirable Palace and sumptuous Temple where also dwell great store of Merchants and Artificers The Suburb called Bell Elloch containing neer three thousand Families inhabited by Merchants and Artizans of diverse sorts there is also a great Palace and a stately Colledge Here are many stage-players and such as teach Camels Asses and Dogs to dance very delightful to behold The Suburb Bulach upon the Bank of Nilus containes four thousand Families here are many Artificers and Merchants especially such as sell Corn Oyle Sugar c. It s also full of stately Temples Colledges and Hospitalls under this Suburb you may sometimes see above a thousand Barks upon the River The Suburb of Caresa contains about two thousand Families Here are many Sepulchers built with high and stately vaults and Arches adorned within with diverse Emblems and colours the pavement spread with sumptuous and rich Carpets The Inhabitants of Cairo in the Winter time wear garments of cloth lined with Cotton In the summer they wear fine shirts over which some have linnen garments curiously wrought with silk others wear Chamblet and great Turbants on their heads covered with cloth of India The women go in costly attire having on their foreheads frontlets and about their necks chains of Pearl on their heads they wear a sharp and slender Bonnet about a span high very pretious and rich their Gowns are of woollen cloth with strait sleeves curiously imbroidered with needle work over which they cast veils of excellent fine cloth of India their faces are covered with a black scarff on their feet they wear fine shooes or Pantoffles c. The City of Alexandria described The great City of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the great not without the advise of most famous and skilful Architects upon a beautiful point of land stretching into the Mediterranean Sea being distant forty miles Westward from Nilus It was most sumptuously and strongly built four square with four Gates for entrance One on the East-side towards Nilus Another on the South towards the Lake of Buchaira the third Westward towards the Desert of Barca and the fourth towards the Haven Neer unto the City walls are two other gates which are divided asunder by a fair walk and a most impregnable Castle which stands upon the Wharf in which Port the best ships out of these parts of the World ride Here the Christians pay a tenth of all their wares whereas the Mahometans pay but a twentieth part At this time that part of the City that lyes towards Cairo is best inhabited and furnished with Merchandize and so is the other part that lies next to the Haven under each house in the City is a great vaulted Cistern built upon mighty Pillars and Arches whereinto at the overflowing of Nilus the water is conveyed under the City walls by a most artificiall Sluce that stands without them The City stands in a sandy Desert so that its destitute of Gardens Vines and Corn but what is brought from places at forty miles distance The City of Rosetto Described Rosetto was built by a Slave to one of the Mahometan Governours upon the Eastern bank of Nilus three miles from the Mediterranean Sea and not far from the place where Nilus emptieth it self into the sea In it is a stately Bath-stove having fountains both of cold and hot water belonging thereunto The City of Thebe Described Thebe at this present contains but about three hundred Families â— but the buildings are very stately and sumptuous It abounds with Corn Rice and Sugar with a certain fruit of a most excellent tast called Muse It hath in it great store of Merchants and Artificers The Countrey about it abounds with Date-trees which grow so thick that a man cannot see the City till hee comes neer the Walls Here grow also store of Grapes Figs and Peaches Over against the City the River of Nilus makes an Isle which standing high brings forth all sorts of fruits but Olives The City of Chanca described The great City of Chanca is about six miles from Cairo at the very entrance into the Desert through which is the way to Mount Sinai It s replenished with most stately houses Temples and Colledges All the fields between Cairo and it are full of Dates From Chanca to Mount Sinai are one hundred and forty miles in all which way there is no habitation Through this City lye the two main roads one leading to Syria
The Kingdome of Casan and Citraham 14. Muscovia whose chief City is Mosco The City of Mosco Described Mosco the Regal City in Russia is almost round and bigger it is than London environed with three strong walls circling the one within the other and having many streets lying betwixt them The inmost wall and the buildings within it being fenced and watered with the River Moschua that runneth close by it is all accounted the Emperors Castle The number of houses as they were formerly reckoned amounted to forty one thousand and five hundred The streets of this City instead of paving are planked with great Firr trees planed and laid even together and very close the one to the other The houses are of Timber without Lime and stone built very close and warm of Fir trees which are fastened together with notches at each corner and betwixt the Timber they thrust in Moss to keep out the air which makes them very warm The greatest danger is their aptnesse to take fire which being once kindled is hardly quenched and hereby much hurt hath been done and the City miserably defaced sundry times The whole Countrey of Russia in the Winter lyeth under snow a yard or two thick but greater in the Northern parts from the beginning of November to the end of March in which time the Air is oft so sharp that water thrown upward congeales into Ice before it comes to the ground If you hold a pewter dish in your hand it will freeze so fast to it as that it will pull off the skin at parting divers in the Markets are