Ghap. III. through the L o v/-C d u n t r i e s, &c. 
I attributed chiefly to the venomous and malignant mer- 
curial Vapours, which will, beyond all Queftion, afFed: 
the Brains and Nerves, as is obvious in Goldfmiths, 
Gilders, Miners and Painters ; though they generally 
attribute this to the Ufe of Snow-water, and of the vaft 
Quantity of Cabbage, which is their daily Food here. 
The 28th, We continued our Journey for three 
Leagues along the River Mure to Knittlefield, a fmall 
City, and then pafling through a Valley in Sight of 
many Noblemens Seats and Caftles, lodged that Night 
at the Village of St. Georgia, upon the Mure, four 
Leagues from KnittlefieU. The 29th, We continued 
our Journey along the River Mure, through the fame 
Valley, as far as Newmarket four Leagues from St. 
Georgia, and following the Tra6l of another River, 
which near Volchnarck falls into the River Drave, we 
pafled through Freifach, a confiderable City in thofe 
Parts, feated in a little Valley betwixt high Hillsj and 
after a League’s travelling further, lodged at Heirt in 
Qarinthia. 
The 30th, For three German Leagues after, we tra- 
veil’d Itill through rocky Valleys as far as St. Veit, 
where the Emperor has a Mint ; Three Leagues further 
we came to Vilkircken, a Town of Note, but quite rui- 
ned by an accidental Fire three Years before. OSloher 
the I ft. We paffed over rugged Rocks, and Mountains 
all along the Lake Oftfukerfea, at the further End of 
which Count Fietrichjiein has a ftrong Caftle built upon 
a Hill. After that, pafling through a pleafant Valley, 
we crofs’d the River Drave, which begins to be navi- 
gable here, and wafhes the Walls of Villach, a Town 
of Note in this Country, three Leagues from Vilkirck. 
At fome Diftance from Villach, we pafs’d the River 
Guile, which joins its Current with the Drave. Hence 
we travelled again over very rocky Mountains to Or- 
lefteiana, where we lodged that Night. 
October the 2d, We tra veil’d on for two Leagues 
through the Mountains x.o> Klein Far vis, and thence to 
the River Fiment, which exonerates itfelf into the AdrV 
atick-Sea, and took up our Quarters that Night at Pon- 
tieba, the laft Place in the Emperor’s Territories, Part 
of it being fubjeft to the Emperor, from whence it is 
called Pontieha Imperiale, as that Part which belongs to the 
Venetians is thence called Pontieba Veneta ; here we were 
obliged to take a Bill of Health. Between this Place and 
Klein Farvis obferving feveral Herds of Goats follow- 
ing the Goat-herds like Dogs, it put us in Mind of 
what our Saviour fays. And he goeth before his Sheep, 
and they follow him, for they know his Voice ; which 
proves that the fame was ufual in thofe Days in Judea. 
October the 3d, we paffed the River Fiment by a Bridge, 
which here parts Carinthia from Friuli. About a Ger- 
man League thence, we came to a fmall Fort, called 
Claufen, where they flopped us till we delivered our 
Bill of Health. As we travell’d on along the River, 
we faw many. Timber Trees floating down the Stream, 
which being fell’d in the Alps, are brought to the next 
Rivulet or Brook, and when the next flrong Rain 
Shower falls, forced down into the greater Rivers? We 
paffed the- fame Day through Venfonga, a pretty little 
City, and lodged that Night at the Village of Hof 
pitaletto, and fo entred Italy. 
The Circumflances of this worthy Gentleman, at the 
Time of his going Abroad, were of a Nature that qua- 
lified him to enter into fuch Enquiries, and to make fuch 
Sort of Obfervations as are mofl worthy of a Reader’s 
Attention, as being mofl likely to convey to him the 
Advantages of Travelling, without the Fatigue of it. 
Mr. Ray was in the Flower of his Age *, he had reaped 
all the Advantages of a learned and general Education. 
