double increase so that they want nothing fit for the sustaining the Life of Man or whatever may tend to Recreation or Delight The Kingdoms and Provinces generally abounding with Precious Stones Spices Perfumes Medicinals Mines of Gold and Silver and Minerals of all other kinds Copper and Lead excepted and that they may not so abound as to reject the Traffick of other Countries they are deficient in Wheat and Vines and have but few Horses the Creatures they use for Service being Camels Elephants and Dromedaries with other Creatures of lesser note Though the Woods Plains and Rivers abound with Tygers some Lyons Rhinocerots Apes Serpents and Crocodiles and in the Seas are found Whales of a monstrous size as 66 Cubits in length and 20 in thickness with lesser Fish of sundry forms not found in the European Seas nor perhaps in any other The Natives of India are different according to the Climates they inhabit but in general of a-Swarthy Complexion Tall of Stature Strong of Body and in most places very much Civiliz'd and Exact Dealers and altho the common sort are but meanly clad and many only with Garments capable of hiding their Privities and others meerly for Decency yet those of the better rank observe a Majesty in both Sex as to their Raiment and Attendants Perfuming themselves and wearing besides Rich Attire Jewels and other Ornaments of great value and tho the Women are barred of that Perfection of Beauty the Europeans posses yet have they many lovely and attractive Features wearing their Hair long and loose yet covered with a Veil of Calicut Lawn their Ears hung with Rings and Jewels so heavy that the weight distorts and disproportions them they have also Jewels in their Noses according to their degree and are very submissive and loving to their Husbands insomuch that they frequently leap into the Funeral Fires and perish with the dead Body in hopes to enjoy him in another World those that refuse it being looked upon worse than common Prostitutes and not only hated but severely persecuted to the hazard of a worse Death by their own Relations The Religion of the India's is mostly that of Gentilism tho Mahometism has made a considerable progress and since the Europeans have Traded here Christianity has considerably prevailed or rather revived it being held on all hands that St. Thomas the Apostle planted the Christian Religion in these parts of which upon the first Arrival of the Portugals many marks remained and in this Countrey it is held he suffered Matyrdom being run through the Body with a Spear as he was at his Devotion by the Command of an Indian King and if we take India in general it consists of a mixture of five sorts of people more especially viz. Indians Moors or Arabians Jews Tartars and European Christians who have planted divers Colonies on the Sea Coast and in the Islands strongly fortifying themselves against the Power of the Natives and other Strangers This large Countrey especially on the Continent is principally divided into India intra Gangem and India extra Gangem and then subdivided into Kingdoms and Provinces and the chief contained in the former are Narsinga Mallabar Balassia Cambaia Mandoa Bengala Ostrian Conora and Dellie and of these in their order NARSINGA lies on the East of the Golf of Bengal properly accounted a Kingdom and is 3000 miles in Compass the King whereof is not subject to the Great Mogul but for his support and the defence of his Countrey keeps 40000 Men in pay and can raise upon occasion a far greater Number the Countrey is very fruitful as being watered with many pleasant Streams besides what the Ganges contributes towards it and has for its Chief City Melleaper otherwise called St. Thomas in Memory of the Apostle said to be Martyred in it Bisnagar a Town of considerable Beauty and Trade as also Narsinga from whence the Kingdom seems to take its Name and here the Women burn themselves with their Husbands MALLABAR formerly called Aurea Chersonesus is a Countrey extreamly well peopled yielding Corn Spices Cocoes Jaceroes and although it has not above 25 Leagues of Sea Coast yet it has in its Tract the Provinces of Kanonor Calecut Cranganor Cochin and Cariolam and is of large Inland extent the people upon many parts of the Coast addicting themselves to Piracy and prove very inhospitable to Strangers eating Humane Flesh and giving their Virgins to the Priests or Strangers to be deflowred before they suffer them to be Bedded by themselves when Married with many other Barbarous Customs as their changing their Wives and their having sometimes but one between seven or eight of them BALASSIA called the Kingdom of Bocan tho but very small is nevertheless famed for the Mines of Gold and Silver found therein by which the Neighbouring Countreys are enriched having for its Chief Towns Senergian Balassia and Bocan very Fruitful in many parts and much Traded to CAMBAIA called by some Guzant is accommodated with 500 Miles of Sea Coast very Fertile and is full of Cities and Towns many of them considerably Traded to and altho Cattle of sundry kinds abound here the people are so Superstitious that they will eat no Flesh but live upon what else the Countrey affords fancying like the Pythagoreans that the Souls of Men pass into Beasts c. though they spare not to kill the Elephants for their vory and have for their Chief Sea Towns Daman Curate Bandora Ravellum and for those more inland Campanel Tanaa Mollar and Cambaia the last giving Name to the whole Kingdom MANDOA a Province very Fruitful and stored with considerable Towns and above the rest Mandoa from which it takes its name being 30 Miles in compass and said to be so well Furnished for Defence that it held out a Twelve years Siege against the Armies of very Powerful Kings Molta where the Women imitating the Men ride a stride with Boots and Spurs on c. BENGALA is a very large and no less Fruitful Kingdom lying upon the great Golf of the Sea to which it gives Name making 120 Leagues of Sea Coast watered by the River Chaberis on which are seated many considerable Inland Towns full of people but such as are exceeding Crafty and Deceitful thinking it no crime to cozen or over-reach Strangers nor the Women to prostitute their Bodies to any that will give them Money the Fathers letting the Daughters to hire for so long as is desired to do the Work at Bed and Board it being the Custom of the Countrey being a place much resorted by reason of the rich Commodities found there as Ginger Long Pepper Silks Cottons and others c. As for the Chief Cities they are Bengala scituate on the Bay or Golf Chatigan or Satigar and Gouro and in this Tract the beast called the Rhinoceros is chiefly found ORISTAN or Orixa is a Province not very large yet furnished with Rice Cloath of Cotton a fine Stuff like Silk made of Grass and there called Yeva
South Aragon being a Campaign Country not subject to Woods or Inclosures yet abounds with Trees in the nature of Hedg-rows considerably fruitful and has for Its chief Cities Victoria Sanguessij Viana and Pampelune Garisoned as the chief defence of the Spaniards against the Incursions of the French in time of War who 's King though wanting the Possession has the Title of that Kingdom the Revenues whereof has been estimated at One hundred Thousand Duckets Corduba is a very fruitful Province accounted and judged as it is the richest in all Spain abounding in Cordivant Skins Mallago Sherry Oranges Cattle Fish Corn great store of Fowl and has in it divers fair Cities as 1st Corduba the Principal from which it takes its Name 2d Xeres 3d. Sevil. 4th Granada 5th Mallaga 6th Almeria 7th Guadalcanal where the rich Mines are found Galicia is a Country very Mountainous many of which cannot be passed without great difficulty and others by reason of their Craggyness held not passible yet in this Province are found the Cities of Compostella the Seat of an Arch-Bishop called St. Jago in Honour of St. James the Apostle whom they impute to be buryed here Bajonna a place very pleasant for its Scituation and Corronna or Groynne This Country is held the Principal in Spain for the breed of Jennets and here is found the Promontory Nerius formerly held to be the Ne plus ultra Bisca makes a Famons Bay into the Ocean yet many times proves dangerous to Sailers and although the Country is Mountainous yet it has many pleasant Valleys and is adorned with Cities and Towns of note as St. Sebastian Tholosa Fonterabia Bilboa c. And from the Mountains of this Country the Rivers that water the greatest part of Spain have their Springs being accounted no less than One hundred and fifty and great store of Timber for Shipping is found in those parts with some Iron Mines c. Toledo a part of New Castile takes its name from the principal City scituate on the banks of Tagus or Taio exceeding pleasant and is ordinarily the Residence of the Nobility and of Merchants that Trade in these Parts being the See of an Arch-Bishop who is above the rest of the Bishops of that Kingdom his Revenue being accounted Three hundred thousand Crowns and here the Kings of the Goths and Moors held their Courts there are likewise found the Cities of Calatrava and Talboia one scituate on the Ava and the other on the Tagus Murica contains the City Murica the Town of Alicant and New Carthage being a Country very plentiful though thinly peopled and hence come the Alicant wines and curious Earthen Vessels with much fine silks Nor did the Romans in their Conquest for some time reap a less benefit than Twenty five thousand drams of Silver a week from this Country only Castile Old and New contain the Towns of Soria Segovia Valodolid Salamanca a University c. Madrid the Kings Principal Seat Alcala and Alcaltura most of them very pleasantly scituate as being posited in the heart of the Kingdom of Spain abounding with Corn Fruits and Cattle and the latter watered with the River Tagus and Ava which much inrich the Country As for Portugal it is now a separate Kingdom wherefore I intend to speak of it in its due place as more proper in a work of this Nature The Principal Rivers appropiated to Spain are the Tagus or Taio the Duero or Duerius the Guiadiana or Anas which for a good space Ingulfs it self and runs under ground giving the Spaniards Occasion to boast that they have one of the fairest Bridges in the World on which Ten thousand Cattle feed and over which an Army with extended Wings may March the other Rivers of note are Gualdahquiver and the Ebro called by Strabo Baetis and Iberus As fot the Mountains they are distinguished into six great Ridges continued knit together whereof the lesser are but parts the chief of which are the Pyreenians that extend from the Cantabrian Ocean to the Mediterranian Sea. As for the People of Spain they are swarthy of Complexion black-Hair and of a good Proportion stately in their Actions and grave of Deportment very serious in their Carriage and Offices much addicted to Religion and very Observant and Faithful to their Prince not prone to alter their Determination but patient in Adversity in War they are very Deliberate and Cautious not much regarding Arts but adict themselves much to Women and are generally very much conceited of themselves As for the Women they carry themselves very sober and discreet and are tolerably handsome Those that are marryed are in great Subjection to their Husbands and extream loving though the men are naturally Jealous In matters of Religion they are Roman Catholicks only there are some Churches of Toledo where the Mus-Arabick Office is used As for the Language it is not all the same for in some parts it has a mixture of French in others much of the Moorish and in some again the Gothish Arabick but generally and vulgarly the Old Spanish is used which has much Affinity with the Latin and as for the Civil and Imperial Laws used amongst them they are intermixed with many Customs of the Goths and the King governs his Provinces by Vice-Roys or Ministers of State and though this Couutry is not very fruitful in Corn and Cattle yet it generally abounds in Wines Oyls Sugars Rice Silk Liquoras Honey Wax Saffron Anniseeds Rosin Almonds Oranges Lemmons Cakes Soap Anchovies Soda Barrilla Shumack Wool Lamb-Skins Tobacco besides the great Treasures of Gold and Silver that comes from America from whence it is conjectured since the first discovery that above Fifteen hundred thirty six Millions of Gold has been brought into Spain As for the Buildings they are every where more solid and durable than stately and magnificent unless at Sevil in Relation to which the Spaniards usually say he that has not been at Sevil has seen no stately Building As for Apparrel they affect rather Gravity than Gaudiness and their Diet is as sparing consisting for the most part of Herbs made into Pottage with minced Meats and Salads though there is scarcely a Mechanick in any noted Town but when he goes abroad has his Cloak on and his Rapier by his side and walks in as much State as the greatest Don in the Kingdom A Description of the Kingdom of Portugal THIS Kingdom was in the time of the Roman Conquests accounted a Province of Spain but since been a Kingdom of about Five hundred years standing bounded on the North with the River Minio and Ava which parts it from Gallicia on the East with the two Castles and Estremadure on the South with Algarve and on the West with the Atlantick Ocean and was anciently called Lusitania deriving its present Name from Porto a Haven Town scituate in the mouth of the River Dueras the usual Landing place of the Gauls and thence corruptly called Portugal or the Gauls Port and is
accounted to be in length from North to South about Six score Leagues running along the Sea-Coast and consequently not answerable in breadth in which it disproportions as in some places Twenty five some Thirty and in other Fifty Leagues This Kingdom especially of late years has made its self famously known throughout the World by its Discoveries and Trafficks in Navigation so that no Trading part of the Universe has escaped its Knowledge As for the Provinces attributed to Portugal they are principally Six which are as many General Governments Inter-Dueras and Minho Tralos-Montes Beyra Estremadure Aleuteio and the Kingdom of Algarue and of these Inter-Dueras and Minho are the most noted as being exceeding Fruitful and well Peopled that for Eighteen Leagues in length and Twelve in bredth it possesses One hundred and thirty Monasteries One Thousand four hundred and sixty Parishes Five Thousand Fountains or Springs of Water Two hundred Stone-Bridges and Six Sea Ports The chief City in these Parts is Porto called by the English Port à Port from its delightful Scituation and the Advantage of the Commodities of the Country there in abundance found this place contains Four thousand Houses and is much traded to by divers Nations the next to this is Braga famed for the many Councils held there Tralos Montes is a part of this Kingdom stored with Rich Mines and in it is found the City of Braganca the Capital of the Dukedom of that Title besides which there are Towns of lesser note and the Princes who are derived from this Title usually reside at Villa-Viciosa being now in Possession of the Crown and had before their coming to it a Prerogative beyond the Grandees of Spain to sit in publick under the Royal Canopie of the Spanish Kings Beyra another part of this Kingdom is exceeding fertile producing store of Millet Rye Apples Chestnuts Catle Corn c. And in it is scituate the Famous City of Coimbra noted for its University and the See of a Bishop c. Estremadure abounds in Wines Oyls Salt and Honey gathered from Citron Flowers and in it is seated Lisbon the Principal City of the Kingdom upon five little rising Hills on the Right bank of the River Tagus or Taio and Arch-Bishops See the usual Residence of the Kings of Portugal and a City of great Trade having the Advantage of the Ebing and Flowing of the Sea as being but Five Miles from it held to contain Thirty two Parishes Three hundred fifty Streets Eleven thousand Houses and One hundred sixty thousand Inhabitants the Compas computed to be near Seven Miles accounting the Subburbs and was once the greatest Emporium of Europe Santarim a place much in Request for the abundance of Olives that grow about it insomuch that the Natives boast but how truly I know not that they could make a River as big as the Tagus of their Oyl Setuba an other Town in this Tract is accommodated with one of the best Havens in the Kingdom being no less than Thirty Miles long and Three broad abounding with Salt-Pits and Wine which bring a great Revenue into the Kings Coffers Alenteio extreamly abounds with Corn insomuch that it is held to be the Grainery of the Kingdom and has in it the City of Elvara the second to that of Lisbon near which the Portuguez won a considerable Victory against the Spaniards in 1663. And next this Elvas claims Place for the many Sieges it has held out against the Spaniard and the plenty of Oyls the Neighbourhoods produce c. Ourique is the place near to which was fought the Famous Battle which occasioned the proclaiming the King of Portugal of the House of Braganca Portelegar is a Bishops See. Algarve though little in extent has the Title of a Kingdom and was re-united to the Crown by the Marriage of Alphonse the Third with Beatrice of Castile abounding in Eggs Almonds Olives Wines Corn. Cattle c. And for the Chief Towns they are Tavila Faro Silves and Lagos The Natives of this Kingdom are very frugal yet live in much plenty the Earth producing every where abundance Nor did their Navigation in former days less conduce to their Support and Grandeur being held the first Europeans that publickly Trafficked into the remote parts of the World to bring it to any considerable Perfection The People are generally straight Limbed and well proportioned very soft skinned but somewhat inclined to swarthiness by reason of the heat in those parts the Air is very healthy and the Country for the most part Hilly though few of note The Roman Catholick Religion is only publickly professed There are three Arch-Bishopricks viz. at Lisbon Braga and Elvora and Ten Bishopricks They have Parliaments as occasion requires it held at Lisbon and Porto and Twenty seven places have their Generalities and the Revenues of the Kingdom is held to be about Ten Millions of Livers not accounting their Collonies in the East-Indies And although Portugal was seized on by the King of Spain after the fatal Battle of Alcazar in Affrick and the Death of King Henry who Succeeded Sabastian slain by the Moors it revolted in the year 1640. And is governed by a King of its own as a separate Kingdom from Spain and thus much for Portugal A Description of Italy In its Kingdoms and Dominions c. ITaly is a very Fruitful Country and held for its Pleasantness to be the Mistriss of all Countries as it once was Empress of the World and is incompassed with the Adriatick Jonian and Tyrrian Seas Except towards France and Germany from which it is parted by the Alps which renders it in a manner a Penjusula but more peculiarly it has on the East the lower part of the Adriatick and the Jonian Sea deviding it from Greece on the West it has the River Varus and some part of the Alps parting it from France on the North a part of the Alps divides it from Germany and on the other parts the Adriatique Sea devides it from Dalmatia being held by the Antients to be in form like an Oak-Leaf This Country branched out into sundry principalities and Provinces is scituate in a most Fruitful and temperate Air under the fifth climate of the North temperate Zone which is totally taken up so that the Longest day is 15 hours and three fifth parts of an hour Northward and Southward not much above 14 hours and the parts mentioned and is reckoned in length from Augusta Praetoria now called Aost unto Otranto the most Easternly part of Naples 1020 miles and in bredth from the River Varo which parts it from that Province to the Mouth of the River Arsa in Friuli where it is the broadest 410 miles and where the narrowest which is about Otranto exceeds not 23. so that the whole compass by Sea reckoning windings and turnings is held to be 3448 miles but reckoned in a straight line upon the coast it falls much short as not above 2550. As for the first Inhabiters of this Country they
