Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	city_n	mountain_n	river_n	1,763	5	6.9182	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00709	An exact and curious suruey of all the East Indies, euen to Canton, the chiefe cittie of China all duly performed by land, by Monsieur de Monfart, the like whereof was neuer hetherto, brought to an end. VVherein also are described the huge dominions of the great Mogor, to whom that honorable knight, Sir Thomas Roe, was lately sent ambassador from the King. Newly translated out of the trauailers manuscript.	Feynes, Henri de.; Loiseau de Tourval, Jean.	1615 (1615)	STC 10840; ESTC S102015	23,945	52

a cap a long cloake in forme of a gowne They lie in the field vnder vile Cabbins of Turfe Thence I entred the Kingdome of Brameny which containeth but 2. dayes iourney in length and in a manner of the same qualities and habit with the Canarrins Onely they haue a kind of linnen cloth which they make Marchandice of Thence to the Kingdome of Coulam who are Gentiles and of a swartie hue which hauing trauersed from one end to the other in a 11. dayes iourney I beheld no place of importance There is nothing there but all open Thence I tooke my way to Conchin possessed by the Portugals though the King keepes neuerthelesse still there his title and Court The Cittie is about the bignesse of Mante and is as well frequented with Marchants as any other place in all the Indies being the thorow-fare to China And there is a Citadell of exceeding great strength Thence I went to the Mountaine of S. Thomas where they are all Christians and haue alwayes so borne themselues notwithstanding their king is a Gentile their number being so great that very hardly may they be rooted out besides that the passages to it are most difficult They goe for the most part almost naked as commonly they doe in all those Countries And there is a certaine place where there is a Miraculous crosse whether they goe to procession in the holy weeke And then during their seruice time while they repeate the passion this crosse begins to change colour and to sweat I know not what kind of blacke liquor like inke but the passion being ended it returnes to its former nature They hold it to be a grace which Saint Thomas obtained from God for their perseuerance in the faith The Cittie is about the bignes of Poissy there are found certaine stuffs by them much esteemed although they bee made but of hearbs wherewith they cloath themselues and make a great trade thereof Thence I returned to Conchin from Conchin to the kingdome of Bengala wherein the Portugals also hold the capitall citty best fortresse of which the whole kingdome takes their name which notwithstanding is very small of little strength It is a countrey full of all sorts of commodities Among the rest they haue prettie couerlets of yellow linen-cloth all pinkte and wrought with needle worke whereof some are to bee seene in these parts This Cittie lies all open being of the bignes of Saint Denis and is some 5. weekes iourney from Conchin Thence to the kingdome and Iland of Seilan which the portugals holde being a place of importance In that contrey are whole forests of Cinamon all other countries being destitute of it There be also whole mountaines of Christall and out of their riuers they draw Perles Rubies Saphirs and Cats-eyes which are of great valew and whereof they make a great trade in China It is a good country and exceeding plentifull in corne rice fruits and all other things which are frequent throughout the Indies And is held to be 300 leagues compasse being all Gentiles True it is that the beasts which they adore varie from the others for they will worship the first creature they meete withal They eate nothing that hath bloud and of their very bread they will make no more then wil be eaten at a meale for if it be kept but 2. houres they are forbiden by their religion to eate it Moreouer there is a Riuer of salt water which issueth out of the sea and runneth neere the fort where there is a certaine fish or rather a kind of sea dragon a monster or I know not what coms often howling euen vnder the windowes will not depart before they haue giuen him his pray because as they say the Gouernour hath vsed him to it causing all such as he beareth grudge vnto or he any way distrusteth to be throwne to him so that none but he and his men can tell what is become of them Thence I bent my course for the kingdome of Ior as much as I could by land for this climate is all full of waters and Ilands and is very temperate being about a monthes trauaill betweene Seilan and Ior which is a very pretty little towne about the bignes of Auignon They are Gentiles and of a yellowish hew they worship I know not what shape with three heads they obserue the like abstinence as is aboue mentioned and haue very neere the selfe same commodities Thence I past to Malaca an exceeding strong fortres belonging to the Portugals 10. dayes trauaill beyond Ior. There you haue an aire most vnholesome and those whose constitution is able to beare it and liue at least their complexion is all changed to a yeallow There groweth a certaine fruit prickled like a ches-nut and as big as ones fist the best in the world to eate these are somewhat costly all other fruits being at an easie rate It must be broken with force and therein is contained a white liquor like vnto creame neuerthelesse it yelds a very vnsauory sent like to a rotten oynion and it is called Esturion There groweth likewise and no where els Nutmegs and Cloues vpon their trees or stalkes as also the Bezar-stone which is found ioyned to the breast of Monkies but not so good as those of the Persian Goates Likewise there be Diamonds but farre inferior to those whereof I am to speake anon yet are there Porcupine-stones of the couller of white soape which are had in great estimation hauing seene one about the bignes of a Nutmeg sold for 300. crownes which indeed was a faire one they make vse of it allmost against all diseases leauing it an howre to steepe in water which afterwards they drinke of though it be as bitter as Gall. This kingdome is of the Molucos and the Hollanders possesse there a strong fortresse called Sonde whence they bring vs the birds of Paradice for they are found noe where else the countrey folkes take them vp dead and sell them for 8. rialls a peece All a long this coast is found great quantitie of gray Amber and black Muske and Ciuet But the men of those countries are very liquorish of the Amber and eate the most part of it as fast as they finde it They are well furnished with all manner of commodities wine only excepted But they haue in steed of it a certaine drinke called Caahiete as blacke as inke which they make with the barke of a tree and drinke it as hot as they can endure it Their houses are low vaulted and tarrased on the top the better to sleepe in the coole aire From Malaca I went to Macao neere a months trauaile which is a Cittie scituate on the sea coaste at the foote of a great Mountaine where in times past the Portugalls had a greate fort and to this day there be yet many that dwell there This is the entrance into China but the place is of no

