Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	fish_n	great_a	sea_n	3,519	5	6.8793	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26262	Travels into divers parts of Europe and Asia, undertaken by the French King's order to discover a new way by land into China containing many curious remarks in natural philosophy, geography, hydrology and history : together with a description of Great Tartary and of the different people who inhabit there / by Father Avril of the Order of the Jesuits ; done out of French ; to which is added, A supplement extracted from Hakluyt and Purchas giving an account of several journeys over land from Russia, Persia, and the Moguls country to China, together with the roads and distances of the places.; Voyage en divers états d'Europe et d'Asie. English	Avril, Philippe, 1654-1698.; Hakluyt, Richard, 1552?-1616.; Purchas, Samuel, 1577?-1626.	1693 (1693)	Wing A4275; ESTC R16481	168,850	421

Leaves are not carry'd from one end of the Empire to the other but only by the Water that rowles 'em along through the Caverns of the Earth Upon this Sea it was which so many particular Qualities render very remarkable that we embark'd in a Muscovite Fly-boat but very ill equipp'd But the Season which was extreamly proper for Navigation supply'd all things that could be wanting otherwise we gain'd the Volga six days after we set sail from the Road of Nizzova which is one of the safest and most convenient in all Persia. For besides the great plenty of Wood in the Parts adjoyning which serves for the refitting and repairs of shatter'd Vessels there is a prodigious number of Towns and Villages able to furnish a numerous Fleet with all manner of Provision After we had left the Sea by the favour of a fair East Wind which carry'd us about Sixscore Leagues in a little time we found our selves upon the Volga before we knew where we were For in regard this famous River discharges it self into the Caspian Sea through Seventy Mouths as we are commonly assur'd and for that it still preserves the Majesty of the Current for above Thirty Leagues after it has quitted the various Sho●rs that close it on both sides it seems to dispute the Possession of its Channel with the Sea So that the only Mark to be assur'd that you are got into the River is the freshness of the Water which he that first discovers receives the same Rewards as in other places the Seamen do that first descry Land No sooner were we got into one of the Mouths but our Vessel being deep loaden struck upon a Sand-bank which the Pilots had not the foresight to avoid But in regard this Accident befel us several times afterward during our Voyage I rather attribute it to the Shallowness of the River which divides it self into too many Arms to be able to carry a Vessel of an ordinary Burthen then to the Seamen's want of experience However it were certain I am that we spent twice as much time in getting up to Astracan which lies not above Twelve or Thirteen Leagues from the Mouth of the River then it took us up to Sail from Persia to the Rivers Mouth Not that we were thus equally perplext but only till we had got to the first place where the Muscovites have a great Fishery which is one of the best Revenues which the Czar has There it was that our Vessel had Orders to stop for two or three days till the Governor of Astrakan to whom we despatch'd a Messenger to give him notice of our Arrival gave us leave to make forward During that little time that we were oblig'd to stay we had good sport in seeing the Fishermen catch Sturgeons which is one of the greatest curiosities that ever I saw in my Life and the manner of it is this The Muscovites to make their best Advantage of the great plenty of Fish which the Caspian Sea distributes to all the Rivers that fall into it have driven in long Piles of Timber from one side to the other in one of the Channels of the Volga which they thought most proper for their Fishery Howerever they do not shut up all the Passages so close but that they leave one of each side for the Fish to swim up the River and for the Vessels that return from Persia and other places a little above this first Barricado of Piles they drive in others all a row in the form of a Triangle into which the Fish is easily carry'd by the violence of the Stream tho when he is in 't is not only impossible for him to get out but even to stir himself as well by reason of the narrow compass of his Prison as because of the huge bulk of his Body In the mean time the Fishermen who keep beating the Water to frighten the Fish into the Snare visit their Entrenchments made on purpose twice a day where they never miss of the Prey which they look for which done they thrust a great Hook through the Ears of the Fish and having drawn him up just above Water beat out his Brains with a great Club to prevent his escape or