remaine doubtful for as soon as Historians make any considerable mention of it we find it Inhabited by divers Nations held to be Greek Colonies who transported themselves at sundry times the people of the Sea Coast being said to come thither under Janus Anno Mundi 1925. After them Saturn out of Creet then Evander or Oenotrus out of Arcadia and then Aeneas with his Trojans with many others but after the Romans grew powerful they brought the whole Country into subjection and held it in spite of the frequent Invasions of Phyrus Hanibal the Gauls Cimbri and others till the time of Honorius the Emperor at what time the Goths Vandals Herulies Huns and other Barbarous Nations passing the Alps rent it from the Empire and devided it amongst themselves establishing many Kingdoms and Principalities and when these were in a manner subdued by the Valour and Conduct of Narses Bellarius and other Imperial Generals Albonius King of the Lumbards seized upon the greatest part of it calling it Longobardia vulgarly Lumbardy but they a considerable time after were brought under by Pepin King of France called in by the Bishop of Rome who reduced their Kingdom to a straight compass after which the seat of the Roman Empire was fixed in Germany and Italy parcell'd out amongst sundry Princes and the usual Division is into six parts viz. Lumbardy the Land of the Church Napâ—ls â—ascany Genoa the Signory of Venice but more particularly into five greater and six lesser as for the first the Kingdom of Naples the Papacy the Signory of Venice the Dukedom of Florence and the Dukedom of Millain the lesser are the Dukedoms of Mantoua Vrbine Modena Parma with the States of Genoa and Luca and of these in their Order The Kingdom of Naples Described c. AS for the Kingdom of Naples it is Governed at this day by a Vice-Roy under the King of Spain and is scituate in the most pleasant part of Italy devided from the Territories of the Church by the River Axofenus being on the other parts Inviornd with the Seas making many commodious Havens and contains the Provinces of Lavaro Calabria Inferior and Superior Otranto Apulia Puglia Abruzzo In Lavaro is founded the City of Naples from whence the Kingdom takes its Name and many others of lesser note but that which is most noted is the Mountain Vesuvius lately called Somma being exceeding high and casting Flames out at the top of it in a dreadful manner though all the borders or parts of it are otherways very pleasant and fruitful abounding in Vines Flower-Gardens Olive-Yards and rich Pastures many of the Houses of the Gentry and Country Villages the City it self being seated at the foot of the Mountain and other Hills that branch from it extending from the South-West to the North-East in a manner Triangular and so Fruitful is the Country in Corn that the Importation of Bread is forbidden upon great penalties As for the Buildings they are of free Stone many of them four Stories in height and the Tops flat the Windows are generally covered with fine Linnen or Tiffany in stead of Glass which gives an equal Light and keeps out the heat of the Sun Nor consists the City of Naples of any more than three considerable broad Streets called La Vicaria La Lapuan and La Toletano the rest being inconsiderable Lanes and places of less note having 8 Gates towards the Sea and as many towards the Land strongly walled and defended with three Castles The Women here are very beautiful and through the abundance of Silks found in these parts the meanest Citizens Wives go clad in it the people are very thrifty and industruous especially about their Gardens from whence they derive a great part of their Food in Fruits Herbs Roots c. as living very spare and temperate though the Country abounds in plenty The Estates of the Kingdom of Naples as we may properly call them under the Spanish Vice-Roy are held to be 14 Princes 25 Dukes 30 Marquesses 54 Earls and 400 Barons and Gentlemen having 4 publick Houses called the Segij in which they meet to consult Affairs of Importance as also places are appointed for the meeting of Merchants in the way of Trade Calabria is another Province of the Kingdom of Naples bounded with the Jonian and Tyrrenean Seas and with the River Jano said to be 500 miles in compass divided into the higher and lower Calabria The chief Cities of the former being Consentia and Salernum the chief resort of Italian Physitians pleasantly scituated and well inhabited the Buildings agreeing with those of Naples though not in the General so sumptuous and all the Neighbouring Countries are full of Villages and very Fruitful and in the latter Calabria Cuterzary is seated as principal being a strong City well Walled and Fortified and formerly this Country was called Magna Graecia from the many Greek Collonies that seated themselves in it Otranto is on three parts bound with the Sea and on the other with Puglia having Tarentum and Brundusum for its chief places formerly boasting it self one of the best Havens in Europe but for some years past choaked up or much obstructed by shoales of Sand carry'd in by the Sea so that a Ship cannot without some difficulty enter by which means the places are much reduced Here are found likewise the Towns of Otranto and Gallipolis very plentious in Oyls Wines and Manufacturies of Silks and other matters of value there are found great store of Corn Mellions Citron Saffron c. and what is one thing observable no Partridges pass the Limits of this Country Apulia another Province of Naples extends it self from the confines of Brundusium to the River Fortore and is properly devided into two Provinces and has for its principal City that of Manfredo Scituate beneath the Hill of St. Angello accommodated with many stately Buildings and is the Seat of the Arch-Bishop of Siponto and that which adds more to its advantage is that it has a capacious Harbour capable of receiving Ships and Galleys of great burthen and is defended with a very stong Castle the Country all about it being very Fruitful Puglia is bounded with the Rivers Tronto and Fortore and has for its chief Cities Barlet which has a good Haven belonging to it and held to be one of the 4 strong holds of Italy and Cannae the Country though somewhat Hilly or Mountainous abounds with Cattle Saffron and many other Commodities incident to Italy Abruzzo is in like manner a part of the Kingdom of Naples having for its chiefest Cities or Towns Aquino giving Birth of Thomas Aquinas and Sulmo Famous for the Birth of Ovid the Poet both pleasantly seated and well inhabited The Papacy Described c. AS for the Papacy commonly called the Estate of the Pope Inherent to the See of Rome it consists of two Natures or Jurisdictions as Spiritual and Temporal principalities as touching the latter of which it has under its Jurisdiction many large Terretories lying
and was once reckoned to â—ontain 100 Cities though now it comes very short of that number The chief are Leuctres Amyclae Thulana near to which Hercules is said to kill the Hydra Salassâ—a Epidaurus seated on the Bay of Malvasia a Town well Built and Fortified and Sparta so called from Spartus a Prince of Argos as for this part it is wonderful fruitful and lies very commodious for Traffick and Navigation greatly abounding in all the Commodities common to Greece being pleasantly watered with the River Eurotas and other Streams of lesser note having many fair Promontories Bays and Havens ARGOLIS is bounded on the South with Laconia on the West with Corinthia and Achaia-Propria and on the East and North with the Sea taking its name from the City Argos its Metropolis once the Head of a famous Kingdom and in this City King Pyrrhus the great Grecian Conqueror after he had Victoriously forced his entrance was slain with a Tile thrown at him by an old Woman from the top of a House and besides this it has Traezan Tyrinthia Nemea and some others and grew in times past from a small Province to a powerful Kingdom being once the chiefest of Greece in strength giving Birth to many renowned persons and the most famed for the breed of Horses CORINTHIA though but a little Region is yet nevertheless exceeding pleasant and fruitful lying towards the Istmus or neck of Land that joyns the rest of Greece to Peloponesus between Argolis and Achaia Propria containing only the Territories of Corinth and the chief Towns are Cincrea Corinth memorable for the Epistles Saint Paul wrote to the Inhabitants commodiously Scituate for the command of all Greece but that the Inhabitants give themselves more to Merchandise than War and although it has been a long time in the hands of the Turks it was the last year taken by the Venetians and is Seated on the bottom of the neck or Istmus the Ionian Sea being on the West and the Aegean on the East washing its walls and makeing on each side a Capacious Haven and was formerly exceedingly Fortified but of latter times the Security the Turks supposed themselves in on that part of their Empire made them little mind keeping it from running to decay And thus much may briefly suffice as for that part of Greece called Peloponesus As for the other Achaia it is properly divided into Attica Megaris Baetia Phocis Aetolia Doris Locris and the chief City accounted amongst these is Athens once the head of a famous Common-wealth and sometime a Kingdom and is Seated very advantagiously making a Port into the Sea and was once the Mistriss of Arts and Arms and in St. Pauls time who wrote his first and second Epistle from hence to the Thessalonians a very flourishing City but by the Wars and Misfortunes it has sustained is now only noted for what it has been more than for what it is MEGARIS is but a small Region yet very pleasant and much abounding in Corn and Fruits and has for its chief City Magaria BAETIA is much larger than the former and was once all the Dominion or Kingdom of Thebes that famous City so much noted to be built by Cadmus the Phaenician being the Metropolis and in this Tract are found likewise Aulis and Platea and is watered with divers pleasant streams PHOCIS is memorable for the Mountain Parnassus and was much noted for the Temple of Apollo at the foot of it but now that stately Structure where the Delphic Oracle gave Answers is ruined and scarcely any part of it remaining AETOLIA is another considerable part of this Tract divided by the River Pindus from Epirus once a country of great note and full of Towns and places of strength but now retains at present few of note except Chalcis and Thermum however the whole Country is pleasant abounding in Pastures watered with many Rivers yielding some Mines and great store of Cattle LOCRIS though it is but a small Region yet lies Commodiously on the Sea Coast and has for its chief Town Lepanto in sight of which was fought the famous Battle or Sea fight between the Turks Venetians and consederate Christians in which 29000 of the Turks were killed 4000 taken Prisoners 140 Gallies Burnt Taken and Sunk and 1200 Christian Slaves rescued in the year 1571. and as for the Trade here it consists in Leather Oyl Tobacco Furrs Wheat Barly Rice c. And is again in the Possession or under the Power of the Venetians DORIS is a small Province bounding upon or rather appertaining to Locris and has for its chief Town or City Amphissa bordering upon the Mountain Parnassus here is also found Guidas where the stately Temple of Venus stood and where St. Paul continued a long time And as for this Tract it is very Pleasant and Fruitful watered with small Rivers but none of note Epirus was once a Famous Kingdom of which Pyrrhus who Invaded the Romans in Italy was King but more memorable for being under the Regency of the great Scanderbeg who with a handful of Men stood out against the whole Power of the Turkish Empire in the Reigns of Amurath the Second and Mahomet the great defeating and destroying Prodigious Armies of the Infidels and has for its chief Cities Croâ—ja Petrela Petra Alba and Stelusia the Country is very Fruitful tho' somewhat Mountainous and was once accounted next to Macedon the most powerful in Greece and at this day greatly abounds in Cattle rich Pastures and Corn. ALBANIA is bounded with Macedon Sclavonia Epirus and the Adriatick Sea and has for its chief Cities Durazzo and Albinopolis memorable for its Breed of Horses which the Turks use mostly in their Wars and the Courage of its Inhabitants whose Country being but Indifferently Fruitful and too strait for the Inhabitants they like the Swiss rather choose the Exercise of Arms than Husbandry MACEDON once Famous for being Head of the Greek Empire is bounded with Missa Superior Migdonia Epirus and Achaia and is a very Rich and Flourishing Country though the Turks greatly oppress the Native Greeks and make them labour that they may reap the greatest Profit and abounds not only with Cattle Corn and some Wine but in it are found Mines of Gold and other Mettals and of this Country Alexander the Great was King who not only Conquered the greatest part of Asia but brought all Greece into Subjection founding here the third Empire of the World And as for the chief Cities they are Aedassa Andrastus Eriba Scidra and Philippus or Philipopolis Built by Philip the Father of Alexander and to the People of this City it was that St. Paul Wrote his Epistle THESSALY was once likewise a Kingdom lying on the South of Macedon abounding with Pleasant Valleys and Hills and amongst the latter are found that of Olympus so famed for Transcending the Clouds Othris Pelion and Ossa so often struck with Thunder and Fabled to be laid one upon the other when the Giants went about
two other Kings of this Country mentioned in Genesis Berzamna Caparosa Gamararis Elasa Rossa Rhinocurura Raphia and others with many scattered Castles and Villages and of this Country the Horites are thought to be the first Inhabitants amongst whom Esau upon the discontent he received by his Brothers circumventing him of the Blessing went to dwell and took to him Wives of the Daughters of the People of the Land and as though the two Brothers Difference had been inherent to Posterity the Edomites alwaies proved mortal Enemies to the Israelites not only siding with their Enemies but making continual War and Inroads upon them their selves The other Parts of Palestine which may properly be so called are the Divisions of Peraea and Ituraea and the first of these lies between the Mountains of Arnon and the River Jordan abounding with Olives Vines and Palm-Trees the Soil every where being exceeding Rich and was formerly the Habitation of the Midianites Moabites and Ammonites as also of the two Tribes of Gad and Reuben The Quarter of the Midianites was at the South Side of the Dead Sea at the very entrance of the Country and were held to Descend from one or more of the 5 Sons of Madian the Son of Abraham by Keturah mentioned in Gen. 25. 