killed with the extremity of cold Travellers are brought into towns sitting dead and stiff in their sleds some loose their Noses some their Ears Fingers Toes c. which are frozen off and yet in the Summer you shall see a new face on the Countrey the woods which mostly are Firr and Birch so fresh and sweet the Pastures and Medows so green and well grown such variety of Flowers such melody of the Birds especially of Nightingales that you cannot travel in a more pleasant Country The Summer is hotter than with us in England For Fruits they have Apples Pears Plums Cherries red and black Deens like Muskmelons but more sweet and pleasant Cucumbers Gourds Straberries Hurtleberries c. Wheat Rie Barley Oats Pease c. Their cheif Commodities are Furrs of all sorts as black Foxes Sables Lufernes dun Foxes Martrons Gurnstales or Armines Minever Beaver Walverines a great water Rat whose skin smels like Musk Squirrels grey and red foxes white and red as also Wax Honey Tallow Hides of Beeves and Buffs Train Oile Caviare Hemp Flax Salt Tar Salt-Peter Brimstone Iron Muscovy slate Fallow Deer Roe-bucks and Goats great store For Fowl they have Eagles Hawks of all kinds swans tame and wild Storks Cranes Fesants white Partridges c. For fresh water fish they have Carp Pike Pearch Tench Roach as also Bellouga of four or five ells long Sturgion Severiga Sterledy which four sorts breed in Volga and of all their Roes they make Caviare c. The streets in their Cities and Towns instead of paving are planked with Firr trees planed and laid even together Their chief Cities are Mosco Novograd Rostove Volodomire Plesco Smolensco Jaruslave Perislave Nisnovograd Vologda Ustiuck Colmigroe Casan Astracan Cargapolia and Columna It s governed by an Emperour or great Duke with most absolute authority after the manner of the Eastern Countries though it lye very near the North. The Muscovites follow the Greek Religion under a Patriarch though yet it bee mingled with very many superstitions which are not like to bee amended because the Great Duke suffers none of his subjects to travel and see other Countries They are much tormented by the Turks and Tartars They have waged great wars with the Poles and Swedes but with many losses A Description of the state and magnificence of the Emperour of Russia Sir Thomas Smith being sent Ambassador from King James to Boris Emperour of Russia Anno Christi 1604. one of his company thus relates their entertainment When saith hee wee entrâ—d the presence wee beheld the excellent Majesty of a mighty Emperour seated in a chair of gold richly embroidered with Persian stuffe In his right hand hee held a golden Scepter had a Crown of pure gold upon his head a coller of rich stones and Pearles about his neck his outward garments of Crimson Velvet embroidered very fair with Pearles precious Stones and Gold On his rightâ—hand stood a very fair Globe of beaten Gold or a Pyramis with a Cross on it Nigh that stood a fair Bason and Ewre which the Emperour used daily Close by him on another Throne sate the Prince in an outward Garment like his Fathers but not so rich with an high black Fox cap on his head worth there five hundred pound having a golden staffe in his hand On the Emperours right hand stood two gallant Noble men in cloath of silver high black Fox Caps with great long gold chains hanging to their feet with Poleaxes of gold on their shoulders and on the left hand of the Prince stood two other such but their Poleaxes were of silver round about on benches sate the Council and Nobility in golden and Persian Coats and high black Fox Caps to the number of two hundred the ground being covered with cloath of Arras After dinner saith hee again wee were led to have audience through many Chambers to a very fair and rich room where was infinite store of massie plate of all sorts where wee again viewed the Emperour and Prince seated under two Chairs of state each having a scul of Pearl upon their heads In the midst of the room stood a great Pillar round about which for a great height stood wonderful great peeces of Plate very curiously wrought with Beasts Fishes and Fowles besides other ordinary peeces of serviceable Plate The Emperour at dinner was served in rare dishes of silver but most of Massie gold c. Sic transit gloria mundi Pur. Pil. v. 3. p. 748. The Permians and Samoeds described The Permians lie North from Russia and are now subject to the Emperor thereof they have broad and flat faces like the Tartars from whom probably they had their original they live by hunting and trading with their Furrs The Samoeds live more towards the North Sea they are very brutish eating all manner of raw flesh even to the very carrion that lyeth in the ditch they are also subject to the Russees they acknowledge one God but represent him by such creatures as they have most good by and therefore they worship the Sun the Ollen the Losh c. They are clad in Seals-skins with the hairy side outward that reaches as low as the knees with their breeches and stockings of the same both men and women they are all black-haired and beardlesse the women are known from the men by a lock of hair hanging down by their ears they are ever