doing any other Mischief should they preserve him alive in their Boats After this they carry their Prize to the Banks of the Fishery where they disembowel the Fish and take out the Eggs of which one single Sturgeon sometimes affords 'em so great a number as weighs above two or three hunder'd Pound This is that glutinous Substance so well known in Foreign Countries under the name of Caviar which they prefer before all the rest They Salt it very carefully and put it up with great care to serve 'em in their Ragou's instead of Butter which is forbidden 'em during Lent As for the Body of the Fish after they have cut it into Quarters they squeeze out the Oyle or else they pickle it up to be transported into all the Provinces of the Empire or else into the Neighbouring Kingdoms where they have an extraordinary vent for it But the pleasure that we took in this Fishing sport was very much allay'd by the inconveniencies of an Army of Gnats that swarm upon the Volga a little before and after Sun set Their Stings so terribly torment both Man and Beast that I am easily induc'd to believe that of all the Plagues of Egypt the Plague of the Flies was the most noisome and insupportable Therefore to secure themselves from this Vexation Travellers wrap themselves over head and ears with a little Tent which they carry with 'em on purpose so soon as they begin to feel 'em sting But in regard we had made no provision against these formidable Enemies we lay at their mercy all the while we staid in the Volga So that when we came to Astrakan we should have been taken for Leapers or people that were troubl'd with a Dropsie but that the Inhabitants were well acquainted with the reason of the Wheals and Blisters that disfigur'd us However this Martyrdom was at an end after four days for the Governor of Astrakan having sent his Lieutenant to the Vessel to do it the more honour as belonging to the Grand Duke the Passengers had leave to quit the Ship and put our selves into a Shallop or kind of Gondola the lightness of which and the dexterity of the Rowers was such that we quiekly got sight of Astrakan Astrakan which the most exact Geographers place in the forty eighth degree of Northern Latitude is a City seated in one of the Islands of Volga about thirteen Leagues from the mouth of the River whatever Struys says who will have it to be fifty Leagues remote from the River's mouth It is encompass'd with a double Wall without any other Fortification only some few Tow'rs half Musquet shot one from another The great Guns are very fair ones and the Garison is very numerous Now in regard the ground upon which that

day began to break it enrag'd the Sea to that degree that in a short time we could see nothing but Mountains and Abysses of Water All the while our Vessel which could hardly bear her Sprit-sail tho it was almost quite furl'd up was so terribly toss'd by the Waves that continually beat upon her and pour'd into her without ceasing that we look'd every moment to have been swallow'd up These terrible shogs together with the dreadful roaring of the Sea and the outragious fury of the Wind which would not permit the Seamen to hand the Sails and stand at the Steerage so extreamly astonish'd our people that every body abandon'd himself to his Dispair without minding any Orders that were given there was nothing but hurry alarum and confusion Insomuch that the Captain who knew not what course in the world to take nor how to make the Seamen obey his Command who stood all holding fast by some part or other of the Ship for fear of being crush'd to pieces or ding'd into the Sea was forc'd to commit himself for some time to the mercy of the Billows without any other hope then that of being thrown upon the Coast of Barbary where if he could not save the Vessel at least he might save the Mens Lives In this deplorable Condition at what time the Image of Death which appear'd in the faces of all the forlorn Mariners and terrify'd me more then all the rest God inspir'd me with so much courage that notwithstanding the consternation I was in I took advantage of the stupifying terror of the Seamen and caus'd 'em to bethink themselves of their Eternal Salvation at a time when they had no thoughts of any other To which purpose after I had first of all prepar'd my self for all Events that could befall us I endeavour'd to recover 'em out of that same prodigious insensibility wherein they were and to put 'em in mind of the preservation of their Souls the loss of which concern'd 'em more then that of their Bodies which seem'd to be inevitable I was very much overjoy'd to see several of the Sea-men come and make their Confessions at my Feet while others perform'd several open and signal Acts of Contrition and Conformity to the Will of God to Faith Hope and Charity as I had been careful to infuse into their Minds At the