4. and had for their chief Cities Recome Built by one of the 5 Midianitish Kings slain by Joshua and Midian on the bank of the Dead Sea and these were they that by the advice of Balaam sent out their Beautiful Women to Insnare the Israelites upon their entrance into the Land of Canaan The Moabites Possessed all that part of the Country from the boundards of the Midianites on the South as far as Esebon on the North on both sides the River Arnon having the River Jordan on the West and the Hills of Abarim on the East first possessed by the Emmims a Race of Giants whose Principal City was Sheneth Kirjathaim but they being Vanquished by Chedorlaomer and driven thence their forsaken Seats were possessed by the Moabites Descended from Moab one of the Sons of Lot and had for their Cities in chief Rabbat the Regal Seat of Balak King of Moab Diblathum Gallim Muthana Nathaliel Bamath Mispha Hor Kirhajareth and some few others of little note and this Country God commanded Moses to spare because he had given it for an Inheritance to the Sons of Lot. The Ammonites had their Habitations on the North-East of the River Arnon and possessed all that Tract from Arnon on the â—ead of the River to the City Rabbah and on both sides the River Jaâ—oc as well within as without the Mountains of Galaad Antiently the Seat of the Raphaim and Zamzummins a Race of Giant-like People and had for their chief Cities Rabbah before which Vriah was Slain on the account of his Wife Dothema Mitspa and others of lesser note and had continual War with Israel God appointing them as a Thorn in their side because they had not at first rooted them out of the Land. The Reubenites or Tribe of Reuben had their Dwellings appointed on the East side of Jordan having the Gadites on the North and the Arabian Desarts on the East and on the South the Land of Moab parted by the River Arnon whose chief Cities were Abel Sittim Bethabara or Beth-bara Machaerus Lasa or Lesha Medeba Bosor or Bozra a City of Refuge to the Levites Livias a Town Built by Herod in Honour of Livia the Mother of Tiberius Caesar Kedmoth Adom Heshbon Bamothbal and within their Territories is the Mount Nebo from whose Top Moses took a view of the Land of Canaan and joyning to it is the Hill Pisga or to say more truly one of the Tops or Spires of the same Mountain The Gadites so called from Gad the Seventh Son of Jacob begot on Zilpha the Hand-maid of Leah had their Lot of the Promised Land between the Reubenites on the South and half the Tribe of Menasses on the North the River Jordan on the West and the Mountains of Arnon on the East and inhabited the Cities of Aroer upon the Banks of the River Arnon Dihon towards Jordan Bethâ—mrah Natoroth Beth-haram Beth-ezob Mahanaim so called from the Apparition of Angels Succotâ— Jahzor Ramoth Penuel c. All the Plains of this Country being exceeding Fruitful as on purpose prepared for the Favourites of Heaven yet the People who had been brought out of Slavery with a mighty hand growing fat in these fruitful Fields soon forgot their Maker and went a Whoring after the Gods of the Strangers for which the Canaanites had been cast out of the Land. There were moreover in this Tract called the Land of Palestine the Trachonites inhabiting the Hilly Country bordering on the Ammonites called the Mountains of Gilead extending Northward as far as Libanus living as Josephus tells us for the most part in Woods and Caves upon Prey and Spoil c. The Batanea a People living in a part of the Kingdom of Basan but their Kingdom upon the Arrival of the Children of Israel was given to the other half Tribe of Manasses and contained many fenced large Cities The chief was Pella formerly called But is but the Name changed by Seleucius the great Assyrian King of the Greek Race destroyed by Alexander Janaeus a King of the Jews for refusing to admit the Law of Moses but afterward by Pompey the Great restored to its former Luster And more memorable in Church History for the Voice heard from Heaven admonishing the Christians then in Jerusalem to retire thither that they might escape the Destruction that the Roman Army under the leading of Titus was about to bring upon that great and sinful City Gessur since called Aurantis the last Division of Ituraea is North of Basan and was once accounted a Kingdom and had for its chief Cities Hauran Gessur Mahacath Chatsar Hevanus and others of lesser note As for the Country of Palestine in general or the promised Land it is taken by some to be the place where the Terrestrial Paradise stood and is indeed Fruitful even to a miracle for in most places there is an Eternal Spring and in Summer the Flowers alwaies smiling and the Vernant Trees seldom casting their ripe and mellowed Fruit before Blossoms and green Fruit take place and are naturally of extraordinary growth insomuch that we read when Caleb Josuah and others went up to spie the Land they brought a cluster of Grapes as an earnest of the rest so large that they were obliged to carry it upon a Staff between two of them And thus much for the Land of Palestine as it flourished in its most glorious daies but now its antient Inhabitants are scattered over the face of the Earth and Turks possess their pleasant places The three ARABIA'S Described in their Countreys and Provinces 1. ARABIA DESERTA called by the Turks Beriara is bounded on the East with the Babylonian Territories on the West with some part of Palestine and Arabia the stony on the North
their Dominion from the Mediterranean Sea to the River Indus the Men especially very formal in their Habit wearing Robes trailing on the ground their Hair exceeding long and their Caps so steeple Crowned that they seem like Pyramids Perfuming themselves and Adorning with Jewels Rings c. and a Staff of Ivory Rich Wood or some precious Mettal in the form of a Scepter in their Hands and as for the ancient Custom it was to expose the fairest Women to Sale in open Market not as Slaves but to be purchased as Wives and with the Money they put off those of the courser sort that were more deformed happy for our English Doudies were the Custom in use amongst us And as for the Celebration of Marriage it is a little strange viz. The Bride-groom sees not his Bride before the Wedding-day but takes her upon the good report of his Friends and others when having made the Bargain with her Parents they meet in the Chancel of the Church and there the Cassisse or Priest obliges the Bridegroom to put his hand through the hole of a Partition and take the Bride by the Hand which done her Mother with a sharp Bodkin pricks his hand all over with much eagerness and if so for all that he holds her fast and wrings her hand till she squeak they term it a presage of lasting Love but if he let go the contrary and if the first Year a Male child is born the Father loses his Name and is called Abba or Father the Sons Name being added to it ASSYRIA is principally watered with the Tygris so named from its swiftness and rapidity Into which as Ptolomy affirms discharge themselves the Rivers Cuprus Lycus and Gorges with some other Streams or Rivulets and the whole Assyria was divided into six parts viz. Araphachits Adiabene Calacine Sitacene Arbelites and Apoloniates and has for its chief Cities Calach one of the four Cities built in the Land of Assur by Nimrod Sittaca about Two Miles from the Banks of Tygris Athela Apollonia Geguamela Memorable for the first great overthrow given by Alexander to Darius the Persian wherein 90000 Persians are accounted to be slain with the loss of 300 Macedonians only Reboboth another City said to be built by Nimrod but now supposed to be that called Birrha On the Tygris Rhesen another said to be built by the same party Ninive first built by Nimrod and so named from Ninus his Son or Nephew the City to which Jonah was sent and in those days accounted Sixty Miles in Circuit which may properly enough in those hot Countreys be accounted three days Journey Mosul seated on the Tygris Arzeri and Scheheruzal the chief Residence of the Turkish Bassa Governour of this Countrey As for the Profession of the Natives and some Strangers mingled amongst them 't is that of the Nestorians but the standing Religion is Mahometism imposed by the Turks 3. MESOFOTAMIA has on the East for its boundard the River Tygris parted by it from Assyria on the West the Euphrates on the North Mount Tauryus on the South Chaldaed and Arabia Deserta and is frequently in Scripture called Padan-Aram which in the Latine signifies Syria Culta and was anciently Inhabited by the Aramites and is full of Rich Pastures the Soil very fruitful in Corn abounds with Vine-yards and store of Cattel and is indeed so well furnished with all things necessary for Humane Support and Pleasure that Strabo calls it Mesopotamia Felix tho in the extream South there are a few barren Desarts and some rough Mountains or Hills and though it is a kind of a Compounded Countrey yet the people are very Active and Industrious improving Natures Bounty more than any in this Tract though being but a small Countrey it has always been in Subjection and is watered with the Rivers Tygris Euphrates and Caboras or Abaras The chief Cities found in this Countrey are Edessa Cologenbar Nisibius and Vr as for their Religion as far as relates to Christianity it is in a manner Orthodox agreeing in most Points with the Reformed Churches of Europe I might now proceed to say something of the Two Kingdoms in the great Mountain Taurus named from their two last Kings the Kingdoms of Aledeules and Bahaman the first subdued by Selimus the First Emperour of the Turks and the last by Abas the Persian Sophy but having nothing but Rocks and barren Mountains to deal with and indeed the difficulties the Inhabitants struggle with being more to be wondered at than any thing else I shall thus briefly pass them over and proceed to Turcomania Turcomania described in its Provinces c. TVRCOMANIA or the Land of Turky so called from the Turks Inhabiting it before they got by Stratagem the Persian Empire is on the East bounded with Media and the Caspian Sea on the West with Cappadocia Armenia Minor and the Euxine Sea on the North with Tartary and on the South with Assyria and Mesopotamia and is properly divided into four parts viz. Armenia Major held to be the true Turcomania Colchis now called Mengrelia Iberia now called Georgia and Albania called by some Zuirca and of these in their order ARMENIA MAJOR now called Turcomania is a very Hilly Countrey as much overspread with the Spurs of Mount Taurus and Anti-Taurus though between them are many fruitful Valleys that produce store of Cattle The greatest business of these people when exempted from War being to feed Sheep upon the Mountains and other Cattle on the lower ground driving them from place to place where the Pastures are best and where they find the most commodious Springs carrying with them their Families Tents and Provision and usually go Armed not so much for fear of Rovers as Wild Beasts that possess the Caves of those Mountains The People being large of Body comely of Personage much used to the Bow and Spear patient of all kind of Labour The Women are very homely but of a manly aspect and when occasion requires addict themselves in Disguises to the Wars and mingled with the Men perform equal Exploits and in Towns where they are setled their Families are very great by reason they co-habit under one Roof to the third or fourth Generation the eldest commonly bearing Rule and being in all things absolute as King of the Family yet those live not idle but employ themselves in making Tapestries Gograms Watered Chamlets and other Manufactures dispersed into all parts and some tho not many of them are considerable Merchants dispersing themselves over the Eastern Countrey and from a Mountain of this Armenia called Abas has the great River Araxis its Fountain and the people generally are Christians The chief Cities and Towns of this Country are Artaxata the Royal seat of the Antient Kings of Armenia Sebastia now called Suassia seated on the Euphrates Tigranes Certa Arsamosata Clamassum Cholna Baraza Chars Colonia Thespia and others of lesser note as for Forrests or Woods this Country has very few and none considerable COLCHIS the
Long Pepper Ginger Mirabolans and other Commodities So that from the Haven of Orissa 25 or 30 Ships have been laden with the Commodities of this Province in a Season and here the people differ from the foregoing as being very honest and just in their Dealings and has for its Chief City Raman where the Governour for the Mogul resides CANORA is a Kingdom of considerable strength and largeness but famed for nothing more than the Quarries of Adamant where likewise Diamonds of Considerable Value are found and that none may purloyn them a Wall is drawn about the Hill and a Guard set upon the Gates As for the chief Cities or Towns they are Lispeo Dangar and Vltabat with some other of lesser note DELLIE is accounted as the former a Kingdom the Prince or rather Governour of it living in great State and is so highly Reverenced by his Subjects that they not only kneel when he passes in a Rich Chair of State carried on Mens Shoulders but upon Notice given that he shaves his Beard or has his Hair Cut a Jubile is kept throughout his Countrey As for the Soil it is not very Fruitful as lying considerably Northward and more subject to Frosts than the rest It s Chief City is Dellie from whence the Kingdom takes its Name besides which there are of note Fremel Fultaber and Besmer and these People above other Indians addict themselves much to the study of Magick In this Tract of Intra Gangem are found the Provinces of Cochin where the Portugals hold a considerable Trade and have some Collonies Cranganor a small Kingdom mostly inhabited by such as stile themselves the Christians of St. Thomas and is very plentiful as well in Product as Manufacture Conlam is a small Dominion of about 80 Miles extent Governed by a Petty King but for want of good Havens or Sea-coast not much Traded to though it comprehends Three and twenty Walled Towns. India Extra Gangem IN this part of India are found divers Rich Countreys viz. ARACHAN an Inland Region invironed with Mountains and Woods yet exceeding Fruitful and in it are gathered from the Rough Rocks c. great quantities of Precious Stones as for the Chief City it is Arachan MACHIN a little Kingdom wherein grows the Wood Aloes much esteemed and valued and has Machin for its Chief City CAMBOIA a large Countrey full of People abounding with Elephants and Rhinocerots also with Gold Silver and Aloes and other Commodities of considerable value put to Sale in Camboia its Chief City COCHIN China a Countrey once belonging to the Chinese but now under the Mogul Governed by his Deputed King abounding with Porcelain Aloes Silks Gold Silver c. having its Chief City of the same Name BRAMA once a Kingdom of no account but now by the Conquests the Kings have made it has under its power Calâ—â— Pâ—oâ—a Melinta Mâ—aâ—da Decan Tangu Ava Machin Aracan Odia Pegu Siam and others so that it is the most powerful in this Tract and the City of Pegu is the Royal Residence of that King. SIAM once a powerful Kingdom the King thereof styling himself Mighty but now as before intimated it is Tributary to the King of Brama and is however a very Fertil Countrey having Malucca for its Chief City possessed by the Portugals and much Traded to by other Nations for Spices PEGV was formerly so powerful that the Kings thereof have brought Armies of 11 and 900000 men into the Field extending their Conquests very wide but now the good Fortune of the Bramanian holds it in subjection These are the places of chief Note upon the Continent however there are found in this large Tract the Provinces or Kingdoms of Dulsinda Pengab Agra Sanga Camboia Decan Botanter Patanaw and Jangoma many of them very spacious abounding with Fruits Cattle Minerals Precious Stones and the like This Countrey rarely failing any where to produce something worthy of Note The Principal Rivers are Ganges Indus and Hydaspes the first in such esteem with the Natives that they come many miles on Pilgrimage to it Superstitiously imagining that if they drink the Water of this River before they die they shall undoubtedly possess their Imagined Felicity in another World and in the last are found a great number of Precious Stones washed from the Rocks and Mountains by the sudden Showers and to these Streams above 40 considerable Rivers contribute fatning and enriching the Soil in every part where they flow As for Mountains of note except some Branches of Taâ—rus there are but few A Geographical and Historical Description OF AFRICA In its Kingdoms and Provinces c. AFRICA larger than Europe but less than Asia is bounded on the East with the Red Sea and Arabian Bay parted by them from Asia on the West with the Main Atlantick Ocean separating it from America on the North with the Mediterranean Sea dividing it from Europe and Anatolia and on the South with the Aethiopick Ocean separating it from the Southern Continent and joyns only to Asia by an Isthmus of 60 Miles over which Cleopatra the Queen of Aegypt when she fled with Antony from the Naval Fight at Actium purposed to draw by main force her Ships and Galleys into the Red Sea but was disswaded from it by being put in hopes of a better Fortune AFRICA is held to have taken its name from Affro or Apher descended from Abraham and is properly held to contain Six principal Regions besides other of lesser note viz. Barbary Egypt Numidia Sarra the Countrey of the Negro's and the Dominions of Prestor John and is in form like a Pyramid reversed the Basis of which from Tangier to the Straights of Gibralter to the Point where it joyneth to Asia is counted 1920 Italian Miles the Cone of it very narrow but to reckon from the Cone or Pyris to the Northern parts of the Basis it extendeth it self 4155 Miles and is scituate for the most part under the Torrid Zone being crossed by the Equator almost in the midst which made some of the Ancient Writers conceive it not habitable by reason of the excessive Heat in the middle and more southern parts in which they deceived themselves for altho in some places it is full of Sandy Desarts yet the greatest part of those Regions that lie near or under the Line are furnished with so many Fountains Rivers and little Brooks Cedars and other lofty Trees casting a large Shade as well as bearing delicate Fruits and at all times stored with Blossoms that the place is not despicable but much to be desired and especially places more Northward but leaving it in general we proceed for the better satisfaction of the Reader to particulars A Description of Egypt c. EGYPT once a Famous and Flourishing Kingdom now in the hand of the Turks is bounded on the East with Idumaea and the Arabian Bay on the West with Numidia Barbary and part of Lybia on the North with the Mediterranean Sea and on the South with
