54 The Persian Travels Book II. 



In the morning we call Anchor , and went a-{hoar. It is a good half League 

 from the Road where the Coni'uls and Merchants, both Fnglijh, Hollanders, and French, 

 live in a very pitiful Village. However there is a little Monaftery of Capuchins, who 

 officiate in the Chappel of the French Conful-, and another of Religious Italians,' 

 that depend upon the Guardian of Jerusalem. We (laid but two days at Lamcca- 7 

 the Captain having nothing to do but to inform himfelf what bufineis they might 

 have for him at his return j it being ulual to then to take in fpun and unipun Cottons, 

 together with courie Wool for MattrefTes. 



From Larneca 'till we came in view of the Coaft of Syria, we had the Wind very 

 favourable •, but at length coming to prove a little contrary, inftead of carrying us 

 to Alexandria , it caft us to the Northward , two or three Leagues higher, upon 

 the Coaft oiCilicia , toward a Town calPd PaiaJJes. Half a League from that City 

 lyes a vail Rock , and between that Rock and the Land runs a very high Sea : And 

 here it was that the people of the Country believe that the Whale caft up Jonas 

 again •, though the common Opinion reports it to have been done near Joppa in 

 Palefline. All along that Coaft from Alexandretta Ji**Paia(fes , and farther, the 

 way is fo narrow and ftraiten'd by the Mountain , that in i'ome parts the Camels and 

 Horfes mull dip their Feet in the Sea : and ytt you muft pafs that way of nece.Tity, 

 travelling from Syria to Constantinople. Between Akxandreita and Paiaffts it 

 w^s , that the Chevalier Paid , in a VefTel that carry'd only three hundred Men, naifs'd 

 but little of furprizing the Caravan that every Year carries the Tribute of Egypt 

 to Conftuntinople , which fince hath never been lent by Sea for fear of the Maltefi. 

 This Knight had landed his Men , and laid them in Ambulcade-, but unfortunately 

 his Delign was difcovcr'd , fo that the Caravan , that might have been eaiily furpriz'd, 

 ftood upon their Guard. 



We were near the Coaft , when we difcovcr'd a Skiff with fifteen or fixteen 

 Turks , that were fent by him that commanded four Galleys of Rhodes to demand the 

 Cuftomary Prefent from our Captain. Thofe Galleys then anchor'd at PaiaJJes, 

 and had there difcharg'd themfelves of their Provifions of War for Ba^dat , which 

 the Grand Signor was going to befiege. And it is the cuftom, that when the Great 

 7V£s Galleys are out at Sea , that whatever ftrange VefTel partes by them muft 

 lend them a Prefent , either willingly or by force. When the Bafta of the Sea, 

 who is the Admiral of the Turks , is in Perfon at Sea , the VefTel which he meets 

 is not excus'd for 2000 Crowns : fo that when he fets out from Conflantinople to cruile, 

 the VefTels of the Franks do all they can to avoid him. There are fome that will 

 feek to efcape in fight of the Galleys , but it has coft them dear. And it happened, 

 that one day the Wind flackning , they boarded a VefTel of Marseilles , the Captain 

 and Notary whereof were both feiz'd , and drub'd 'till their Bodies were almoft 

 bruis'd to a Gelly, and they had like to have dy'd upon it, without being the better 

 in their Purfes •, for the rudeneis of the Chaftifement did not excufe them from 

 paying the Money which was demanded. Whether our Captain knew any thing 

 of this Example, or whether it were out of his natural heat of Valour, he laugh'd 

 at the Skiff-men, bidding them be gone, and telling them he had no Prefents for 

 them but Cannon-Bullets. Thereupon the Men return'd to their Galleys, who foon 

 deliver'd us from the true fear we were in , that the gallantry of the Captain had 

 drawn us into an inconvenience. For while we kept the Sea cloie by the Coaft, to 

 obferve the Countenances of the Turks, they weigh'd Anchor, and turn'd their 

 Prows toward Rhodes. - However, before they left us they lent us a Broad-fide, and 

 our Captain, whatever we could fay, fent them another, which render'd us more 

 guilty. For the Turks pretend that when their Navy is at Sea, or only one Squadron, 

 and that a ftrange VefTel is in fight, fhe is bound to come as near as the Wind will 

 permit her without being hal'd , for which they will otherwife make the Commander 

 pay very feverely. The Confuls and Merchants of Aleppo undcrftanding what had 

 pafs'd, very much blam'd the Captain, fearing a worfc confequence of the bufinefs: 

 But by good fortune , the mifcarriage was ftifl'd and never went farther. 



The fame day the Wind veering to the Weft-North-Weft , we iail'd into the 

 Road of Alexandretta , where we came to an Anchor, ahout a quarter of a League 

 from the Land. Upon the advice which they have out of Chriftendom, fo fbon as 

 they of Alexandretta difcover a VefTel, and. know what Colours fhe carries, the 

 Vice-Conful of the Nation to which the VefTel belongs , fails not to advertife the 



Conful 