same time I took the advantage of their Pious Inclinations to admonish 'em to put their confidence in the Holy Virgin and to make their Addresses to her at such a time of eminent danger In short we soon began to be sensible of her powerful Protection in such a singular manner that we could no longer question but that she had effectually interceded for us with him whom Seas and Winds are bound to obey For no sooner had I brought 'em to promise me to make Confession and receive the Sacrament in honour of her if e're we came to be so happy as to get safe ashore but we began to be in hopes of that assistance which we expected from above All resum'd fresh courage in an instant and whether it were that God made 'em look upon the Danger to be less then it was or whether the long continuance of the Storm had made 'em less sensible every one put themselves forward to make good the Vessel against the violence of the Waves that still tumbl'd and toss'd it with an extraordinary force and at length the Wind being somewhat abated the men absolutely recover'd themselves and the Calm which insensibly return'd put us in a condition to steer our first intended Course Which we did so prosperously that within two days after we descry'd the Island of Cyprus the Land of which appear'd so much the more delightful to us in regard that but a little before we never thought of seeing Land any more Now because the two Vessels that set sail from Leghorn had appointed to meet in the Road of Lerneca we came to an Anchor there the 25th of Ianuary which was the twelfth of our being at Sea There we thought to have met the Thundring Iupiter which indeed might well have been there before us as being the better Sailer though the bigger Ship But the Tempest which had separated us at first had handl'd her so rudely that after the Men had thought they should have been swallow'd up by the Water which she took in on every side she was forc'd to put in by the way and refit before she could overtake us However being uncertain as we were what was become of her and designing to be assur'd of what we were to trust to we were permitted to put in to Lerneca and go ashore to refresh our selves till we could hear news of our Man of War Lerneca which was formerly a City of a large extent as may well be judged by the spaciousness of her Ruins is now no more then a Village seated about a quarter of a Mile from the Sea to the South and inhabited by several considerable and wealthy Merchants as being one of those places in the Island of Cyprus where the greatest Trade is driven The Fathers of the Holy Land have there a very convenient Covent and the Capuchins also a most delightful Mansion Which latter being French whereas the others are almost all Spaniards we took up our Lodging with the Capuchins Nor can any thing be added to the Entertainment which they gave us nor to the charitable care which they took to recover us from our past Hardships The Fertility of this Island is so great and there is such an extraordinary plenty of all things for the support of Human Life that there is not perhaps any part of the World where a man brought down by Sickness and Infirmities may sooner recover his Strength and Health The Wines are excellent and all the Fruits delicious the Citrons Oranges and Limons cost little or nothing There is a prodigious number of Fra●colins as well as other Wild-Fowl And in general whatever is to be desir'd either to supply the Exigencies or pamper the Pleasures of a Voluptuous Life is to be found there in such vast abundance that this Island may contend for Delight and Conveniency with any other in the World But in the midst of these great Advantages it wants fresh Water there not being in all the Island above one Spring that is not brackish This Fountain lies exactly upon the Sea-shore yet notwithstanding the nearness of it to the Sea preserves the sweet and delicious Tast which distinguishes it from the rest I leave it to the Philosophers to unfold this Prodigy of Nature which tho frequent enough yet seems to have something of a wonder in it During our stay in this Island an ugly Accident befell some Passengers that were embark'd aboard our Vessel One day that they were walking upon the Sea-shore where the Turks have a little Fort but meanly guarded their Curiosity led 'em to enter the inside of the Place where