as many as they can few having less than Ten and here the Men and Women go naked till they are Married and then have only a Covering from the Waste downward Superstitiously raising the Skin with three slashes of a Knife from the Navel to the Privy Parts as a mark of their hopes of Salvation NVBIA a considerable Countrey stretching from Gaoga to Nilus has Dangula for its chief Town and some other of lesser note and affords amongst other Drugs the mortalest of Poysons insomuch that the tenth part of a Grain will dispatch a Man in a quarter of an hour and affords moreover Civit Sugar Sanders Ivory c. The Kingdom taking its Name from the Nubiaea a certain people that inhabit it and is well refreshed with Rivers and Lakes and the people were generally Christians a strong and potent Nation well Skill'd in War in so much that Cyriacus one of their Kings hearing the Christians were oppressed in Egypt raised an Army of 100000 Horse to succour them but being about to enter that Kingdom to the great Terrour of the Turks and Sarazens he was met by the Patriarch of Alexandria at whose Supplication and Entrcaty he returned without enterprizing any thing Memorable nor has it been long since they for want of Spiritual Guides to strengthen and confirm them have faln off from the Christian Faith and embraced the Superstitions of Mahomet Aethiopia Superior described in its Kingdoms and Provinces AETHIOPIA SVPERIOR has on the East Sinus Barbaricus and the Red Sea on the West Lybia Interior and the Kingdom of Nubia and part of Congo in the other Aethiopia on the North Egypt and Lybia Marmarica on the South the Mountains of the Moon parting it from Aethiopia Inferiour and had its present name from the Grecians and is scituate on both sides the Equinoctial extending from the South Parrallel of 7 Degrees to the North end of the Isle Meroe scituate under the Fifth Parallel on the North of that Circle being accounted in length about 1500 Miles and in breadth about half as much in Circumference 4300 Miles containing the whole Countrey of Aethiopia as before limited the greatest part of it being the Abyssine Empire or Dominion of Prestor John the rest comprehending the Kingdoms of Adel and Adea the Provinces Quiola and Melindi though the last are reckoned parts of Aethiopia Inferior the Island of Meroe in the North possessed by Mahometans Enemies to Prestor John all on the South of Nubia and the West of Nilus is Inhabited by the Anzichi a Cannibal and Idolatrous People who have a King of their own and all the Coast of the Red Sea as well within the Coast of Babel-mandel the Port of Erocco only excepted is in the Possession of Moors and Arabians who pay Homage to the Kings of Adel and Adea As for the People of Aethiopia properly so called they were formerly held to be great Astrologers the first Ordainers of Sacred Ceremonies from whom the Egyptians had their Instructions always counted good Archers yet Treacherously shooting with Poisoned Arrows they go ill Cloathed and as bad Housed for the most part extreamly inclined to Barbarisin and unless they Swear by the Life of their Emperor not to be credited in matters of Weight their Colour is an Olive Tawny inclining more to Swarthiness except their Emperor who as a mark of the true Prince and are held to be Converted to the Christian Faith by the Eunuch of Queen Candace Converted by St. Philip the Evangelist which Flourishes amongst them to this day and comes very near in all the Material Points to the Orthodox Religion of the Reformed European Church c. and are under a Patriarch The Country of the Aethiops is like all other Countries in this Tract Fruitful in some Places and Barren in others yet it generally abounds in Rice Barley Beans Pease Sugars Minerals of all kinds Cattle viz. Goats Oxen Sheep Horses and have great store of Flax and Vines yet make neither Cloth nor Wine unless peculiarly for the Emperor Patriarch or great Men being much given to Sloth nor do they indeed know how to bring their Minerals to Perfection nor will they trouble themselves to Fish or Hunt tho' the Woods and Rivers are infinitely stored with Fish and Venison As for the Provinces comprehended at this time within the bounds or limits of Aethiopia they are Guagere Tigremaon Angote Damut Amma Bagamedrum Goijami Adel Adea Barnagassum Danculi Dâ—bas Fatigar Xoa and Barus though not all as I intimated within the Circuit of the Abassine Empire and of Note amongst these are viz. BARNAGOSVM Scituate upon the Red Sea extending from Suachen almost to the Mouâ—â— of the Streights and hath for its Sea Port Frooco the only Port of the Empire held Tributary from the Turks who sometimes since took it from the Aethiopians with the Town of Suachen for which they pay yearly 1000 ounces of Gold. TIGRAMAON lying between Nilus Marabo and Angote is a pleasant Kingdom though of no great extent and has for its chief City Cazunia supposed to be the Regal Seat of Queen Candace whose Enuch St. Philip Baptized ANGOTE is a Province considerably Barren lying between Tigramaon and Amare insomuch that being deficient of Gold or Silver or any other valuable Commodities Iron Plate or Rings and hard Loaves of Salt made to sundry degrees of bigness pass as Current XOA is more Fertile than the former as having many green Pastures where a great Number of Cattle Feed as likewise abounding with Fruits and is almost in all parts Grateful to the Husbandman FATIGAR is noted for having in it a Lake of that Name 12 Miles in compass being on the Top of a high Mountain from whence divers Rivers well stored with Fish descend to water the Country GOIJAMI is famed for the Mines of Gold found as also for the Unicorn who makes his abode in the Hills of the Moon large Mountains so called because the Moon upon her rising appears first from behind them to that Country and although the Beasts are rarely taken by reason of their Swiftness yet their Horns so famous for expelling Poison are found which at a certain Period of Time they shed GVGERA otherways Meroe is an Island of which we intend to speak hereafter and in this Country is found the Hill Amara which is a Days Journey to ascend and 30 Miles in compass in Form round and on the top of it are sundry pleasant Plains and Pallaces the Air being much cooler than that beneath and here the Princes of the Blood dwell As for the Emperors Stile by reason of the strangeness of it we think fit to insert it viz. P. I. Supream of his Kingdoms and the Beloved of God the Pillar of Faith sprung from the Stock of Judah the Son of David the Son of Solomon the Son of the Column of Sion the Son of the Seed of Jacob and the Son of the Hand-maid of Mary the Son of Nahu after the Flesh the
Parts or Divisions when the Romans not without great blood-shed brought it under their Subjection viz. 1. The Narbonensis or Bracatta containing Dauphir Languedock and a part of Savoy 2. Aquitanica taking its denomination from the City Aquae Augusta and now known by that of d' Aeque containing Gascoigne Limoisin Guinne Sanctogne Querci Peregort Bourbonnois and Aurergne 3. Celtica comprehending the Provinces of Normandy Britagne Anjou Tourain Maine Labeause part of Campagne the Isles of France the Dukedom of Burgundy and the County of Lionoise 4. Belgica containing Picardy a part of Campaigne Burgundy and the Spanish Netherlands But in the time of Honorius the Emperor the Goths having over-run Spain and Italy sent their Forces to Invade the Norbonensian Gauls and having Subdued them called their Country Langue de Goth and from thence Languedock nor did they stay here but extended their Conquests to the River Ligeris now the Famous Loire founding themselves a Kingdom and making Tholouse the Regal Residence nor was it long before the Burgundiones or Burgundians who had Seated themselves in a part of the Country of Cassubii and some of the Teretories of Brandenburg joyning with the Vandles and Sweths seized upon other parts of France and grasped them with so hard a hand that they in spight of Opposition founded themselves a Kingdom called the Kingdom of Burgundy but afterward reduced to a Dukedom and now in the hands or possession of the present French King. The Kingdom of France is Hereditary to the Males but not to the Females who are disabled by the Salique Law and the Heir or Eldest Son is stiled Dauphin of France nor can the Younger Son of the King by the Law of Apennages have any part in the Government with the Elder And this Monarchy has been upheld ever since the Year 420 by the Races of Three Kings viz. the Moravinian Carolinian and Capitine in a Descent of 63 Kings and here the Christian Religion is held to be first Planted amongst the Gaules by Martialis but amongst the French or the latter setled People of the Kingdom by Remigius much latter as for the Arms Royal now boren by the Kings they are Three Flower de Luces Azure in a Field Or being a Device taken by Charles the Sixth This Kingdom is composed of Estates and Orders threefold viz. the Clergy the Nobility and the Commons and here are usually found 16 Arch-Bishops and 106 Bishops not accounting those of Arras Tournay and Perpignan 16 Abbots Heads of Orders and Congregations and about 30000 Curate-ships and not accounting other Governments there are 12 Peers chiefly appointed or ancient Peer-ships besides others of new Creation and the Order is that of the Holy Ghost There are likewise 11 Parliaments 8 Chambers of Accounts 22 Publick Places of Receipt or Generalities of the Kings Revenues The Rivers of this Kingdom are principally Four viz. the Rhone or Rosne the Loire the Garonne and the Seine who receive into them many other Rivers and wash the Walls of the chief Cities and Towns c. the first arising about 3 Miles from the head of the River Rhine the second about the Mountains of Avergne the third from the Pyreenian Hills and the Fourth has its Spring in Burgundy The Mountains of most note are those of Avergne part of the Alps and the Pyreenes on the latter of which Nature strangely expresses her self for that part of those Mountains toward rich and wealthy France are altogether barren but that towards Spain exceeding Fruitful as if it had divested it self to cloath the one and robbed the other In the Year 1614 Lovis the 13 convened the Estates of the Provinces under 12 Heads or great Governments four of which lying towards the North border upon the Seine and the other Rivers that augment its Stream viz. Picardy Normandy the Isles of France and Campaigne adjoyning towards the middle to the Loire Orlenoise Britagne Burgundy and Lionoise and the other Four towards the South near the Garonne viz. Dauphin Guienne Lauguedock and Provence and under the Orlenoise are contained Maine Perche and Beauce on the hither side of the Loire Nievernois Anjou and Touraine and above this River beyond Poctou Berrey and Burgundy hath Bresti and under Lionoise are comprehended Lionois Auvergne Burbounois and Marche under Guienne is Bearne Gascogne and Guienne Saintogne Perigort Limosin Querci and Rovergne and under Languedock is found Cevenes The chief Cities are 1. Paris situate in the Isle of France anciently called Lutetia by reason of the Clayeness of the Ground about it which for Riches Stateliness of Building the many Magnificent Pallaces and Churches that every where adorne it and the Fruitfulness of the Soil about it and number of its Inhabitants may compare with most in Europe 2. Lions or Lugdunum 3. Orleance 4. Bullogne taken by Henry the â—ighth of England 1544. 5. Amiens 6. St. Quintiens where the English Forces under the Command of the Earl of Pembrook in the Quarrel of Philip the Second of Spain overthrew the French Anno 1557. 7. Burdeaux 8. Roane or Rovenysenlis 10. Rhemes 11. Claremont 12. Tholouse 13 Calais which being taken by Edward the 3 of England remained in the hands of the English 220 Years and was lost in the reign of Queen Mary soon after the Battle of St. Quintines and the occasion as many conjecture of hastning her end she giving out That if she were opened when dead they might find Calais written on her Heart c. Many other Cities and Towns there are of note whose names for brevities sake I must omit and in general proceed to say there is no Kingdom better stored with considerable places nor more abounding in plenty of what ever may conduce to the Commodity and suport of Humane Life abounding with almost all the sundry sorts of Fruits that Europe produces as also store of River and Sea-Fish a great number of Cattle plenty of Wine Corn Salt Linnen Cloth Flax Hemp Wool Saffron Paper and many other Products and Manufactories very considerable for which the Natives c. as it were command the Commodities or ready Money of most Countries as for the Coins those chiefly in use are the Pistole of Gold and the Crown of Silver As for the people of this Kingdom they are great pretenders to Antiquity deriving their Original as to the Inhabitants of the Country from Meseck the sixt Son of Japhet though the first Inhabitants mentioned with any credit in History were the antient Gauls a people thrifty and valiant who under the leading of Bellovessus conquered the heither part of Italy called Gallia Cisalpina and soon after under the conduct of Segovesus subdued a great part of Germany nor resting there under Brennus another of their Commanders they discomfited the Roman Army and Sacked even Rome it self and so passed Conquering on into Asia where they fixed a Government calling it Gaul-Asia since corruptly Gallatia on which the Learned Dubartas discants viz. The Antient Gaul in roving
every way As far as Phoebus darts his Golden Ray Seiz'd Italy the Worlds proud Mistriss sack't Which rather Mars than Romulus compact Then Spoils Pisidia Missia doth Inthraul And midst of Asia plants another Gaul The present Inhabitants though somewhat fantastick are generaly of a free and curteous Behahaviour kind to strangers and extremely given to Complement the Women are likewise wonderfully familiar even with Strangers especially in Speech taking it for a great peice of breeding not to be too Austere or Reserved Their Apparel for the most part is rather Gay than Costly made of light Stuffs and slight Silks c. though the Country people are distinguished from others by the Men's wearing a large pair of Breeches and a Coat to their Knees and the Womens attireing their Heads or rather wraping them in Linnen and these are in a manner Drudges or Slaves to the Gentry especially such as are their Land-lords they being all of them Tenants at Will and have their Rent raised as the Land improves or as the Lord thinks fit which is the occasion of their great Poverty for although many of them hold Farms of Wine and Corn they have scarce the happiness to tast the first or eat any good Bread made of the latter In Arts and Manufactury the French are very Ingenious and in War very furious at the first onset but with the change of Fortune their courage soon abates though Caesar confessed that he slew 110000. of them before he could bring them into subjection yet by a small power of the English they were frequently worsted in the Reign of Edward the Third and almost the whole Kingdom after the Fortunate Battle of Azin-court Conquored and brought under subjection by Henry the fifth who with 15000. men only overthrew an Army of above 100000. in which the flower of their Nobility were either Slain or taken Prisoners Nor is it less the Fortune or rather misfortune in all Battles to have the greatest storm of War fall upon their Nobility The things worthy of Note in this Illustruous Kingdom are the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin in Paris Vulgarly called Notrodam supported by 120. Pillars whereof 12. are very great but the remainder indifferently large and in the midst of the Church is a Chancel accounted 71 paces in length and 60 in bredth and in the Circuit or Circumference it hath 45 Chappels and is closed with Iron Gates and two double doors in the front adorn'd with the Statues of 28 Kings and on the sides are four Towers of Bell-fries of 44 Cubits in height and a Bell so large called St. Mary that 24 Men are required to Ring it out The Seven Wonders of Dauphin viz. The burnig Fountain the Inaccessable Mountain the Tower of Sanevenin the Wine-fats of Sassinage the Wine Fountain the Manna of Briancon and the Fountain of Barberon which Rarities see at large in Allard Sylva The Statue of Joan the Peucelle who assisted the French against the English and raised the Seige of Orleance acting many Wonders in feats of Arms till taken by the English and burnt for a Witch As for the Building in Cities and considerable Towns it is mostly of rough Stone Plastered and rough cast over flat roofed and commonly 4 5 and 6 Stories And now to France I might add the new aquisitions but more of them hereafter The chief Islands are Rhee the out-work of Rochle in attempting the Relief of which the English lost many brave men in the year 1627. The strong Bell Isle Venetica San. Colosus Salt Nermoustier Oleron Vliaras where our King Richard the Third as Lord of the Sea gave those Laws Marine so much in request and known as the Laws of Olerone Rochle famous for the siege it sustained against the whole power of France Ovissant over against the Lizard and in the Mediterranian are the Isles of de Ere 's by Ptolomie called the Staaechades The Discription of the Kingdom of Spain in its Provinces c. SPain is acknowledged the most Western part of Europe formerly called by the Greeks Iberia and Hsperia enviornd on every side by the Sea except towards France from which it is parted only by the Pyreenian Mountains The Seas that bound it are the Cantabrian on the North the Atlantick Ocean on the West and the Straights of Gibraltar on the South on the East with the Mediterranian the Pyreenians bearing only to the North East and is formed by Strabo in the shape of an Oxes Hide containing as well Portugal as Spain Scituated in the most Southern part of the Northern Temperate Zone so that the longest day exceeds not 15 hours accounted 760 miles in length and 600 in bredth As for the Original of this People in Relation to their possessing the Country Authors differ for some will have them to be of the Progeny of Tubal Son of Japhat as being the decendants of the Iberij who entred the Kingdom under Pannus Others that they are derived from the Celtae a powerful people decended from Alchenaz who first peopling it called the whole Country Celtiberia but more certain it is that the Phoenicians failing from Tyre planted Collonies here and after them the Rhodians nor did the Carthagenians fail in a manner to subdue it till being worsted in the second Punick War it became Tributary to the Romans who devided it into 3 Provinces viz. Boetica Lusitanica and Terraconensis the â—irst of these containing the Kingdoms of Andeluzia and Granata part of New Castile and Estremadure Inhabited by the Turdulie Eastward and by the Celti towards the West Lusitania contained Portugal and part of Old and New Castile and the remaining part was comprehended in Terragon and again they laid it into two parts comprehending the two first Provinces in one and so it remained till the time of Honorius the Emperor when Gundericus King of the Vandels broke in and over-run it with a numerous Army Anno 400 but had not well settled themselves before the Goths Invaded it and drove the new possessors into Affrica and in the year 720. under the conduct of Musa and Tarrif who were invited in by Julian with a great Army of Moors and Saracens entred warring upon the Goths and after a Battle of seven days became Victorious dividing the Countrey amongst them so that at last it fell into 12 divisions viz. Leon Oviedo Navarre Corduba Gallicta Bisca Tolledo Murica Castile Portugal Valentia Catalonia and Aragon and so they stand at this day wherefore I proceed to speak of them in their order and due places Leon had heretofore the Name of Austria and is a very pleasant Country yielding Mines of precious Mettal some Gold Red Lead and Vermillion though otherwise not very fruitful as being some-what Mountainous yet gives Title to the Eldest Son of Castile notwithstanding few Towns of note are found in it Navarr is a Kingdom of great Antiquity bounded on the East with the Pyreenian Mountains on the West with Iberius North Biscay and
