The Design of 



In the mean time we fent our Spahis to the Commander of thofe Tartar 

 to tell them , we would not ftir 'till they were gone , and that being 

 Souldiers as they were , they could not hope for any booty from us. 

 The Commander anfwer'd , that he had divided his men in that manner 

 only to do us Honour 5 but fince we defir'd they lhould be gone , they 

 requelted us but to fend them a little Tobacco. A boon which we rea- 

 dily granted them , and fo we pafs'd on. 



We came to ^ddrianople the three and twentieth day after we par- 

 ted from Belgrade. i^Jdrianople takes its name from the Emperour 

 Adrian , being formerly call'd Orcjies. It is pleafantly fitUatedat the 

 mouth of three Rivers that throw themfelves into the ^Archipelago. 

 The old Town is not very big, but the Turks dayly enlarge the Sub- 

 urbs, being a place which the Grand signers very much delight in for 

 the pleafures of Hunting and Hawking , efpecially at the wild Duck 

 and Heron. 



The fifth day after we departed from ^Adrianople , and the forty 

 fécond after we departed from Vienna , we happily arriv'd at Conjlan- 

 timple , and crofling through the City over to Galata , went to the 

 Ambaffador's Houfe. While we ftay'd there to winter, we made a 

 iraall Voyage to the Dardanells , to the Ruins of Troy , where we be- 

 held nothing but Stones, not worth the while of going fo far to fee* 

 Another day we took three Barks andSail'dto calcedon } that lies upon 

 the Sea. There is in it a very ancient Church ; and they fliew'd us the 

 Room where the Council was held , with the fame Chairs which 

 were then made ufe of. Now it is only a Monaftery, where two 

 Bilhops after they had ihew'd us what they could , handfomjy enter- 

 tain'd us. 



Then we went to view Pompefs Pillar at the mouth of the Black 

 Sea. Concerning the Channel of which Sea , I muft make one Ob- 

 fervation ; that though there be no part of the Sea but has one 

 Current , yet this has two quite contrary one to another. That 

 part next to Europe carries the VelTel to the Black Sea,- and that 

 next <-^<* brings it back again to the Mediterranean. So that 

 you have no more to do but to crofs over from one Shore to the* 

 other. 



The Winter being over , the two French Gentlemen purfu'd their 

 Voyage for ^Alexandretta. But for my part , I having another defign 

 in my head , ftay'd at Constantinople , in expectation of a Caravan , 

 which the people told me from Month to Month was coming. I was 

 then ignorant , and did not underftand that every year there were five 

 or fix Caravans that went from Burfa. Befides , that fometimes eight 

 or ten Merchants travelling together, might go fafe to ijpahan. 

 Which ignorance of mine made me ftay longer than I intended. At 

 length , after I had continu'd eleven Months in Confiantinople , I de- 

 parted with a fair and numerous Caravan for Jfiahan , which was the 

 firft time I travell'd into ^Afia, After that I made five others, wherein 

 I had time better to underftand the Qualities of thei Countries , and 

 the Genius of the People. The three laft times I went beyond Gau- 

 ges , to the Ifland of Java ; fo that for the fpaee of forty years , I 

 have travell'd above fixty thoufand Leagues by Land; never retur- 

 ning but once into Europe by Sea. And thus in my fix Voyages,' 

 and by travelling different Roads , I had the leifure and opportunity 



to 