Consolation than the Affliction of my past Miseries had dejected me But that which contributed more then all the rest to make me look upon all my Sufferings as nothing was my meeting in those Parts with Father Barnaby a Jesuit then which nothing could be more acceptable to me as being the Person with whom I had long and passionately desir'd to conser to the end I might take such certain Measures from his Lips for the accomplishment of my undertaking which he approv'd no less then my self and had been one of those who had giv'n me the first Draught of Now in regard the Fathers in whose House we lodg'd would not discover us to one another to the end we might take the more delight in our enterview we met several times and talk'd together at the same time without knowing each other tho' we had formerly liv'd both together in the same College whether our Countenances were really alter'd after a long Separation or whether it were that the Fashion of our Habits which we were oblig'd to change and in which we had never seen each other made us appear quite different from what we were formerly Nevertheless by the force of long Consideration and attentive Examination we began to recal each other so well to mind that we became convin●'d of our former Acquaintance And then it was that we both abandon'd our selves to those pleasing Transports of Joy that upon the like Occasions seize the Souls of two Persons whom the Love of Jesus Christ has strictly united together After we had somewhat recover'd our selves from the Astonishment of such a happy surprizal and had given each other a mutual Account of our past Adventures I put him insensibly upon the design which he had formerly propos'd of opening a new way into China through Grand-Tartary and other Countries of Asia which are so little known in Europe Now in regard the had been extreamly zealous to know after what manner his design had been entertain'd in France and whether it had been approv'd by our Superiours he could not refrain from Tears when I put into his hands the Orders which I had been entrusted to deliver him and told him my mind withal in these words At length dear Father said I Heaven has heard your Prayers You are the Person whom Heaven has ordain'd for that great Undertaking of which you laid the design and here is the Person made choice of to be the faithful Companion of your Labours More then happy if you and I can but discover this important Passage or else lay down our Lives in obedience to the Call of God which inspires us both with the same desires for the Advancement of his Glory No sooner did he understand these joyful Tidings but he imparted to me all the prospects of his Consideration upon such an important design and made me so deeply sensible of the great Advantages which might be expected from it for the Establishment of Religion that he oblig'd me forthwith to take a Resolution never to abandon the Execution of this Enterprize whatever Accidents should intervene to cross it as being then persuaded as I am still that Resolution and Constancy would assure us of infallible Success From that happy moment we desir'd nothing more then to see our selves in a Condition to begin so pious a Work But in regard the Affairs of the Missions of Armenia call'd him to Aleppo and that the appointment of Heaven commanded me to Betlis we could do nothing further then agree together during our short stay at Diarbeker upon the ways and means which it behov'd us to make use of the Execution of our Design so soon as might be All things thus agreed he rejoyn'd his Caravan and I mine both well inclin'd on our parts to leave nothing omitted that might contribute to the accomplishment of our Vows Thus while he travell'd towards Euphrates I took the Road for Armenia after I had pass'd the Tiger the first time over a fair Stone-Bridge about a quarter of a League fron the City of Diarbeker But I was not so fortunate the second time that I was to cross it in a Wind-boat which the People on the other side of the River got ready in a moment so soon as they saw the Caravan appear This Machine which the People of the Country make use of not only to Ferry over the Tiger but also to-go by Water from place to place between Diarbeker to Bassora where this River falls into the Sea is no other then a fastning together of several Goatskins blown up and join'd together on the four Sides with as many long Perches ty'd very close together and afterwards cover'd over with several Branches of Trees that are carefully laid athwart When our Boat was ready it was carry'd a good way above that place where we staid for it on the opposite Shoar after which the Waterman lanching and getting into it the Stream which is very Rapid whirld it down the River and the strength of the Pilots Oars brought it just to our Feet The Baggage was soon carry'd over and then the Travellers got into the Boat with every one his Horse's Bridle in his hand the Horse being unsaddl'd for the more easy convenience of Swimming I follow'd the Crowd because I would not be one of the last but my being so hasty cost me dear For not being inform'd of the Precautions which it behov'd me to observe in standing upon those sort of Boats I unfortunately set my Foot upon one of the Borrachio's or Leathern Goat-skin Baggs which was not cover'd not knowing that by pressing