Actions formerly much inclined to War and search of Adventures insomuch that they assisted with a great Fleet in the Holy War and taking of Jerusalem by the Christian Army and aided Phillip the French King with 10000 Men against Edward the Third of England where in one Battle they were most of them slain They Aided likewise the Spaniards in 1588 to Invade England with several great Carracts and Galleys which were either lost upon the Coast or cast away in their Flight homeward which loss they have never since fully recovered yet they lately made a stout Defence against the Naval Power of France which could effect no more than beating down some part of their City by Bombing it at a distance as being well assured they had no Fleet capable of Engaging The Country abounds in all the Plenties of Italy and here only the Women have the greatest Freedom without the Jelosie or Suspition of their Husbands of any Italians and as a further Honour to this place it gave Birth to Christopher Columbus the first Discoverer of the New World or Country of America The State of Lucca Described THe State of Lucca is held to be scituate within the Dukedom of Tuscany or Florence comprehending the Town and Terretory of Lucca As for Lucca it is seated in a fruitful Plain strongly fortified with a good Wall and incompassed with pleasant Trees so that at a distance it seems to stand in a Wood and the Plain wherein it is seated is invironed with Mountains or large Hills except towards Pistola where it opens to the Sea and is three miles in compass as for the Streets they are narrow and paved with broad Freestone and in it are many Palaces and Merchants Houses curious built of Free-stone according to other Building in Italy and was formerly a place of great Trade for Silks Stuffs Carpets Cloth of Gold and the like there being a great concourse of Merchants call'd Luccois Merchants that were wont to meet there at several Fairs or Marts held for that purpose but of late the Trade is declined however the Inhabitants inrich themselves by their Manufacture which they send to other places of greater Trade And here there is a strict Law that no Person shall wear any Weapon no not a Knife unless it be blunted the People being generally very courteous to Strangers And thus much for what may be properly call'd Italy which taken in general is one of the most fruitful and pleasant Countrys of the World of which Europe being call'd the Head this is accounted the Face But for brevity sake I must desist any further Comment and proceed to other parts adjoyning The Dukedom of Lorrain Described THIS Country is Invironed with a part of Belgium Alsatia the Country of Burgundy and Campaign and is about 180 Miles in compass exceeding Fruitful in Corn Wine store of Cattle but especially Horses of an Excellent Breed the Rivers and Lakes abounding with Fish and the Soil with rich Mines The chief Town is Nancy seated upon the River Meuse and in it the Ducal Pallace much resorted to for Wines Brandies and other Commodities the Buildings are very stately and commodious most of them of Stone and well fortified with a Wall of great Strength The next to this are St. Nicholas and Vancoleus very strong and well Garisoned by the French into whose hands the Country fell in the Reign of King Lewis the 13. though the present Duke of Lorain now warring in Hungary is on all hands concluded to be the rightful Prince As for the manners and Customs of the people they are a mixture of Germany and France as being seated between those Countries c. The Dukedom of Savoy and Country of Peimont Described c. AS for Savoy it is a very Mountainous Country bounded by the Dauphenet Bress Switzerland Peimont and the Alps the Antient Inhabitants were the Allobroges who submitted to Hanibal when he entered Italy with his Carthagenians to War against the Romans at what time Bruncius and his Brother being at variance about the Succession to the Kingdom he reconciled them afterward it was made a Roman Province and was called from one of the Kings that then Reigned being a Favorite to Augustus Caesar Alpes Coctiae but in the declining of the Roman Empire it became a part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and passed with other rights of the Empire to Germany but now is independent under a Duke who is soveraign Lord of the Country The Chief Towns of Savoy are Chambiers Scituate in a pleasant Valley amongst Mountains and is graced with a Ducal Pallace and many stately buildings of the Nobles who are for the most part very Gentile Active and Airy though the Country people on the contrary are very Imbicil and Slugish Tarantaise an Arch-Episcopal See Scituate amongst Mountains as the former full of pleasant buildings Aquabelle Mauridune another Arch-Episcopal See. Under the power and Jursdiction of the Savonian Dâ—ke it is Peimont unless a small part of it claimed by the Duke of Mantoua seated at the Foot of the Mountains and bounded on the East with Milain on the West with Savoy on the North with Switzer-land and on the South with the Mediterranean being more fertile than the other containing 52 Earldoms and 15 Marquesats besides Barronies and Lordships and here dwell the progeny of the Albigenses who about the year 1100 stood for the Liberty and Doctrine of the Church of their Predecessors and about the year 1250 were near all destroyed and ruined by the Popes and French Kings when the remainder prefering their Concience before their Country retired up into the Mountains and by their Industry and Indefatigable Husbandry made the very Rocks bring forth Grass and Herbage for themselves and their Cattle c. and here they worshiped God according to the Worship of rhe reformed Churches greatly increasing in number as being followed with blessings untill the latter end of the Reign of Francis the first at what time happened the Massacre of Merinianum or Mariguan Gallis and Chabriers and in the year 1662 and 1663 they were again persecuted by the Savoiard and since that in the year 1684 we had a Mellancholy account of their treatment and although there are many good Towns under the Government of Savoy yet the Duke chiefly resides at the City Turin Scituate on the River Po and is the seat of an Arch-Bishop and a University where Erasmus took his degree and for Scituation is accounted one of the plesantest in Europe The Seignory of Geneva and the Alps Described GENEVA is within the Limits of the Dukedom of Savoy the whole Seignory not exceeding Eight Leagues in compass Scituate on the Lake Lemanus and devided into two parts by the River Rosne The City strongly walled and fortified as being the head of a Free state containing a flourishing University Governed by a Common Council or 200 of the chief Burghers four of which are called Sindiques As for the Church Government it is
North with Suevia lying half in Italy and half in Germany so that the People for the most part are Familiar with either Language and is a Region well peopleed and plesantly Scituate only somewhat Mountainous The chief Towns are Coyra not far from the Rhine Musocco and Bormia and in these parts the Reformed and Romish Religion are indifferently Practiced and thus much of the upper or higher Germany The Lower Germany Described in its Provinces Free-Towns c THAT which we properly term the lower Germany may be conveniently divided into Franconia and the appendant Territories the three Electorates of the Palatinate Brandenburgh and Saxony with its dependencies Pomerania Medenburgh Brunswick Lameburg Hassia East Friezland Westphalia Cleveland Wetteraw or Vetravia c. and of these in their order FRANCONIA supposed by some to be the first Seat of the Franks or French has for its boundards on the East Saxony and Bohemia on the West Elsas on the North Hassia and on the South Bavaria and contains many fair Cities within its circle or circumference as Bamber Weirtzburg and Metz or Mentz the Seat of a Bishop and moreover has in it the Pallace of the chief Electoral Bishop and as for the City it is commodiously seated upon pleasant riseing Hills incompassed with a Valley and spacious Plains yielding great abundance of Corn Fruits and Pastures being Antiently the Seat of a King called the King of Mentz And in the Province are the free Cities of Noremburg Rotenburgh and Francfort at the latter of which the Electors of the Empire meet as occasion serves for the Election of the Emperor all three pleasantly Seated either by the nature of the Soil or the industry of the Inhabitants well fortified and of great concourse there being two of the most noted Fairs in Europe held twice a year and in one of it's streets on the East side the Jews are permitted to Trade and Inhabit The Kingdom of Bohemia is an Antient and Famous Kingdom containing the Dukedom of Silesia the Marquesates of Lusatia and Moravia accounted in circuit 550 English Miles being cast in a manner round or circular Walled with Mountains or large Hills and was once held to contain 78 Cities Castles and Walled Towns and 32000 Villages and stately Buildings of the Nobility As for the Soil of this Kingdom it is generally Fruitful producing great increase of Corn and Wine and in many parts there are Mines of Iron Lead Tin Copper Gold Silver and some Quicksilver As for the Natives they are of a chearful Countenance modest behaviour and strong of Body the Women very fair and comly tall of personage and broad Shouldered As for the King of Bohemia which now rests in the house of Austria he is one of the Electors of the Emperor and has precedency in the casting voice and is great Cup-bearer on the Coronation day The chief Cities of this Kingdom are Prague seated on the River Mulda consisting of three parts by reason of the division the River makes though joined by Bridges and has in it many stately Buildings of Free-stone though in the generality the Houses are Timber built and the Walls of Clay or Loam Egra a place very commodious and much traded to watered with a pleasant Stream and accommodated with curious Gardens and Orchards â—â—dweis and others SILESIA is a Part or Province of the Kingdom of Bohemia extending in length 240 Miles and in breadth 80 Miles divided almost in equal parts by the River Oder into which many lesser Rivers discharge themselves and so well water the Country that it is exceeding fruitful almost every where though the Air is much colder than with us at all times and what the Soil wants the Inhabitants by their industry make out and in it is scituate the famous City of Breslaw or Preslaw accounted for stately Building and Commodiousness one of the chief Cities belonging to the Emperor There are moreover the Cities of Jadendorf and Glogaw with a great number of pleasant Villages LVSATIA or Lusutia is divided into the Higher and Lower Countries and though but small yet exceeding Populous so that Historians affirm that this little Province has sent 20000 Armed Men into the Field and is in most parts Fruitful as being watered by the River Nise or Nisso and other Streams and has as chief Cities Trabel and Groliz with many walled Towns and a great number of Villages though several have been destroyed by the Incursions of the Turks and Tartars and the Intestine Wars Moravia is a very pleasant Country affording store of Wine Corn and curious Fruits with some Myrrh and Frankincense the Shrubs and Trees growing naturally wild as well as in Gardens by Improvement the Country being very Wooddy and Mountainous and is a Marquisate of the Empire the chief Towns being Almutz an University and Brinne the Seat of the Marquess the Country receiving its name as most conjecture from the River Moravia that runs through it and although the Territories are not large the People are nevertheless divided in Language between the Teutonick Bohemian and Sclavonian The Electorate of the Palatinate or the Country under that Denomination contains the Upper and Lower Palatinates and extends for the most part along the Rhine 96 and is in breadth 72 Miles said to be the fruitfullest of all others affording abundance of Rhenish Wines pressed from the Grapes that grow in great plenty on the Banks of that famous River from whence the Wine takes its Name and in any vacancy of the Empire the Prince Elector of these Palatinates has a far larger Jurisdiction which terminates not till the Coronation of the Emperor where he takes his place as Arch-Sewer and in the Upper of these Palatinates is scituate the City of Newburg Amburg and Castel and in the Lower Heidelburg the Seat of the Palsgrave of the Rhine incompassed with high Hills on the North-East and South Frankendale Openheim and Crutznach and on the East-side of this Country are Lauden and Winheim and on the West Xeifers and Newstadt The Electorate of Saxony has for its Eastern boundard Lusatia for its Western Hassia for its Northeâ— Brunswick and on the South Bohemia and Franconia and contains the Countries commonly called Turingia Misnia Voitland and the proper Saxony as for the first of these it comprehends the Principalities of Manfieldt and Anhalt the Prince of it being a Lantgrave and although the Country exceeds not 12 German Miles either way yet the Soil is exceeding Fruitful and so abounds that its Fruitfulness supplies other Places of greater extent and being divided into 12 Countries is held to contain 44 Cities walled Towns and strong Castles and about 2000 Villages and great Houses of Noble Men as for the Duke of Saxonies chief Seat it is Ersdorf though there are other famous Places within his Jurisdiction as Dresden seated on the River Albis in a pleasant Plain passing between two Mountains Leipzich a Famous University especially for the study of Physick and Philosophy built
this Lake is held to receive Twenty Four Rivers and disburthens it self with such noise and fury that it is by some called Devils Mouth But as for the Kings Ships and Vessels of great Burthen they generally lye at Elsenore defended by a strong Castle and so shelter'd from the Wind that they may lye without Anchors Vpsal contains the Metropolitan Church where the Kings are usually Crowned and formerly held their Court and is a University of this Kingdom and the most remarkable Mart Carlstat upon the Wenner abounds with Brass and Copper Strongues is a Bishops See. There are yet two other Provinces or Divisions of this Kingdom viz. Livonia by the Germans called Liefland and Ingria vulgarly Ingermanland the first deliver'd by the Poles upon treaty and the last taken from the Muscovites and are both of them indifferently fruitful and have in them many considerable Villages and some Towns of note The Commodities of these Countries in general are Copper Brass Lead Ox-hides Tallow Furs Goat-skins Elks-skins the Skins of Deer Honey Allom Corn and in many places there are Silver Mines but of no consider able advantage The men are Active Naturally strong indifferent good Seamen and resolute Soldiers Industrious Ingenious and very courteous to strangers and had the Christian Faith first planted amongst them by Ausgarius Arch-Bishop of Bremen and in matters of Judicature or deciding Controversies each respective Territory has its Viscount every Province its Lans-men or Consul and every Town it's Lay-man or Consul and there lyeth an Appeal from the Consul to the Laymen and from the Lay men to the Viscount and from him to the King in whose only power it is absolutely to determine the matter As for the Women they are generally well featured proper in person very modest and courteous loving to their Husbands and affable to strangers A Description of Denmark in its Countries Provinces c. DENMARK Quasi Danes-Mark comprehending its intire Circuit or Territories is bounded on the East with the Baltick Sea and a part of Sweedland on the West with the Main Ocean on the North East with another part of Sweedland full North with the Frozen Ocean and on the South with Germany lying partly on the North temperate Zone and partly within the Artick Circle extending from the middle Parallel of the tenth Clime or 55 degrees of Latitude where it joyneth to Germany and 71 where the Frozen Ocean bounds it the longest day in the most Southern parts being 17 hours and a quarter but for 2 Months and 3 Weeks they have no Night at all in the extream North and is commonly distinguished in these parts comprehending the Appendances The Dukedom of Holstein containing Wagerland Dithmarsh Stormaria and Holstein The Kingdom of Denmark containing the two Juitlands and the Hemodes or Baltick Islands and the Kingdom oâ— Norway now in subjection to the Danes with the Islands in the North Sea c. that properly belong to it and of these in their order The Cimbrick Chersonese in which the two Juitlands and the Dukedom of Holstein are contained is in length 120 miles and in breadth 80 and accounted to have within that Tract of Land being in a manner a Peninsula 20 Royal Castles and Pallaces 28 Cities of note 4 Bishop Sees and a considerable number of Villages in many places very Fruitful and affording sundry curious Havens and on the South East is Wagerland and has for its chief Towns Hamburg on the Elbe Lubeck seated on the confluence of the Trave and Billew near the fall of that River into the Baltick Sea much traded to by sundry Merchants where they find great store of the Commodities of those Countries which are accounted the most fertile Dithmarsh spreads the West side of the Chersonesus Scituate between the River Albis and Endera giving Title to the Eldest Son of the King of Denmark and has Meldrop and Marnes for its principal Towns and although by reason of the many Marishes and Moorish grounds the soil in many places is not commodious for Tillage yet nevertheless it feeds great store of Cattle STORMARIA or STORMARSH lying betwen the River Elbe and the Rivers Billew and Store and has for its chief Towns Crampe on the Bank of a little River of the same name falling into the Store and is well fortified and reckoned one of the Keys of the Kingdom nor less noted for the great resistance it made against Walestein the Imperial General who 's powerful Army it resisted 13 Months and at last brought him to good terms of Composition Tychenburgh on the Banks of the River Elbe Bredenburg Jetzebo Gulickâ—tadt and others South Juitland or the Dukedom of Sleswick is that part of the Chersonesus that lyes next to Holstein having for its chief Towns Fleusburg on the Baltick shoar Scituate amongst high Mountains Sleswick on the River Slea from which the Dukedom of Sleswick has its name Goterp and Londen a Haven Town upon the Banks of the River Ender North Juitland is the most Northern part of the Châ—rsonesus and has for it's chief Towns Halne Rircopen Arhausen and Nicopen the soil very Fruitful and much abounding with Wheat Barly Rice store of Cattle producing Butter and Cheese in great abundance and able Horses for War or any other service here are also found Rich Furs As for those that are called the Baltick Islands properly belonging to the King of Denmark though they are 35 in number dispersed in the Baltick Sea many of them are Inconsiderable and some not Inhabited the chief are Zeland Fionia or Funen Arsen or Aria Langland Laland Falster Mone Heuen or Wern Island and Bornholme of which only the first is very considerable as having in it 13 Cities the chief of which is Copenhagen the Residence of the Danish Kings where the Regal Pallace though not very stately is seated and is a City of considerable Trade though the Buildings are generally mean as Erected of Loam and Timber there is a Market constantly kept and is the only University within the Government it is defended with a strong Wall and a Castle and thither are brought all sorts of Commodities the Kingdom affords SCANDIA that part which appertains to Denmark is in the South of a Peninsula divided into three Provinces as Scandia Hallandia and Blescida the first of these is 72 Miles in length and 48 in breadth reckoned the most fruitful and pleasant of all the Countries lying about it as being on three parts bounded by Sea and has for its principal Towns Lonpen a spacious Haven Falskerbode Elbogue and Elsinburg one of the Keys of the Sound HALLANDIA is but a small Tract of Land yet yields much Fruits and Corn many Cattle and lying South of Scania has Halaenego for its principal Town from which it seems to take its name and is well watered with pleasant Streams BLESCIDA lies North of Sweedland and though it has many fertile Plains yet it is generally Mountainous or Craggy hilled having for its chief Tradeing Town
