I oo Travels into the: Levant- Part I, 
^ ■ CHAP. LXIV. 
Of the IJIe of Chio^ and its Inhabitants, 
Cbio. 
CH I O, called by the Turks Sakifadafi^ that is to fay the Iflé of MaBick, 
is a famous Ifland of the Archipelago^ about an hundred miles from Smyr- 
na, though it would not be fo far, if one kept a ftreight courfe \ but one 
xàmos, or muft go round a Hill, which the. Greeks call Xamos.fi\[eT{\x\:.sSoHfamho£ax.i, 
soufmbogiiu j-f,^,- 2 great way out into the Sea. This Ifland belonged heretofore to 
the Jiiftiniam Genoefe Lords, with the title of a Principality j but it was 
taken in the year i5(55. by a Captain A-z/^*?, named Ptalis and fubjeded to 
the Turks. The Ifle of Chib is fourfcore Miles in Circuit, and very Populous, 
having a City and above threefcore Towns and Villages, inhabited for the mojb 
part only by Chriftians ; and the whole Land is full of Country Habitations 
confining of a little fpot of Ground and a little Tower-houfe, with two or 
three Rooms, fo that it feems to be a Town in the Fields, like the Country 
about Marfeilles. It is an Ifland much fubjeft to Earth-quakes, and would be 
very Fertile, if it were not fo Stony, and had more Water j for it Rains fo 
little there, that every Spring they are fain to make Proceflions through the 
City for obtaining Rain from Heaven : The Turks firft make theirs, next the 
Greeks,then the Latines,and laftly the Jews.The Turks are very little concerned 
. . . which of all thefe Prayers be heard, provided they have what they ask, but 
Juflimani. notwithftanding the Hillinefsand drynefs of the Ifland, yet it has all things 
neceflary in fufficient quantity, and good. It yields Corn, plenty of very good 
Wine, but fo thick that many do not like it, becaufe ( as they fay ) they muft 
both eat and drink it. All things are very cheap there, and excellent good 
Partridges Partridges may be had for little or nothing ^ but it is curious to fee how they 
how thev"are '^^^^^ "P ^^'^^^ ^^'"'^^ ^^^^ ' Peafants like publick Keepers, who 
bred. ' are paid by aU that have Partridges for feeding them, and thefe Men having 
called them aU about them in the Morning with a Whiftle, lead them out into 
the Fields as one drives Turkies, and fo foon 8s they are come to the fide of a 
Hifl where he drives them, they fcatter and feed where they can beftj arîd in 
the Evening,he who hath the care of them coming to the Hill,falls a Whiftling 
very loud, and then all his Partridges gather about him, and return Home 
to their feveral Mailers, none ever lîaying behind. Thefe Creatures under- 
Hand fo well the call of him who commonly feeds them, that let another 
Whiftle never fo much, they wiU not come to him. 
When I was at Chio, I could not have that Diveriîon, for then it was not 
Tame Par- the Seafbn, Ihavefeenof thefe Partridges more tame than any Pullets, for 
tndges. |-hey would let any body touch them and flroke them,without ftirring from their 
The Pole ifle piace. This is the only Ifland among the Turks that hath preferved its Li- 
ofci/ohath berty, for the Inhabitants live as they think fit, profeiFmg and exerciiîng their 
preferved its Religion with all imaginable freedom, only they are Subjeds to the Turks, 
Liberty. gj^^^ Tribute -, but they are in no ways molefted, nor burthened with 
Impofitions. The Chiots are generally Chriftians, and there are very few 
Turks among them ; a good part of thefe Chriftians are Roman Catholicks, 
and the reft are of the Greek Church . All the Inhabitants, both Greeks and 
Latins, have much of the Humour of the Genoefe, who formerly Governed 
^f"?''^^ *^^ ■ There are feveral Families ftill in that Ifland, who derive themfelves 
t-icjiij !h!Mn. fi-om the Houfe of thQ Jujiimam ; for they ftifl make a diftindion betwixt the 
The manners Gentlemen ( who are pretty numerous) and the Plebeians, the Chiots are 
of the chiots. Apparelled after the Ceonefe Falhion, they are ugly, and though their Perfons 
be proper and well fliaped, yet their looks would fears a body ^ they are very 
proud, and nevcrthelefs, Gentlemen and all goto Market, and buying what 
they want, carry it openly along the Streets, without any fliame. They love 
the Spaniards better then the French, but had rather be under the Government 
of 