it in that manner I should cause it to sink Upon which one of the Boat-men perceiving the false step I had made without any more to do took me by force and flung me back upon the Bank of the River where he fulfill'd his Revenge of my Inadvertency which certainly was no Crime but God reserv'd another Tryal for me at this Passage which was much more harsh and severe then that which I had suffer'd already For the Tiger which the excessive Rains that year had extreamly swell'd not being to be contain'd within its proper Channel makes a second by the Inundation which tho not so deep as the true Channel is very broad however and no less rapid then the real one Now every body being got a Horse-back to foard it in the place that was shew'd us I follow'd the File of those that were got before But before I was got to the middle my Horse that was weak and weary in striving to resist the impetuosity of the Torrent that began to be too strong for him threw me into the Water and the Stream which I was not able to resist carry'd me a great way along with it which had it not done I had immediately been trod to pieces in under the Horses feet that follow'd behind Immediately the People of the Caravan observing what had befallen me threw themselves pell-mell into the River Turks

Ruins overthrowing Five or six thousand Houses and killing so great a number of Inhabitants who were buried under the Rubbish that now it is not above half so big as formerly it was and yet there are reckon'd to be in it near upon Fifty or sixty thousand Souls nor is there any part perhaps of the Persian Empire where you shall meet with so vast a concourse of Strangers Besides the great number of Armenians which as they say amounts to Thirty thousand there are Indians Muscovit●● Georgians Greeks Turks Circassians and an infinite number of other People whom the Neighbourhood of the Sea together with the Goodness of the Country draws thither from all Parts This Concourse of so many different Nations it was which made us earnestly wish there were a Mission settl'd in this City as being fully perswaded that several Zealous Missionaries would find in abundance wherewith to repay the Labours of their fervent Zeal It seems our Prayers have been heard since our departure thence so that we have now a Residence there for which we are beholding to the deceas'd Count de Syri who employ'd all his Credit with the King of Persia to obtain leave for an Establishment in that Place And he was pleas'd to lay the first foundations of it himself by Father Pothier of the Order of Jesus whom he carry'd along with him on purpose from Ispahan to Schamaki where he left him in his return to Poland there to give the King an Account of his Negotiations on the behalf of all the Christian Princes engag'd in the War against the Turks This Father Pothier was one of the most accomplish'd Missionaries in the East and was one of those whom our King entrusted with the Royal Presents which he sent about ten years since to the Cha of Persia together with a Letter which he wrote in favour of the Christians of Nachivan who had a long time groan'd under the Tyranny of some Governors that most heavily oppress'd ' em He drew a great number of Disciples after him at the beginning by the Charms of his edifying Conversation and by his sweet and affable Disposition and Behaviour they came in Crouds to be instructed and participate of the Divine Mysteries But a certain Turk of whom the Father had hir'd a House till the Governor had assign'd him a Seat as he promis'd to do grew so jealous of the happy Progress of the Gospel and became so furiously mad to see his House which was really consecrated to Haly become a School of Christianity that he resovl'd to be reveng'd of the Affront that was every day put upon his Prophet and his Religion To which purpose rising in the Night when the Missionary never dreamt the least mistrust of him he brake open his Chamber-door and stabb'd him in the same place where he had given the first wounds to Heresy Schism and Infidelity Had we thought that one of our Brethren would have follow'd us so soon at the Heels to deprive us of the Palms which we might have disputed with him perhaps we should not hav● been so earnest to have quitted the Post we were in but then not knowing that Heav●n had any other use to make of our Ministry then to open a passage into China we hasten'd to the Caspian Sea three good days Journey from the City of Schamaki This little Sea which is not above Eight hunder'd Leagues in compass to speak properly is no more then a vast salt Lake into which above a hunder'd Rivers not to speak of an infinite number of little Rivolets discharge themselves on all sides and keep it continually fill'd with Water which She by way of return furnishes with so great a Quantity of Fish that in many places you may