Timber and Loam the Land full of Forrests with many Rivers yielding notwithstanding abundance of Corn but is defective in Wine Honey and Wax are likewise found in great store with Fruits of divers Kinds and a great Number of Cattle and wild Beasts there are also Salt-pits and in some places Mines of Brimstone Copper and Iron The Polanders are generally Tall well Proportioned Courteous and Pleasant of Behaviour their Garments are rich and of divers Colours being much conceited of their own worth and loving to be Praised or rather Flattered As for Lithuania one of the Provinces of this Kingdom though it is a very large one yet it is so full of Fenns and pestered by the over-flowing of Rivers that it is not currantly passable but when the Frosts are great at what time they have no hindrance neither by Rivers nor Fenns and their greatest Wealth consists in Cattle Honey Wax and Furrs As for the Language generally spoken it is the Sclavonian and in the North Extremities where Villages and Towns are very scarce the People dwell in Hutts of Straw and Loam with Holes at the top of them to let in the Light and give vent to the Smoak living in miserable Poverty as do for the major part the Peasants or inferiour People being in a manner Slaves to the great ones whose Tenants they are though the Richer Sort are very Profuse and Expensive rather Prodigal than Liberal Impatient of Injuries Delicious in Diet and costly in Attire often shaving their Heads except one Lock which they preserve with great care being generally good Soldiers and much Glory if they can kill a Turk in Battle and bring off his Head in Token of which they wear Feathers in their Caps Theft in these Parts is very rare especially to be committed by a Native Polander and all Crimes are severely punished As for the Religion they Profess in Relation to the Government it is that of the Romish Church though the Reformed way of Worship is allowed and tolerated and the King is of late Elective the Women are tolerably Fair and well Proportioned very Witty and Ingenious great admirers and observers of their Husbands and very neat in their Houses A Peasant in this Country unless in time of great Danger or Invasion is not suffered to bear Arms and when the Gospel is Read in the Churches the Gentry and Nobility draw their Swords in token that they are ready to defend it with their Lives As for the Circumference of this Kingdom and the Provinces appertaining to it some Account it 2600 Miles and is Scituate under the 8 and 12 Climates So that the longest Day Southward is 16 Hours and Northward 18 bordering upon it are the huge Carpathian Mountains where sundry Rivers have their Springs that Water the Provinces and pass through many Countries A Description of the Kingdom of Hungary c. HVNGARY one of the Fruitfullest Countries of Europe before Wasted and Destroyed by a Tedious War is bounded on the East with Transilvania and Wallachia on the West Stiria Austria and Moravia on the North with the Carpathian Mountains on the South with Sclavonia and some part of Dacia accounted in Length 300 English Miles and 109 in Breadth lying in the North Temperate Zone between the middle Parallels of the 7 and 9 Climates so that the longest Day in the South is 15 Hours and a half and 16 in the North and was Anciently called Pannonia The People of this Country are strong of Body boisterous of Behaviour and have no great regard to Liberal Arts or Mechanick Occupations as giving themselves mostly to War and taking it for the greatest Affront Imaginable to be esteemed a Coward which they find no other way to obliterate but by killing a Turk after which they have the Liberty of wearing a Feather as a Trophee of their Exploit and though they are extreamly Covetous they are no ways willing to Labour but rather desire to live upon the Spoil As for the Females they have no claim to any Inheritance so that the Male Line failing the Estate goes to the common Treasury nor have the Daughters any other Portion given them than a Wedding Garment and are for the most part obliged to lie on hard Quilts till such time as they are Married As for their Cities and Towns they are fortified for War as having for upward of two Hundred Years been Imbroiled with the Turks Transilvanians and other Neighbouring Nations the chief of which are Presburg Buda Belgrade Gran New-hausel Great Warradine Alba Regalis Raab Commora Temeswar Gyula Agria Esseck Pest c. which have strugled with various Fortunes and Success though at present most of the strong Holds of this Kingdom through the late good success are in the Imperialists hands the Kingdom being Hereditary to the House of Austria of which Joseph the Emperor's Son and Arch-duke of Austria is now Crowned King. The Soil though for the most part Untilled is notwithstanding wonderful Fruitful yielding Corn where they Till it thrice in a Year and in some places the Pastures are so rank for want of Feeding that it rises the height of a Man it abounds likewise with Fruits of all Kinds especially abundance of Rich Vines of whose Grapes rich Wine is made and Deer Goats Hares Conies and wild Foul are here in great Plenty though none be forbidden to take them there are likewise Mines of Silver and in some places Gold is found and in time of Peace the Cattle so multiply that they are obliged to send great store of them into divers parts of Europe to prevent their over-running the Country The Religion Established in the Kingdom of Hungary is that of the Romish Communion though at present the Reformed Worship is Tollerated The chief Rivers are the Danube the Gran the Waag and the Nitrea though many other Water this Fruitful Country but for Mountains there are none considerable the Country being generally plain unless a few pleasant rising Hills many of them Crowned with Vines and here is the Famous Bridg of Esseck 7 Miles in Length passing over 3 Rivers and divers Marshes though lately it has been much ruined and destroyed The Description of Sclavonia SCLAVONIA is a considerable Country bordering on Hungary which bounds it on the North as the Adriatick Sea does on the South Carniola Histria and the Seignory of Venice on the West and Servia Epirus and Macedonia on the East accounted in Length 480 Miles and in Breadth 325 of Italian Measure Scituate in the North Temperate Zone between the Middle Parallels of the 6 and 7 Climates so that the longest Day exceeds not 15 Hours and a half This Country contains many small Provinces or Divisions as Windishland Croatia Bosnia Dalmatia Contado-Dizara and the Sclavonian Islands and the chief Cities or Towns are Zatha Zacaocz Windisgretz Sagona Ragusa scituate on the Adriatick being a place of great Traffick Sebenicum or Sicum Zara or Jadera Scodra or Scutary before which the Turks lost 100000
be of any considerable note nor does their Country much abound in Fruits or Corn for want of Convenient streams to water it PISIDIA is on the South of Lycaonia and is a small Country yet furnished with great plenty of all things necessary for Human subsistance where the Plains extend themselves though in some parts it is much Incumbered with Barren Mountains and has in it the Towns or Cities of Antioch Seleucia Lysinnia Selge Sagalassa Cremna Termessus Olbanassa and Plutanessus the Antient Inhabitants being said to descend from the Solimi a people on the Borders of Lycia and were formerly daring and valiant as appeared in their opposing Cyrus and did more wonders than any of their more powerful Neighbours but now being in subjection to the Turks who hold them as Vassals or Slaves they have lost much of their Courage and Industry PAMPHYLIA has Pisidia on the North and is separated from it by the Mountain Taurus and it s held to take its name from its being Inhabited by a mixture of Nations which word in the Greek expresses no less and is much over-run with the Spurs or Branches of Taurus rendering it Barren in many places yet on those Mountainous parts abundance of Goats are fed whose Flesh serves for Food Hair for making Chamlets and Skins for Leather yet that part which is the Sea coast and runs 150 miles on the Mediterranean is well Inhabited and enjoys sundry Towns of Note as Attalia Perge Side Magidis Aspendas Oliba Caracensium Colobrassus Cretopolis and Menedemium and is watered with the Rivers Cestrus Cataractus and Eurymedon and since they first planted this Country they have been frequently brought under subjection by the Pontois Persians Romans and lastly by the Turks who at present remain Lords of all the lesser Asia and good part of the greater CILICIA has Pamphylia on the West and is a very fruitful Country especially on the Eastern part and is said to take its name from Cilice the Brother of Cadmus and though it is but meanly Inhabited yet it is much traded to and has in it many Towns of Note as Tarsus the Birth place of St. Paul Anchiala Epiphania Adena Mopsuestia Nicopolis Amavara Scandelora and others watered with the River Pyramus now called Malmistra Orismagdus Calicadnus and the famous Cydnus whose waters are so Cool and withal so Rapid that they had like to have proved fatal to Alexander the Great and did so to Fredrick the first German Emperor for whilst he was bathing in the stream he was carried away by the violence of the Current and smothered in the waves As for the chief Mountains they are Amanus and Taurus accounted the largest in the world ISAVRICA is a distinct Province from the former seated on both sides of Taurus which renders it altogether Mountainous being East to Pamphylia parted in the midst by the River Calecadnus on whose banks are many Vines and pleasant Pastures and has for its principal City and Towns Seleucia Iâ—auria and Claudiopolis and as for this and the Province of Cilicia they were Anciently famous for Piracies but Pompey breaking their power at Sea placed them in a more Inland Country and especially on these Mountains in a strait compass but they have since inlarged their borders And thus for Anatolia or Asia Minor except such Islands as are reputed to appertain to it which shall be treated of in another place it being our design that nothing shall be omitted though we are obliged to be brief constrained to it by the narrowness of our compass only note that it is wholly subject to the Turks The Kingdoms and Provinces of the greater Asia Described AS to the Boundards and Scituation of this Part of the World it has been already laid down in general wherefore now nothing remains but to describe it in particular c. and to do this in order we will begin with The Kingdom of Syria THE Kingdom of Syria as it Antiently was is bounded on the North with Cilicia on the South with other parts of Asia minor on the East with the River Euphrates and on the West with the Mediterranean Sea And is Inhabited by divers sorts of People Professing sundry Religions as Christianity Judaism Mahometism and in some places not altogether freed from Paganism for upon the Borders next to Armenia minor there dwell the Cardi or Coerdes a People who pay Veneration to the Devil and the slender excuse they alledg for it is to prevent his doing them Mischief they being on the contrary assured that God being in his Nature good he will not injure them And the whole Country is divided into 3 Provinces viz. Phoenicia Caelo-Syria and Syro-Phaenicia PHAENICIA is bounded on the East and South with Palestine on the North with Syria so properly called on the West with the Mediterranean Sea and has this Name given it by the Greeks from the abundance of Palm Trees that are found growing therein the Word signifying in that Language a Palm As for the Country it self it is not great for though in Length it reaches to the further side of Mount Carmel and again to the River Volanus on the North the Breadth however is so inconsiderable that it rather seemeth a Sea-Coast than a Country nor did the Phaenicians less improve the opportunity in former times but were accounted the chief Navigators of the World. As for the Cities of note they are Acon seated in a Pleasant Plain of great Length Besieged by the Western Christians in their Expedition for the regaining the Holy Land. Sarepta the place where the Woman sustained Elias or rather he her by Miracle in the time of Famine Tyre once a Famous Sea Town but now little of it remains Sidon a Pleasant Place but wants of its former Largeness and Grandeur being reduced to a narrow compass As for the chief Mountains they are Libanus and Carmel and as for Rivers there are few of note the principal being Adonis however the Country is Fruitful in Olives and Vines COELO-SYRIA is more compacted than the former and is watered with the Rivers Abana and Pharaphar called in Scripture the Rivers of Damascus and has in it the Mountains of Asmadamus a ridg of Hills beginning at the East Point of Ante-Libanus and bending directly Southward shuts up that part from the Land of Israel and has for its chief Towns Heliopolis so called from an Image of the Sun formerly Worshipped there Chalcis Abila Adida Hippus or Hypone Capitolias Gadara Gerasa Scythopolis Philadelphia and Damascus the Head of this Province once a Famous City but now reduced to a small compass however it is Scituate in a large Plain Invironed with Hills and watered by the River Chrysorheâ—â— having about it many pleasant Gardens Orchards and Fountains and indeed the whole Country where the Mountains interpose not is a Terrestrial Paradice which made the Impostor Mahomet refuse it for his Regal Seat lest swallowed up in the Delights and Pleasures of that Country he should forget
his Business SYRO-PHAENICIA is a third Provincâ— of this Kingdom and has for its chief Cities and Towns Aleppo a considerable Mart Town though not bordering on the Sea but standing within the Land for hither the Merchants of Egypt Arabiâ— and Persia come over Land with their Camels Laden with Silks Cloth of Gold and Silver Drugs Spices c. Biblis Tripolis a place taken and possessed by the Western Christians in their Expedition to the Holy Land and is a very considerable Sea-Port Town Fortified with a strong Wall and many Towns and has many Store-houses for the Accommodation of Merchants and that part of the Mountain Libanus that stretches upon it like a Curtain abounds with Fruit Trees Vines and Trees harbouring abundance of Silk Worms but of this Country Antiochia is accounted the Metropolis and not far from it is the River Orontes which beginning in Coelo-Syria ingulfs it self and riseth near Apamea watering Antiochia and passing thence 16 Miles falls into the Mediterranean Sea and from hence come the greatest part of our Tapistry Hangings The Building in this Country and indeed in all Syria is one high Roof with a plain Top Plaistered or Terrassed to walk on the Plat-form and Arched Cloisters before the Doors so that People may walk dry in the Streets in all Weathers As for Religion they are as the first a mixture c. A Description of the Land of PALESTINE PALESTINE is bounded with the Hills of Hermon on the East parted by them from Coelo-Syria and Arabia Deserta on the West with the Mediterranean Sea and some part of Phaenicia on the North with Ante-Libanus and the remaining part of Phaenicia on the South with Arabia the Stony called Palestine from the Philistines a People that Inhabit it but it is not conjectured they held any more than a part of it but being very Powerful gave a general Name to this Country as the Asiaticks usually call the Europeans Franks from France which is only a small part of it however we will take it as formerly it stood viz. its Division into Galilea Judea Idumea and Samaria accounted 200 Miles in Length though not above 50 in Breadth possessed by the Tribes of Israel as the Land Promised to Abraham c. GALILEA is accounted the most Northern Part of Palestine being divided into the higher and lower the first allotted to the Tribes of Napthali Asher and part of the Tribe of Dan is a pleasant Country abounding with all manner of Fruits and Exuberant that for its Plenty this Conjunct with the rest was called a Land flowing with Milk and Honey the chief Cities being Apheck whose Wall falling slew 27000 of Benhadad's Soldiers Giscala the Birth-place of Jehu who Slew Joram his Master and took upon him the Kingdom here is likewise found Capernaum where our Blessed Saviour healed the Centurions Servant and Fed 3000 with 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes not far from it Ribla where Unfortunate King Zedekiah after he had seen the slaughter of his Children had his Eyes put out and to these we may add Genesareth Hamath and Ramath As for the lower Galilea it contained the Tribes of Zebulon and Issachar and the first of these had for their chief Cities Cana where our Blessed Saviour wrought his first Miracle Bethsaida the Birth place of St. Peter St. Andrew and St. Philip. Hippopolis Tiberias on the Sea Coast and some other Towns of lesser note as Nazareth and Bethulia here is likewise found the Mount Tabor on which our Lord was