1 5 8 Travels into the 1, e v a n t. Part IL 
There were but fix Vcffels there, which were bound for the Indies^ four Vmdf 
Ships, one Armenian^ and a Moor; as for the Dw/cl? there was no thinking to go 
The Dutch with them, for they have taken an Oath to Tranfport no Franc}^^ thither, and that 
will not carry (jy exprefs Command from the Company becaufe (they fay) the Frank^s difcourfing 
indies^^ '° with their Sca-men, inform thernfelves commonly oi what concerns the Trade, 
and they are willing that that (hould be a hidden myftery, unknown to any but 
thernfelves. Though I had not known this, and that they had offered to admit 
of mc, yet I fhould have had a care not to have embraced the offer, knowing what 
^]itch^ thoughts they entertained of me. The Moorijh Ship was bad, not able to weather 
' ' a Storm, and far lefs to refift Pirats, if it had been attacked, which (in the mean 
time) was much to be feared : for there was a certain Sivagy at Sea, who was a 
Radgia or Prince, a Vaffal to the Mogul, but having revolted fomc years before, 
had wholly Plundered Surrat two years ago : fince that he Cruifed on the Seas, 
and had at that time a Fleet abroad, (as it was faid,) of an hundred Galliots, with 
which he took all he met, except the Dutch, whom he durft not meddle with, for 
fear of offending the Company which is powerful there. In the Amenian Ship 
there was no room, becaufe of the multitude of people that had a mind to em- 
bark in her, fo that many ^mewwrn thernfelves could not have a pafTage. But 
befides, I had no thoughts'of that, becaufe the VefTel was bought by an Armenian 
from the Vmch, and liill carried their Colours, the Captain and Malkr being Hol- 
landers, and the Malkr of the P«fci& Faéitory, f who was one called Fii«z^ici^J having 
told Monfieur T'avernier thzt he woul^ not fufFer me to be taken on bôard. Thefe 
An ill groun- Gentlemen entertained a very ill grounded fufpicion of me, but which neverthe- 
ded imagina- j^fs made great impreffions on their minds. They imagined, and told fomemcn 
^Hollanders ^'^^^ ^^'^^ knew very well that my Relations were the chief perfons concerned 
in the Company that was Eftabliftiing in France for the Trade of the Indies, and 
that I was a Spy fent to obferve the places: I know not what ground they had for 
entertaining fuch a fancy, for when I came out of France there was no talk of any 
fuch Eftablifhment, and it is more than I can tell if any Relation of mine 
was concerned in it. However, that imagination had almoft coft me my life, which 
convinced me tliat not only for three Months, but all the twelve Months of the 
Year the Air is mortal at Bender, for Franck^ who come thither out of Guriofity to 
pafs into the Indies » and though it would (eetn that there (hould be m.ore danger 
for thofe who go thither upon the account of Trade, yet the contrary is manifeft 
by experience. This ought to beaLeflbii to thofe who would Travel into thefc 
The Authors Country s merely out of Guriofity, and a defire of feeing and learning, as I did i 
defignin Tra- they maybe perfuaded that not only the Hollanders, but all in general (who Trade 
veiling. jj^jjj jj^g Indies whatfoever Nation, though even ones own Country men,) are 
unwilling that any body elfe fhould put their Nofes there, and return back to tell 
News, and they ought accordingly to ufe circumfp£<^iorv, and efpecially (hun thofe 
places where the Hollanders are Maflers. I was not long in refolving to be gone 
as foon as I could, and the befl way I could, from a place where I had fo much to 
to be afraid of, and fo little to hope for, for the Vutch are abfolute Mafters at 
Bender. They have fo great Credit there, that fome days before, the Scheich Ben- 
^ ^wc of ^h^ '^^^^"ê difpleafed the Vutch Commander, this Commander caufed the Dutch 
Pmch'it m- ^^^^ down, and made the Seheich humbly befeech him, nay and give 
der. him Prefentstoo, to put up another. 
The Author I refolved then to go fpend the Summer at Schiras, where I might fecurely con- 
returns to [^x\l what I had beft to do; but becaufe I had notice givca me that I fhould not at 
chiras. ^jj ^^^^^ ^^^ç^ Blades i I concealed my departure, and only difcovcred it to Mafier 
Flore, Fa(3:or for the Englijh Company, who was the only perfon I could tvud 
to : he gave me one of his Chaters, to prevent my being ftopt by the Rkadarsr and 
(for that effedt,) faid I was an Englijh man. I parted from the Kervanferay, Wed- 
nefday the fifteenth of Aprils at nine of the Clock at night, giving it out in the Ker» 
vanferay that I was going to Bender Congo; and that they might not fire at me from 
" the Fort, as they do at all who come near it in the Night-time, 1 crofTcd the Town 
and pafTed along amidfl the Fields. 
Gheifchl. Next day when I was at Ghetfchi, there arofe a Tempefl: of Sand, in the fame 
manner as it happens fometimes in Arabia and Egypt, efpecially in the Spring : it 
A Stcrni of was raifed by a very hot South Wind, which drove fo much Sand, that one of the 
Sand. Gates of the Kervanferay was half ftopt ap with it, and the way could not be 
found, 