take 'em up with your hands without Net or Line More especiall in tempestuous Weather when the Fish forc'd on by the Waves suffer themselves to be crouded in Shoales into the Rivers where they are the more willing to abide as finding themselves shelter'd from the violent Agitations of the Sea Besides this particular Remark which I had leisure to observe during a stay of fifteen days till we could meet with an opporunity to embark I was not a little surpriz'd to see the same day we were to have set Sail the Seamen employ'd to fetch fresh Water out of the Sea above two Leagues from the Shoar Now in regard the thing to me seem'd extraordinary I had a mind to taste the Water which was as sweet as if it had been drawn out of a Fountain tho but a few paces from the same place it appear'd to be more brackish then in any Seas that ever I sail'd in But my wonder ceas'd when I consider'd what a vast quantity of fresh Water empti'd it self from all parts into the Caspian Lake But that which is more wonderful is this to see this petty Ocean equally restrain'd within the Bounds that Providence had ordain'd it notwithstanding the multude of Rivers that fall into it and which only one would think should swell it to that degree as sometimes to overflow its Bounds This respectful Obedience to Providence it is that has very much puzzl'd our Geographers and produc'd the Opinion among 'em touching the Communication of this Sea with some others which she enriches with her own plenty when overstor'd her self Some have thought that the Black Sea being the nearest to it of any other Sea makes this advantage to partake of her Neighbours store But besides that this Opinion is grounded upon no solid Reason it seems as if the Wisdom of God had plac'd between these two Seas a long rigde of High Mountains for no other end then absolutely to separate 'em one from the other But I have two Conjectures which make me believe that it rather discharges it self into the Persian Gulph how far remote soever it may seem to be then into any other Sea The first is because that in the Gulph of the Persian Sea to the South over against the Province of Kilan there are two dangerous Whirlypools or deep Abysses which the Persian Vessels that set Sail from that Coast endeavour to avoid as much as they can And the noise of the Water which throws it self into that Gulp with a surprizing Rapidness may be heard in calm Weather so far off that it is enough to terrify all those who are ignorant of the real Cause The second Conjecture which to me seems to be of more force then the former is grounded upon every years experience by which they who inhabit all along the Persian Gulph observe a vast quantity of Willow-leaves at the end of every Autumn Now in regard this sort of Tree is altogether unknown in the Southern Part of Persia which borders upon that Sea and for that quite the contrary the Northern part which is bounded by the Sea of Kilan has all the Sea-coasts of it shaded with those Trees we may assure our selves with probability enough that these

had already rais'd him many Enemies and therefore we forbore to press him any farther Some People perhaps may wonder considering the great numbers of Rivers which come from China that the Muscovites take no more benefit of the advantages that seem to offer themselves for setling a more safe and easie Trade then that by Land with the Chineses and Iapanners but in my opinion they ought not to be blam'd for preferring the course they take before any other For beside that they have but very little Experience in Sea Affairs they have met with Obstacles never to be surmounted in those Rivers whose Names are hardly known in Europe To make out this yet more apparent you must know that there are in the Country that lyes beyond Siberia four principal Rivers that fall into the Frozen Sea or the Sea of Tartary and into the Sea of Iapon not to speak of an infinite number of others that discharge themselves into the latter as may be seen in the Map of Siberia which is a faithful Copy of that which is preserv'd in the Chancery of Moscow The most Westerly of all these Rivers is Obi after which as you Travel to the East you meet successively with Genessai Lena and Yamour But as considerable as they are either for the abundance of Water or the extent of their course there are so many inconveniences to surmount if you go by Water and so many hazards to undergo at the mouths of every one that the Merchants always rather chuse to Travel by Land into China then to go by Sea For to speak something in particular of every one of these Rivers the Obi is extreamly dangerous at the mouth of it by reason of the horrid heaps of Ice with which it is pester'd almost all the year long and the Muscovites still bear in mind the misfortune of the Hollanders who by reason of their being engag'd too far in the Frozen Sea lost several of their Ships toward Nova Zembla The River of Genessai besides the inconvenience which is common to it with the Obi has one particular which consists in Nine Water-falls which the Muscovites call Poroki or Poroges and are distant several Leagues one from another and therefore because there would be a necessity of unlading the Vessel as many times as there are Water-falls to pass the Merchants have reason sufficient to avoid all that trouble and take a more convenient Road. 