Transfigured as a manifestation of his Glory as also the Brook Kishon out of which flows the Famous River bearing that Name The principal places appertaining to the Tribe of Issachar were Tarichea on the side of the Lake about Eight miles from Tiberias and was so stoutly defended against Vespatian that it cost him the Lives of 1200 men before he made himself Master of it Chishon a City of the Levites Rameth called also Jarmouth another City of the Levites where the Hills of Gilboa take their beginning and pass Westward to the Mediterranean and East to Jezreel En-haddad near which Saul being discomfited by the Philistins slew himself in dispair Naiâ— on the Banks of the River Kison where our blessed Saviour raised the Widows Son to Life and on the Banks of the same River standeth Haphraim or Aphraim Endor the place where Saul consulted the Witch about the raising Samuel Deborath one of the Cities of Refuge Arbela c. And although these Tribes are held to be carried away by Salmanasser and the Galileans placed in their stead yet they were strict Complyers with the Jewish Ceremonies and Customs and so zealously affected that neither Threats nor Force could oblige them to offer Sacrifice to the Health of the Roman Emperors SAMARIA The Country taking its name from the chief City is bounded on the East with the River Jordan on the West with the Miditerranean Sea on the North with Galilee and on the South with Judea And gives in all parts a curious Prospect of pleasant Fields and Valleys with little rising Hills from whence issue refreshing Streams and is every scattered over with Fountains affording abundance of Grass and consequently a great number of Cattle and the People were for the most part Assyrians sent thither by that Conquering King to supply the places of the Captive Israelites and were Gentiles at first till better instructed by the Lyons God sent amongst them and afterward by the Priest who returned with the Five Books of Moses and taught them the manner of the God of the Land 2 Kings 17. However they frequently relapsed and forsook their living Strength as may be seen in Holy Writ and this Province upon its being first possessed by the Children of Israel was allotted to the Tribe of Ephraim and the two half Tribes of Manasses the one seated on the Mediterranean and the other beyond Jordan In the half Tribe of Manasses on the Mediterranean the chief Cities were found to be Bethsan Terza Acrabata Thebes Ephra or Hophra Asophon Bezek Jezreel Megiddo Dora or Dor Caesarea and others many of them memorable in Scripture upon sundry occasions The Tribe of Ephraim had for their chief Cities or most considerable places Saron on the Mediterranean Lydda Ajalon or Helon a City of the Levites Thenath-Chares given to Josuah Adasa or Adarsa where Judas Macchabeus overthrew with 3000 men the vast Army of Nicanor Jefleti or Pelethi giving name to the Pelethites that were of David's Guard Silo scituate on the top of a lofty Mountain and the receptacle of the Ark till taken by the Philistines Michmas Najoth Bethoron the City of the Levites Pirhathon Simor and Samaria the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Israel founded by Omri one of their Kings on the top of the Mountain Samron taking thence its name overlooking the Sea-coast and was very stately and magnificent vying with Jerusalem but much impaired by the Wars that have frequently happened and at this day scarce to be
second Division of Turcomania on the North of Armenia is Inhabited by a rude uncivillized people however the soil is fertile producing naturally much plenty and the Vines of their own accord twist themselves about Trees creeping up into the spreading Branches and affording much Wine but that which in Antient times rendred it most memorable was the abundance of Gold found in the Sands of the Rivers issuing from the Mount Caucasus for which Jason made his Expedition and thereby gave the occasion of the Fable of the Golden Fleece there were likewise found divers Veins of Silver in the Mountains though at present for want of working or being exhausted the People deficient in Coin are obliged to Barter Goods for such things as their necessities require however they are much given to Riot and Excess nor do they refuse to prostitute their Wives and Sisters to the pleasure of their guests upon any slight Entertainment as not thinking they can be otherways sufficiently welcom nor do the Women refuse a complyance And here the chief Cities are or were Dioscurias Sibaris once the Royal Seat of the Colchine Kings Siganeam Aeopolis Neapolis Phasis from whence the Phesants were first brought into Europe by the Greeks Alvati Mechlessus Zadris and Sirace though at present none of them considerable however the Christian Religion continues here though the Turks have possessed themselves of the Country IBERIA takes its name from the River Iberius running through it though lately the name is changed to Georgia as some will have it from St. George the Capadocian Martyr who first planted or at least greatly improved the Christian Religion amongst them The Country is Mountainous Woody and a great part of it covered with Snow three quarters of the year so that the Soil not being very fruitful the people addict themselves much to War so that for a long time they lived in freedom under their own Princes till the Persian War at what time they partly by force and partly by submission became Tributary to the Ottoman Emperors so that it contains not any Cities of note however amongst them are reckoned Artaxissa Vasada Lubium and Armastica so named by Pâ—olomy though at present Cremen and Cachet are in most esteem and to keep the people in aw the Turks have fortified many places and amongst others the strong Castle of Teflis the Key of Media now called Servan Garrisoned with 6000 men and has in it besides other Ammunition 100 pieces of Ordnance ALBANIA in Asia distinct from that in Europe East of Iberia is accounted to be first peopled by Gether Son of Aram and Nephew of Japhet and rested out of the way of War till the Romans time when siding with Tigranes King of Armenia Major and Mithridates King of Pontus they were brought under subjection by Pompey The Soil of this Country is very rich in many parts as being watered with the Rivers Saonia Cyrus Gerrus and Albania and on the latter is seated a City of that name the chief of the Province here are likewise found Chabala Thelbis Getara Namechiae and Telebae The chief commodities are Corn Cattle Wine and some Manufactures and has over it a Turkish Bassa and from these Countries the Turks are held on all hands to descend as in the History of that people appears more at large Media and Persia described in their respective Provinces c. MEDIA the first that occurs in order is bounded on the West with Armenia Major and some part of Assyria on the East with Parthia and some part of Hyrcania and the Provinces of Persia on the North with the Caspian Sea and Georgia and on the South with other parts of Persia held to take its name from Madai the Son of Japhet who first planted it though at this day it is called by the Turks in whose possession the greatest part of it is Sheirvan or Servan the word in their Language signifying a Milky plain alluding thereby to the great plenty of the Country and is of large extent once famous for a warlike people that over-run the greatest part of the East yet this Country like all others differs in degree of fertility for although the South part is exceeding fruitful yet the North part lying between Mount Taurus and the Hyrcanian Sea is very barren insomuch that the people make their Bread of dryed Almonds and their drink of the Juice of certain Herbs no Fruit trees flourishing there nor any considerable quantity of Corn. As for the Kingdom of Media we may properly divide it into two Provinces viz. Atropatia and Media Major the first of these contains the northern parts of the country and is held to be that where Salmanasser the Assyrian King placed the Israelites whom he carryed into Captivity and is watered by the River Gonza and had for its chief Cities or Towns Hamadum Gonzavia Mandagarsis Gelin Bochu Ere 's Sumachia or Shamaki the last built by Cyrus the Persian and much Illustrated by others and in it as a Monument stands a Pillar Interwoven with the Heads of Noble men all of Flint curiously wrought c. This Province is very Mountainous as having the Spurs of the Taurus branching out and the body of the Mountain it self c. MEDIA-MAJOR on the South of Mount Taurus is a very pleasant Country yielding Corn and Wine in abundance with many pleasant Fruits and good Pastures watered every where with fresh streams so that Cattle especially Horses encrease in great numbers the men being generally expert Riders and much redoubted in War. The chief Cities that were here found are the great Eâ—batana to which Semir amis took such a liking that she caused for its better Accommodation water courses to be cut through the Mountain Orontes reckoned to be in compass 24 Italian miles and fortified with a Wall of 70 Cubits high 50 broad with 100 Gates and Towers built over them of smooth stone and had formerly six lesser Walls though now little of it remains Taurus a City pleasantly scituate under the shadow of Orontes opening to a curious fertile Plain on the South once a place of great Trading but having been often ruined by the Turks in their Wars with the Persians it has lost much of its former splendor Arsacia built by some of the Parthian Kings in their Conquest of this Country Casbin scituate in an open Plain on the Banks of a small River but of no considerable Trade though the Persian Sophies have a Pallace in it Rages Nassivan Ardovile Sultania Turcoman and Marant The Christian Religion is held to be first planted here by St. Thomas and though it was not Universally Embraced yet it flourished till Mahometism was introduced more by the power of the Sword than the Peoples Inclination Persia Described PERSIA has for its Eastern boundard India for the Western Media Assyria and Chaldaea the Northern Tartary and the Southern the main Ocean so named if you will credit the Story from Perseus Son to Jupiter and Danae
though rather from Persis a small Province or part of the Country which took its name from one of their Kings and the whole Region of Persia is found to extend from 82 degrees of Longitude to 120. 36 degrees in all and in bredth from 32 degrees North Latitude to 42 scituate under the fourth fifth and sixth Climates so that the longest day in the Southern parts is 13 hours and almost three quarters but in the most Northern 15 and a quarter the Air for the most part pure and wholsom though the Earth by reason of the great heat of the Sun is dry and sandy in many parts and destitute of water having few Rivers and not many Lakes however taking the Country in general it abounds with all things necessary and may properly be divided into 12 Provinces viz. Susiana Persis Carmania Ormus Gedrosia Drangiana Aria Parthia Arachosia Paropamisus Hyrcania and Margiana and held to be one of the Antientest Kingdoms of the East the people as the Chaldaeans giving themselves up to the Study of Astrology and as to their Religion it s the Sect of Haly differing in many things from the Tenets of the Impostor Mahomet tho amongst them are many Christians and more Jews and the chief Rivers that visit Persia are Araxis some windings of Euphrates and Tigris and here are found Mount Taurus the Seriphian Hills and some others of less note And has for the most material Cities Persopolis Aracca Tarsiana and others the Country affording Dates Myrrh Drugs Spices Mines of Silver Brass Quarries of of Marble Cedar-wood and rich Manufactures of Silks and Embroideries of Silver and Gold and has been much traded to by the European Merchants especially the Island of Ormus accounted the most fruitful in the World so that those who have compared the World to a Ring have allowed this to be the Jewel that ought to be set in it for the Portugals upon their first coming hither so much inriched themselves that they easily commanded the whole Trade of Europe As for the Persians they are generally good natured courteous to Strangers exceeding obedient to their Prince whom they in a manner Idolize they are tall of Stature well Limbed and for the most part handsome especially the Women Patient of Labour yet through the Plenty of the Country much given to Luxury Valiant in Fighting as well the Women as the Men who accompany their Husbands to the War in disguise and frequently die Fighting by their sides as appeared by the great number of them found upon the stripping of the Slain in many Battles fought between them and the Turks And within this Jurisdiction we may include Bactria lying West of Margiana watered by the River Oxus so that it is partly Fruitful and partly Barren and Desert possessed by a rough and untractable People and has many Woods and Forrests full of wild Beasts which renders the Passage dangerous to Travellers and has its Name from Bactria the Metropolitan City Seated at the Foot of the Mountain Sogdij and is now in Subjection to the Persians Tartaria Described in its Kingdoms and Provinces c. TARTARIA or Tartary is a large Tract on the Northern part of Asia and shooting out considerably to Europe bounded on the East with China and the Eastern Ocean on the West with Russia and Podolia a Province of the Kingdom of Poland on the North with the Frozen Scythian Ocean and on the South with another part of China from which it is separated by a mighty Wall the River Oxus parting it from Bactria and Margiana the Caspian Sea from Media and Hyrcania the Caucasian Mountains from Turcomania and the Euxine Sea from Anatolia and Thrace and is possessed under the general Name of Tartars by many powerful Nations accounted to be 5400 Miles from East to West and 3600 from North to South The People are generally Rude giving themselves more to War and Rapine than to Arts or Husbandry big Bodied broad Faced little and hollow Eyed thick Lipped and flat Nosed Swarthy of Complexion tho distant enough from the Sun hardy and capable of induring extream Hardships loving to rideâ—â— tho on Cows Oxen and other Beasts not used in other parts in such Services their Speech carries a kind of a whining Tone with it and when a Company are got together a Singing one would imagine them a consort of Wolves a Howling and have indeed in their many Excursions and Wars proved the Terror of the World yet are seldom Covetous of more than is sufficient to support them as being altogether regardless of Silver Gold or costly Apparel going for the most part clad with the Skins and Furrs of Beasts they take by Hunting and are by some held to be the Off-spring of the Ten Tribes removed out of Palestine by Salmanasser for many of the great Lords of the Tartars stâ—â—e themselves Naphthalites Danites c. and Canton themselves into Families and Tribes This Countrey is usually divided into these following Provinces viz Precopensis Asciatica Antigua Zagatha and Cathaia The first contains Taurica Chersonesus and the Asciatican Banks of Tanais taking its name from Precops the chief City and has in it beside the Towns of Ozaclow Capha Crim and others of lesser note The second contains Asciatica Deserta or Deserta Muscovita held to be the ancient Sarmatia Asciatica remaining unciviliz'd at this day as feeding upon Raw Horse-flesh sucking Blood from living Creatures and oftentimes preying upon each other and neglecting all manner of Tillage The Third contains the Cities of Noyhan Cashan Charackzieke Astracan and some others of lesser note as Coras Caracora and the whole Kingdom of Tendock and affords the Drug called Rhubarb not any other where to be found The fourth Division contains Scythia Inter Imaum inhabited by a more civiliz'd People of the Tartars and have for their chief Cities Istigias scituate in a very fruitful Plain to which flow the principal Commodities of the whole Kingdom and Samarchand usually the Residence of the Tartarian Chams where Tamerlain the Great was born and died but the most pleasant of all and indeed the Glory of the whole Countrey is the Kingdom of Cathia The Soil of this part of Tartary yields a superabundance of Fruits Corn Hemp Flax c. and the other Merchandise are Woolls Rhubarb Musk Silks and Manufactures of its own and also those of China that are brought hither and has for its Chief Cities Cambalu Tebeth Carraran and Xeamdu all of them very stately containing in their large Circumferences Pallaces fixed and moving Parks Pastures with many other Rarities but in all these Countreys the Government is Arbitrary the Lives and Estates of the People depending upon the pleasure of the Prince There are yet another sort of this people called Crimesian Tartars inhabiting the Crim on the Fenns of Maeotis and borders of Moscovy and Poland but much of the nature of those already mentioned As for Religion they are in many places divided in Opinion as being a mixture
