54 ?lk Persian Travels Book II. 



Ill the morning we caft Anchor , and went a-ftioar. It is a good half League 

 from the Road where the Conluls and Merchants, both Englijh, Hollanders, and French, 

 live in a very pitiful Village. -However there is a little Monaftery of Capuchin^, who 

 officiate in the Chappel of the French Confulj and another of Religious Italians, 

 that depend upon the Guardian of Jerusalem. We ftaid but two days at Larmca-, 

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

 have for him at his return it being ufual to then to take in fpun and unfpun Cottons, 

 together with coude Wool for MattrefTes. 



From Lameca '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 Alexandretta , it caft us to the Northward , two or three Leagues higher, upon 

 the Coaft of Cilicia , toward a Town calPd Paiajfes. Half a League from that City 

 lyes a vaft 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 Jcppa in 

 Palefline. AH along that Coaft from Alexandretta to Paiajfes , and farther, the 

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

 Horles muft dip their Feet in the Sea : and ytt you muft pafs that way of neceffity, 

 travelling from Syria to Conïtantinople. Between Alexandretta and PaiajJ.s it 

 was , that the Chevalier Paul, in a Veflel that carry'd only three hundred Men, mifs'd 

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

 to Constantinople , which fince hath never been fent by Sea for fear of the M4tefi. 

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

 his Defign was difcover'd , fo that the Caravan , that might have been eafily furpriz'd, 

 flood upon their Guard. 



We were near the Coaft,- when we difcover'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 PaiajJ'es, 

 and had there difcharg'd themfelves of their Provifions of War for Bagdat , which 

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

 Turk\ Galleys are out at Sea , that whatever ftrange Veflel pafles by them muft 

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

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

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

 the Veflels of the Franks do all they can to avoid him. There are ibme that will 

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

 that one day the Wind flackning , they boarded a Veflel of Marfeilies , 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 rudenefs 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 Iaugh'd 

 at the Skiff-men, bidding them be gone, and telling them he had noPrefents 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 clofe by the Coaft , to 

 obferve the Countenances of the T urks , they weigh'd Anchor , and turn'd their 

 Prows toward Rhodes. However, before they left us they fent 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 Veflel is in fight, (he 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 underftanding what had 

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

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



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

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

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

 they of Alexandretta difcovera VefTei, and know what Coloursfhe carries, the 

 Vice-Conful of the Nation to which the Veflel belongs, fails not to adyertife the 



Coniul 