'T is true the course of the River Lena is more uniform but the mouth of it is no less difficult and dangerous to pass then that of the Obi for though it be not so much pester'd with Ice yet the great number of Rocks and Shelves will afford no safety for Vessels of very small Burthen only some flat-bottom'd Gondola's will venture to pick up certain black and white Fish which they find among the Rocks and make use of for several occasions As for the Yamour which is the most Easterly of all and falls into the Sea of Iapon though it have none of those annoyances that render the other Rivers unpassable yet in that part where it mixes with the Sea ' there grows such a prodigious number of Sea-Bulrushes that you would take the mouth of it for a real Forest. An Obstacle that might perhaps be remov'd were the Rushes like those which commonly grow in our Rivers But the People have assur'd me that they are of such an excessive bigness that a man can hardly grasp one of 'em with both his Arms by which you may guess that it would be as great a labour to clear that passage as to cut down and grub-up a whole Forest. However these Rivers notwithstanding they are so full of Obstacles and Difficulties yet are of great use to the Muscovites for the more commodious crossing those vast Countries that lye between Siberia and the Empire of China For besides that they Travel more easily over 'em when they are Frozen then they can by Land where the Roads can never be so level they are much more conveniently Navigable toward their Sources then toward the end of their Courses And though you may meet with some Falls of Water in rowing upward against the Stream yet they are neither so deep nor so dangerous as those that are nearer the mouths of the Rivers But that which is more remarkable where these Water-falls are is this that all the circumjacent Air seems to be as it were Embalm'd casting forth such a pleasing Fragrancy round about as if the most exquisite Persumes had spread themselves over all the adjoining Fields If what those Travellers assure us from whom we learnt these particulars be true 't is no difficult thing to unfold this Riddle For they affirm that on the tops of those Rocks that cause these Water-falls there grow most Odoriferous Flowers and those in great abundance To which may be added that as ordinary Perfumes never diffuse their Odours more powerfully then-when they are frotted or held to the Fire so the Air being thus persum'd diffuses a stronger scent being agitated and heated by the motion of the Water precipitating with such a rapidness then that which exhales in places where there is nothing but an undisturb'd and quiet calm Here it is that I ought to say something of Siberia had I any thing particular to observe concerning it but there is nothing remarkable that distinguishes it from the rest of the Provinces of Muscovy unless it be the excessive Cold it is subject to by reason of the extraordinary elevation of it Moreover as I have sufficiently observ'd how the Muscovites won it from the Cosaques I have nothing more to add to what I have said but that any man may be easily convinc'd by the multitude of Towns and Villages that are in it that that same Province of Muscovy is not so wild nor so desert as it is commonly thought to be Moreover what I have hitherto discours'd concerning the different Roads that lead to China and the various Countries through which a Traveller must pass in his way thither are sufficient if I am not mistak'n to give the Reader at least some Idea of the greater Tartary so little known to this day and concerning which no man dares over-curiously inform himself in Muscovy for fear of giving a Jealousie to that Nation on the most distrustful and suspicious of any other perhaps in the World so that we were forc'd to observe our measures to discover that little which I have made known And 't is very probable that had we come to Moscow in a Conjuncture less favourable we had not learn'd so much But in regard the Muscovites werethen designing to send an Embassadour into France to sollicite the King to enter into the League which they were then about to conclude with Germany and Poland against the Ottoman Empire we gave our selves a little more liberty to obtain those Informations we desir'd then at another time we durst have done But as the