The old ones perceiving the fire to approach to their Nests attempted to carry away their young ones but could not they were so weighty which they perceiving never ceased with their spread wings to cover them till they all perished in the flames together Belg. Common Wealth p. 63. In America there are certain small Birds called Viemalim with small and long bills that live upon the dew and of the juice of Flowers and roses like Bees their feathers are of very curious colours they dye or sleep every year in October sitting upon the bough of a Tree in a warm place and in Aprill following when the Flowers are sprung they awake again I have one of them In the Arabian Deserts there are great store of Ostriches that go in flocks and often affright passengers that are strangers with their fearful schreeches appearing a farre off like a Troop of horsemen Their bodies are too heavy to bee born up by their wings which though uselesse for flight yet serve them to run with greater speed so that a swift horse can scarce overtake them whatsoever they findâ—e bee it stones or iron they greedily swallow it down and concoct it when they have laid their eggs which are as big as a Culverin Bullet they forget where they left them and so return no more to them but they are hatched by the heat of the Sun in the warm sands hence those expressions Lam. 4.3 The Daughter of my people is become cruell like the Ostriches in the wildernesse whereupon shee is made the Embleam of folly Job 39.14 c She leaveth her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgets that the foot may crush them c. In Brasile there is a little bird which they call The risen or Awaken Bird because it sleeps six months and awakes the other six It hath a Cap on its head of no one colour but on what side soever you look it sheweth red green black and other colours all very fine and shining the breast also shews great variety of colours especially yellow more fine than gold the body is grey and it hath a very long small bill and yet the tongue is twice as long as the bill it flyes very swiftly and makes a humming like a Bee It always feeds flying Pur. Pil. In Socotera there are Bats whose bodies are almost as big as a Conies their heads are like Foxes with an hairy Furr upon them In other things they are like our Bats One of them being killed by some English his wings when they were extended were an ell in length their cry is shril and loud Idem In Italy are the Flies Cantharides which by day are of a green shining colour but in the night they shine in the air like flying Glow-worms with fire in their tailes Raimunds Mercu. Ital. In China there is a Fowl of a prodigious shape and bignesse It is three foot high the body being exceeding great more than a man can fathom their feathers are all white like a Swans their feet broad like Fowls that swim their neck half a fathom long and their beak half an ell the upper part of it being crooked From the nether parâ— of the beak there hangs a very great and capable bag of a yellow golden colour resembling Parchment With these Fowls the Natives use to fish as wee do in England with Cormorants They will catch fish with great dexterity and when they have filled their great bag which will hold divers fishes of two foot long a peece they will bring them to their Masters Pur. Pil. v. 2. p. 1643. In the African Desarts is a certain Fowle called a Nesir some call it a Vultur It s bigger than a Crain In flying it mounts very high yet at the sight of a dead carkass it descends immediatly Shee lives long and in extream old age looseth her feathers and then returning to her nest is there fed by the young ones of the same kinde Idem Near unto the Streights of Magellane there is an Island called Penguin Island wherein are abundance of Fowls called Penguins that go upright their wings in stead of feathers are only covered with down which hang down like sleeves faced with white They flye not but walk in paths of their own making and keep their divisions and quarters orderly They are a strange Fowle or rather a miscellaneous creature of beast Bird and Fish but most of Bird. Pur. Pil. v. 1. p. 536. In the Isle of Man there is a sort of Sea-Fowles called Puffins they are of a very unctious constitution and breed in Cony-holes the Conies leaving their burrows for that time they are never seen with their young but very early in the morning and late in the evening they nourish their young as it is conceived with Oil drawn from their own bodyes and dropped into their mouths for that being opened there is found in their crops no other sustenance save a single Sorrel-leaf which the old give their young as is conjectured for digestions-sake the flesh of them whilst raw is not savoury but powdered it may bee ranked with Anchoves and Caviare profitable they are in their feathers and oil which they use much about their Wooll In the Isle of Mauritius is a Fowle called a Dodo Her body is round and extream fat which makes her pace slow few of them weigh less than fifty pound Her wings are so small that they cannot lift her above the ground Her head is variously dressed the one half hooded with downy black feathers the other wholly naked of a whitish colour as if a transparent Lawn had covered it her bill is very hooked bending downwards the breathing place being in the midst of it from which part to the end the colour is light green mixt with a pale yellow Her eyes are round and small and bright as Diamonds her cloathing is of the finest down her train is of three or four short feathers her legs thick and black her tallons sharp her stomach so hot that shee digests stones or Iron as doth the Ostrich In Lincolnshire there is a Bird called a Dotterel so named of his doltish foolishness It s a bird of an apish kinde ready to imitate what it sees done they are caught by Candle-light by the Fowlers gestures for if hee put forth an arm they stretch forth a wing if hee sets forward a leg or hold up his head they likewise do the same In brief whatsoever the Fowler doth the same also doth this foolish bird untill it bee caught within the net Camb. Brit. p. 543. There is an Island called Bas bordering upon Lathaien in Scotland unto which there resort a multitude of Sea fowls especially of Soland Geese which bring with them such abundance of Fish that as it is reported an hundred souldiers that lay there in Garrison for defence of the place fed upon no other meat but the fish that was thus brought to them And the said Fowles also bring such a