Part 1. Travels into the hEv an t. 107 
with great Veneration they carry home to their Houfes -, and thereafon why 
they do fo, is perhaps, becaufe they have not a bit of Wood, bat have ic 
brought from Nio^ and buy it by the pound. They have no Flelh, if ic be not 
miraculoufly brought them by fome Raven j they have neverthelefs foaie Cac- 
tel which furnifh them with a little Cheefe: As for Fifh they can have none,be- 
caufe the Sea about them has no bottom. Some wild Fowl and Eggs they have, 
but it is a hard labour to climb up and down thefe difficult and craggy Rocks. 
Salt meats are relifts to them, and they feed on nothing but Beans, Peafe, Eggs 
and Bisket. They have very little or no Fruit at all, unlcfs ic be Grapes, of ' 
which they have enough in the Seafon. They know not what Phyficians, Chi- 
rnrgeons, Apothecaries, and men of that profeffion are. They are very 
Hour, and can defend therafelves from their Enemies with Stones, efpecially 
at Scaroj where one fingle man may beat down as many as he pleafes . They 
who ftay at home in the Ifland, lead a beaftly life ; for they do nothing but 
eat, drink, fleep, and play at Cards. This is all that can be faid of that 
Ifland, which looks like Hell ^ for the Sea in the Harbour and about the Goalt 
is black, and all feems BurnM and Scorched, by reafon of a little Rockie Ifland 
which appearing about threefcore Years ago, vomited up incredible Flames j 
which left fo deep a hole there, that when a Stone is thrown into ic, it is 
never heard fall to the bottom. But there happened fomething elfe fince in 
that Port, which is nolefs wonderful, and I fliafl relate it according as I had 
it from feveral hands in feveral places. 
One Sunday night about ei|,hteen years agoe, an exceeding great Noife be- An extraor- 
gan in the Port of Samorini., which was heard as far off as Chio^ two hundred dinary Acci- 
miles diflant ; but in fuch a manner, that at Chio it was thought that the Vene- cMentat sm- 
tian and Turkifh Fleets were Engaged, which made all People run up the next 
Morning to the highefl: places, to fee what might be feen ^ and I remember 
the Reverend Father -Ber»W,Superiour of the Capucins of Chio, a venerable 
Perfon, and of great Credit, told me that he had been mifl:aken as well as 
others, for he thought he had heard Guns as weU as they -, in the mean time 
there was nothing to be feen ; and indeed it was only a Fire that brake out at 
the bottom of the Sea, in the Port of S.mtorini, and wrought fuch effeds, that 
from Morning tillNight,vafl; numbersof Pumice Stones were caft up out of the 
Sea, with fo great cracking and noife, that one would have faid they had been 
fo many Cannon-Shot ; and that fo infected the Air, that in the Ifle oîSamorini 
many Died, and feveral lofi: their Sight ; which neverthelefs, they recovered 
again fome days after. This Infecftion fpread as far as the Noife that went 
before it i for not only in that Ifle, but even at Chio and Smyrna, all Silver, 
( whether lock'd up in Chefts, or in men's Pockets) turn'd red 5 and the Monks 
who live in thofe places, told me that all their Chalices became red. After 
fome days that Infedion was diflTipated, and the Silver came to its colour again. 
The Pumice-ftones that were call up there, fo covered the Sea of the Archipe- 
lago, that for fome time when certain Winds blew. Harbours were fl:op'd up 
with them ; infomuch, that the leall Barque that was could not get out, 
unlefs thofe that are on Board, with Poles made way through the Pumice- 
ftones ; and there are of themftill to be feen all over the Mediterranean Sea 
but infmall quantity, now they are difperfed up and down. Seneca in one 
of his Epiftles fays, that Santorini ftands upon Mines of Sulphur; and from 
them certainly the Fire proceeds. It is faid that Alexander the great found- 
ed the Sea at that place, and could find no Ground. There is neverthelefs 
a little Ifland called Firefia, at the point whereof, one may come to an Anchor, /• 
and no where elfe. ' 
P 2 CHAP. 
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