of Armenians Christians Jews Mahometaâ—s and some Idolaters The chief Rivers that Water this Countrey are the Tanais and Volga and the principal Mount Imaus which runs in a long Chain or Ridge branching however into divers Spurs c. A description of the Kingdom of China in its Provinces c. CHINA is a large Kingdom though not well known till the latter times to the Europeans bounded on the North with the Eastern Tartars and Altay separated from them by a continued Chain of Hills and a Wall of 400 Leagues in length furnished with Towers and so broad that a Cart may be driven on the top of it built as they give it out by Tzaintzon the 117th King of China The Southern boundards are partly Cochin-China a Province of the East India and partly the Ocean on the East with the Oriental Ocean and on the West with part of India and Cathaia and is indeed on all parts so hemmed in with Mountains Seas and Artificial Fortifications that it is no wonder Travellers missed it in their way to other Countreys This Kingdom according to the account of the Natives contains 15 Provinces viz. Canton Foqueit Olam Sisuam Tolenchia Cansay Miuchian Ochian Hionam Paguia Tuitan Quinchen Chagnian Susnam and Quinsay in which are Computed 591 Cities 1593 Walled Towns 4200 Unwalled Towns and 1154 Castles the whole Countrey being accounted 3000 Leagues in Circumference reaching from 130 to 160 Degrees of Longitude and from the Tropick of Cancer to the 53 Degree of Latitude lying under all the Climes from the Third to the Ninth so that the Air is very Temperate and Healthful by which the Natives are for the most part exempted from Sickness and live to an extream Age As for the Riches and Fertility it is very much even to admiration the people being very Industrious and the Soil as suitable so that in many places they have two and in most parts three Harvests in a Year nor do they spare to Plant and Sow the best of all kinds they can compass The chief Commodities coming from hence are Pearls Bezora Stones Wooll Cotton Olives Wine Flax Metals Fruit China Ware of sundry kinds Stuffs Carpets Embroideries Musk Amber c. The People are of a Swarthy Complexion especially those living towards the Southern parts short Nosed black Eyed with thin Beards wearing long Garments with loose Sleeves and Hair at its full growth they are much given to often eating but then they do it very sparingly not touching their Victuals with their hands but take it with a Fork made of Ebbony or Ivory from whom the Europeans learned the Fashion The Men are very Jealous of their Wives insomuch that they will not suffer them to go abroad nor sit at the Table with them if any Stranger be there unless some very near Kinsman however they permit them to go as Gay as they please about the House and one Trick has been brought into a Custom to prevent their desiring to ramble the which is by the hard binding up their Feet when Children to render them small that being accounted the greatest Ornament or Beauty so that being Cripled by that means they cannot go without pain As for their dead they bury them in Fields fifteen days after their decease They that are buried within the Walls of Cities c. being by them accounted most miserable Knowledge they have of the Deity and some marks and foot-steps of Christianity is remaining amongst them but so obscured that they live for the most part after the manner of the ancient Gentiles offering Sacrifices to the Devil thereby to appease him that he should do 'em no Mischief and will needs have the date of their Actions or the beginning of their Kingdom long before the Worâ—d was made telling many strange and incredible Stories about the Creation c. In their Building and indeed in all their Actions they are very neat and the Countrey so populous though the Wars with the Tartars have somwhat lessened the number that some of their Kings have brought a Million of People into the Field and has seldom less than 1000 Ships of War though of no great Service in a readiness and 10000 lesser Vessels on several Rivers for carrying of Goods and Merchandise from place to place yet so jealous are they of Strangers prying into their Affairs that in some Cities 't is Death for any but a Native to lodge a Night within the Walls nor is he permitted in the day time to enter without giving his name to a Publique Notary which when he returns he must see crossed out or where ever he is found he suffers for it The Towns and Cities are too Numerous to be particularly recited but the principal are Quinsay 100 Miles in Circuit with a Lake of 30 Miles compass within the Walls in the middle of which is an Island where the Emperor as he stiles himself has a Magnificent Pallace and is thought to contain Two millions of People Pequin or Pekin not much inferiour to the former in bigness but nothing in Trade and all the Countrey is so free from Hills or Mountains that the Chinese ride in Charriots made of Reeds or Canes which by the help of Sails is driven by the Wind as if drawn by Horses or floating upon the Water As for the Rivers they are but few and those proceed from great Lakes as wanting hills to give them Springs the principal are Aspthara Senus Ambactu and Cotiaris all Navigable and have over them a great Number of Bridges the Arches of some of them rising so high that a Ship under Sail may pass with as much ease as a Boat And as for the Customs arising by Trade they are so great that no Prince whatsoever receives so much upon the like occasion East India described in its Kingdoms and Provinces c. INDIA the largest Tract in the World going under one entire name or denomination except Tartary and China is bounded on the East with the Oriental Sea and a part of China on the West with the Dominions of the Persian Sophy and on the North with Branches of Mount Taurus that divide it from Tartary and on the South with the Indian Ocean The whole Countrey as most considerate persons affirm taking its name from the River Indus the most famous and noted in that part of Asia tho some will have it to be so called from the end or furthest extent of Asia and is extended from 106 to 159 degrees of Longitude and from the Equinoctial or Equator to 44 degrees of North Latitude as to the main Continent tho some Islands reckoned within the compass of India extend to 9 degrees South Latitude This Countrey to give it its due is in most parts exceeding pleasant and flourishing enjoying healthful and Temperate Air unless at some Seasons when the heat is excessive in the Southern parts the Summer continuing there much longer than with us so that they have in a manner Two Summers giving a
liberally bestowed in Marriage on sundry of the Natives And near this place is the mighty Water-fall or Cataract of the River Arenoque whose horrid noise makes the Mountains tremble which may well fit the Words of the Poet viz. Cuncta tremunt undis multo murmure Montis Spumeus invictis albescit Fluctibus amnis The Noise the Mountains shakes who roar for spite To see th' Unvanquish'd Waves clad all in White In an other part of this Province they have a strange custom with their Dead for when the Flesh is worn off the Bones by Putrefaction they hang up the Skeleton in the Chamber or House where the party died decking the Skull with Feathers of divers Colours and hanging Jewels and Plates of Gold about the Arm and Thigh Bones As for the Towns of note in this Tract they are Mano called by the Spaniards El'Dorado from the abundance of Gold and Silver Coin Armour and Utensils found there held to be the largest of all the Country though some question the Truth of this place Caripo Gomeribo Tanparanume Morequuto St. Thome and St. Joseph with some others of lesser note which they are obliged to build upon Hills Rocks or the like advantageous Places forasmuch as the Rivers yearly overflow a great part of the Country obliging the Natives to live in Trees with their Families building them Hutts in the Branches like Birds Nests PARIA another considerable Province lies on the West of Guiana divided into the lesser Countries of Cumana Venezuela St. Margaita Cubagna and some Islands and here the Nature of the Soil and People are different though in general the Country is very Pleasant being watered with the Rivers of Rio-de-Cacioas Rio-de-Neveri Cumana de Bardones and others of lesser note and has for its chief Towns Maracapana once a Spanish Garrison Venezuela New Cadiz and some others and in this Tract the Pearl Fishery is used those valuable Commodities being gotten by Diving and they bring up a Fish much like an Oyster out of the Shells of which they take the Pearls supposed to be Ingendred there by the falling of Dews when the Fish opens to receive the Air upon the Shoar and though the People in the Province of Cumana have Plenty of Fruits and Cattle with other things whereby to subsist even to Riot yet they rather chuse to feed upon Insects and Vermin as Batts Spiders Horse-leaches Worms c. each Man being allowed as many Wives as he can maintain though they never have the Maidenheads of any prostituting them the first Night to their Piacos or Priests or their appointment who for small matters turn over that Drudgery to Strangers nor do they at any time think their Guests welcome unless they will do the Office of Men to their Wives Sisters c. blackning their Teeth and Painting their Bodies of diverse Colours in this Tract are found diverse Mines of Gold some of Silver and other Minerals and here the Spaniards met with many disasters as well the Ecclesiasticks as Military being frequently expulsed or cut off by the Salvages who are in general a Stout and Warlike People and here are found the Capa a Beast the Soles of whose Feet are like a Shooe and a Hog of monstrous size with Horns like a Goat living altogether upon Ants Pismires Parrots and Batts and could I have added to this Bill of Fair Booksellers and Printers the World might have taken this Monster for a meer Robin Hog c. Cattle this Country affords in great Quantities insomuch that Instructed by the Europeans they make Butter and Cheese of their Milk in sundry places which the Natives take as the Prince of Rarities And thus much Reader may suffice for the Empires Kingdoms Provinces and States of the Universe relating to the Continent of Europe Asia Africa and America from which we proceed for the greater Satisfaction of the Curious to the Description of the Islands scattered in the several Seas attributed to the four Parts of the World and of these in their Order A Description of the Islands of Europe and their various Scituations in their sundry Seas c. Great Britain Described GREAT BRITAIN being in a manner known to most that Inhabit it may occasion some to reflect upon this brief Description as superfluous however having undertaken to omit nothing material in this great Undertaking which indeed wanted nothing but the permission of a larger Scope to render it more Illustrious we will not be wanting to give a modest Account of the Princess of Islands or Epitome of the Universe being properly and not without just Reason stiled the World Minature and in this case we must divide it into two Parts viz. England Wales c. and Scotland comprehending the Ocean Islands England described c. ENGLAND has for its Eastern boundard the German Ocean on the West the Irish Sea on the South the British Ocean and on the North parting it from Scotland the River Tweed and Solway Invironed as to the whole Island with the main Sea guarded in most parts by such Rocks as render it Inaccessible from Forreign Invaders if the Shoars be but indifferently Defended though its Walls consists in its many more Powerful and Impregnable Defendants than those of Stone which notwithstanding it had not always to defend it as appears by its becoming a Prey to the Romans its being harassed by the Picts Scots and wild Irish and the Subjection it was brought under by the Saxons Danes and Normans but at this day the often Languishing Island lifts up her head as high as the tallest of the Daughters of the Nations upon Earth As for the Soil improved by industrious hands it is in most parts exceeding Fruitful as well in Grain as Herbage Fruit Trees Rich Pastures c. as all other things necessary and conducing to the support of Life with Mines of Iron Tin â—ead c. but exceeds other Nations in the Woollen Manufacture nor is making of Stuffs Silks and other Curious Arts wanting in a great measure but more especially the Traffick abroad where for our Native Commodities we command the most valuable things in the Universe ENGLAND in particular holds from 50 to 54 degrees of North Latitude the Air Pleasant and Temperate by vicissitude of Heat and Cold as also the varying of Night and Day but more for the wholesome Laws good Constitution of the Established Government and Nature of the People whose Generosity and Valour has famed them in all parts of the known World and the whole divided into 39 Shires or Divisions viz. Middlesex Essex Kent Sussex Hampshire or the County of Southampton Surry Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire Cambridgshire Cheshire Cornwal Cumberland Darbyshire Dorsetshire Durham Glocestershire Huntingtonshire Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Northamptonshire Notinghamshire Rutlandshire Shropshire Somersetshire Wiltshire Warwickshire Westmorland Yorkshire Norfolk Northumberland Oxfordshire Staffordshire Barkshire Devonshire Hartfordshire Suffolk and Worcestershiye Herefordshire all of them extreamly replenished with Woods Parks Rivers Cities and Towns
Mud drew down Which parted by the Inter-running Seas Made as thou seest the five Echinades And indeed they are rather Rocks or hardened Earth than any Island of note and so we leave them CEPHALONIA is in Circumference about 156 Miles and contrary to the Echinades very Fruitful as yielding Figgs Olives Rasins Currants Hony Sweet Water Mulberries Pine Date Malvasi Muscadel Vino Leatico Wooll Cheese Turkeys Drugs and Dyes besides Cattle Corn and Rich Pastures and has for its chief Towns held under the Venetians Guiscardo Nolo and Argostoli Inhabited by Greeks and Venetians the people Civil and very honest Dealers CORFV is another Island in the Ionian Sea 44 Miles in Length and 24 in Breadth taking its name from the City of Corfu seated at the foot of a large Mountain on which to strengthen it tho strong in it self are two Fortresses but chiefly out of the natural Rock and tho the Southern part of this Island be mountainous and subject to hot Blasts yet the whole in general produces Corn Oranges Lemons Pomegranets Fig Trees Olives Wax Honey some Drugs and many other pleasant Fruits tho it has not in it any Rivers of note ITHACA is a small Island giving a name to Vlysses who was born there tho now it has lost its own name and is called Val de Campare in compass not above 56 Miles and of little note unless for the Reception of Pyrats that haunt this Sea. St. MAVRO formerly called Leucadia is a small Island inhabited mostly by Jews formerly the Venetians but taken from them by the Turks and altho at present it is not much set by yet formerly was it of such esteem that the Inhabitants cut an Isthmus of Two Miles breadth that joyned it to the Continent and was famous for the Temple of Apollo seated in it from the top of which those that leaped into the Sea were held to be cured of extravagant Love better believed than experienced Of the Adriatick Sea and the Islands therein THe Adriatick Sea is that at the bottom of which the City of Venice is seated it being accounted 700 Miles in Length and 104 in Breadth and has in it these Isles viz. MESINA an Island about 150 Miles in Circumference yielding considerable Plenty and has only a strong Fortress for its Defence the Towns being mostly unwalled and but indifferently stored with Houses or Inhabitants LISSA or Clissa is another of the Adriatick Islands 20 Miles over and 60 in Circumference very Fruitful and in Subjection to the Venetians who only defend the Sea Ports and by that means hold the rest in Subjection CVRZOLA a place not exceeding 60 Miles in Circumference yet of great moment to the Venetians in rendring them Wood sufficient to build their Ships and Galleys having the Chief Town of the same name with the Island defended by Two strong Fortresses Commanded by a Governour revoked or changed yearly and altho the Island it self affords no extraordinary Merchandise yet it lies Commodious for Ships Trading in those parts The Mediterranean Sea Considered together with the Islands therein THe Mediteranean Sea is so called from its Midland Scituation as being environed with the Earth c. and in it are found these Islands of Note viz. SICILY about 700 Miles in Circumference famed throughout the World for its Fertility producing Oyl Corn Wine Rice Sugar Alloms Salts Fruits Mettals Corral and of Cattle such abundance that it feeds not only it self but a great part of Italy and other Neighbouring Countries and was accounted the Granary of ancient Rome nor can the New well subsist without its supplies And here is found the Flaming Mount Aetna which frequently has such horrible Eruptions that it not only sends Stones and Cinders with Fire into the Air an incredible height which scatter over many parts of the Countrey but to the great Misfortune of the Inhabitants and many times to the overthrow of Towns and Cities emitteth streams of Liquid Fire or melted Minerals which have been known to run in a Fiery Torrent a mile into the Sea before the Waves could extinguish them and here the Chief Cities are Mesina and Syracuse and the whole Countrey at present is under the King of Spain tho formerly it was an entire Kingdom Governed by a King of its own the Kings of Sicily lately stiling themselves Kings of Jerusalem and the people are much of the nature of those in Italy from which the Island is divided by a small Arm of the Sea only MALTA anciently Melita the Landing Place of St. Paul in his way to Rome when the Viper clave to his hand and he shook it into the Fire is a fair Island tho but little in Compass yielding store of Oranges Lemons Figgs Citrons Cottoons Pomgranats and many other delicious Fruits but is so unhappy to be mostly deficient in Wine and Corn by which it is supplied from Sicily and other parts however it is one of the Chief Sea Fortresses or Bulwarks of Christendom against the Turks Commanded by an Order of Knights called the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem tho vulgarly termed or named the Knights of Malta the whole Territory being 10 Leagues in Length and 4 in Breadth yet contains 60 Villages and 4 principal Cities the Chief Valet a strong and well Fortified City wherein the great Master of the Order has his Palace and the Knights their Chambers as also a Tower from whence a Prospect may be taken of the whole Island CORSICA Scituate over against Genoa being 325 Miles in Circumference and of a very Fruitful Product yielding Corn Wine Figgs Raisins and Hony and has in it Iron Mines Mines of Allom and other Minerals and has for its chief Cities Bastia pleasantly seated on the North East part of the Island on a commodious Haven Mara Gallera St. Florence St. Boniface and some others of lesser note and is under the Government of Genoa and affords a Beast rarely found but in this Island called Mufoli with a Skin like a Deer but harder by many Degrees and Horns like a Ram and here are bred an Excellent Race of good Horses and is an Island much noted for its good Havens upon the Account of the Reception for Shipping Trading in the Mediterranean SARDINIA is another Island of this Tract not above 7 Miles distant from the former though much larger as not held to be less than 560 Miles in compass abounding with Corn and Fruit as being but little troubled with Hills and though the Soil is Rich yet no Poisonous nor Offensive thing is found in the Island having for its principal Cities Coliaris well Inhabited and Fortified seated upon a good Haven being an Arch-Bishops See Reparata Bossa and Aquilastra and in the whole Island are two other Arch-Bishops and 15 Suffragaâ— Bishops the People throughout this Island demeaning themselves courteous to Strangers and are very just in their dealings The Baleares are sundry Islands found in this Sea and the greatest of these are Majorca and Minorca