any They make their prouison of water in great Borachoes made of whole goate-skins and sometimes are much distressed through want of it There is no fowle in all the desart but Pigions which nestle in those ruines The king of this hether part of the desart is a Mahometan tributarie to the Turke and so superstitious or timorous that by reason of certaine vowes customes and auncient traditions hee neuer entreth vnder any roofe the better to behold his forces about him He is so strong that at an hours warning he will bring 100000. horsemen to the field with out any difficulty their horses being the goodliest in the world Their Attire is after the Turkish fashion Turbant onely excepted in steed whereof they haue a kind of Capp rowled about with a black Turbant They are of a swart complexion and all as well men as women goe almost naked It is very true that such as intend to write back to Aleppo take with them at their departure some sitting Pigions from their young-ones which afterwards they let flie backe againe from what part soeuer they will handsomely loaden with their letters And the like doe they in some other cases for speedy warnings through all those parts After thirty dayes iourney more or lesse wee came to Nane where the whole Carauan takes water vpon Euphrates and there we reposed and refresht our selues some eight dayes together expecting boates for our transportation It is a good Towne full of bad people but yet there begins to cease all penury and discommodity for want of victuals finding in that Country all kind of meates and refreshings fit for mans life So wee embarked our selues there and after twelue dayes came within foure leagues of Babilon hauing seene nothing else on either side the riuer but Palme-trees Date-trees which beare most excellent fruite when they bee ripe and returne a most comfortable odour on the water Betweene Nane and Babilon there is a great lake which is vulgarly named the Pitchie sea I went expresly to see the head of it which proceedeth out of a rocke in fiue seuerall clefts about the bignes of a mans waste which soone after meeting al in one run 18. leagues long till it looseth it selfe vnder the ground This blacke and thick lickour serues to build withall instead of lime There the Basha sent vs all manner of necessarie assistance to bring our men and Merchandice to Babilon paying a certaine custome as one per centum siluer and precious stones excepted which are tole-free This Citty which now the Turkes call Bagdat is at this present scituate vpon the Riuer Tigris and not vpon Euphrates as aunciently it was though it bee still the selfe same stuffe and rubbish which the Babilonians carried foure leagues further to rebuild their CITTIE on the banke of TIGRIS wherein finding yet a further inconuenience they transported it on the other side as to this day there are yet extant great tokens togeather with some habitations which haue still kept in the first place There is also a great bridge of boates though som-what incommodious by reason of the largenes and height of the Riuer The towne is twice as bigge as Paris but therein are many great Gardens Orchards and arrable grounds that which seemes most admirable is to see so great an enclosure compassed with so faire wals For indeed 4. waggons may goe a front vpon them and are built all with bricke The houses within the Cittie are lowe enough vaulted vnder and tarassed on the top The Castle is exceeding strong faire great and well stored with munition There the Basha makes his dwelling place I sawe him walke abroad on a day and t was reported hee had very neere 50000 foote to waite vpon him and as many horse the best arraied that can euer bee hauing their harnesses all deckt with gold siluer and precious stones to the very stirrups with a great noise of Trumpets Drummes Cimbals Clarions and hautbois I was so curious likewise as to goe to the place where it is said the great tower of Babel was built being about halfe a dayes iourney distant where I sawe nothing but a high mountaine of earth in the midst of a plaine wherein digging you may finde certaine bricks whereof it is laide the tower was built From Babilon I went to Ezpan now the cheife and most gallant Cittie of Persia I durst allmost say of all the world where the Sophy is most resident The way is troublesome and discomodious enough beeing of fifteene long dayes trauaile through wast desarts voyde of al townes and houses or any other succour partly by nature partly so wasted of purpose to impeach th' approches of the Turke Onely from one dayes Iourney to another the Sophie hath caused to bee erected certaine kind of great harbours or huge lodgings like hamlets called Carauan-sara or Surroyes for the benefit of Carauanes out of which lodgings trauailers dare not issue without a conuoy which the gouernors of the said places giue from one to another and the Captaine of the conuoy must bring back a good certificat from the Captaine of the Carauan how hee hath faithfully brought them to the next lodging and that they were wel pleased with his conuoy Otherwise vpon the least complaint the king should heare hee would cause the Gouernors head to be cut off his house set a fire vnder whom the spoyle were committed restoring to the full out of his owne treasure what goods soeuer of the Marchants which were past recouerie Yet is it true thereof haue beene seene few examples by reason of very few misdemeanures in that nature but whensoeuer any hath happned that iustice hath beene seuerely executed Now these lodgings are exceeding comely with faire shops belonging thereto and are able to entertaine all Carauans neuer so great the like being so set throughout all Persia. Hispaan is halfe as bigge againe as Paris very strong very populous wonderfull frequented aswell because of trafficke as for the Kings presence and all the Courts of Iustice Checker and Religion It is vnpossible to relate the pleasures recreations and delights which are there either for stately Buildings great faire Gardens store and goodnes of fruits continuall riding and all other kinds of noble exercises with an incredible Pompe triumph and magnificence where once they vndertake it There is also great peace and plenty through all Persia both of common things which others haue in some sorte aswell as they as of sundry other singularities which none haue but they indeed or at least with such abundance and excellencie Among other the finest fairest and best bezear-stones which they find cleauing to the liuer of certaine goates There also is found the greate mine of Turquesses and the greatest quantity of silke that can be imagined which the men themselues doe spinne For their bodyes they are reasonable handsome for their minds reasonable tractable and ciuill Being in the said Cittie I saw