Lie had feen the greatefl Part of his own Country be- 
fore he went into foreign Parts, and the foie Reafon 
of his going thither, was, for his own Improvement. 
It is very natural, therefore, to expeft from fuch a Man, 
Remarks and Refleftions, very different from thofe of 
Other Travellers; and the Reader will find, that his 
Expedfations ih this Refped are fully anfwered. All 
his Remarks are curious and important, mofl of his 
Reflexions are very fenfible and judicious ;• he did not 
VoL, II. N® 1 14. 
dwell on the Superficies of Things, but went to ,th^- 
Bottom. He knew before he went Abroad, all that 
was worth knowing of the Countries he vifited from 
Books, and he made it his Bufinefs to prepare the Ma- 
terials for his Enquiries, before he came to the Places 
where they were to be made; fo that we find him fome- 
times commending and fometiities correXing the Au- 
thors that he had read ; which enable us to judge of 
other Books as well as his own, as it alfo enabled, 
him to bring together, in a very narrow Compafs, an 
infinite Number of curious and learned Obfervations. 
It is indeed true, that this gives an Air of Singularity 
to his Writings, which differences them extreamly from 
mofl other Books of like Titles ; but this is fo far from 
being any Way prejudicial to, that in the Opinion of the 
befl Judges, it adds greatly to the Merit of his Per- 
formance. 
Another Advantage Mr.. Ray had ^beyond mofl Tra- 
vellers, which was derived from 'the Company in which 
he travelled ; and in Order to place this in a proper 
Light, it becomes neceffary for us to fay fomewhat of 
his Fellow-Travellers. Francis Willoughby, Efq; An- 
ceflor to the prefen t Lord Middleton, was a Gentleman 
no lefs diflinguiflied by his eminent Virtues and Know- 
ledge, in all Degrees of Learning, than by his DefeenE 
from an ancient and honourable Family, and his Pof- 
feffion of a large hereditary Eflate. He was from his 
Childhood addiXed to Study, and when he came to the 
Ufe of Reafon was fo great a Husband of his Time, 
that he fuffered no Opportunities of improving himfelf, 
to flip unemployed ; and though he had a TinXure of 
niofl other Sciences, yet thofe that were the chief Ob- 
jeXs of his AffeXions were the Mathematicks and na- 
tural Philofophy. In order to cultivate thefe, he under- 
took this Journey with M.r. Ray, in which he kept his 
Pencil continually in his Hand,, and drew with great 
ExaXnefs whatever offered itfelf to his View, worthy 
of Obfervation. His accurate Hiflory of Birds, his 
noble Specimen of the Hiflory of Fifties, both of which 
were publiftied after his Deceafe, by the Care of his 
learned Friend, are the lading Monuments of his Fame 
and Learning, together with Abundance of curious and 
learned Effays that are to be met with in the Philofo- 
phical Franfadiions ; and thefe will appear to us the more 
extraordinary, when we refleX that he died but a young 
IMan, on the 3d of July, 1672, at the Age of Thirty 
feven. As to, Mr, Skippon, afterwards Sir Philip Skippon^ 
who was alfo a Companion with Mr. Ray in thefe Tra- 
vels, we ftiall have Occafion to mention him more par- 
ticularly, when we come to fpeak of his Journey through 
Spain, 2Lnd therefore it is only requifite to obferve here, 
that his Talents, his Induflry, and his Accuracy, were 
not inferior to thole of his Companions ; from whence 
we may fafely colleX, that though thefe Gentlemen had 
each of them his particular View, to which he chiefly 
attended, yet their Converfation contributed not a lit- 
tle to help each of their Enquiries, and enabled them 
to pufti their Difcoveries much farther than they could 
have done, if they had travelled alohe, or if they had 
travelled in Company, where, while fome were engag’d 
in ferious and folid Studies, others had purfued only 
fenfual Pleafures, or trivial Amufements. 
It mufl be acknowledged, that many Paffages in this 
SeXion, and rnany more in the fuCceeding SeXidns, re- 
late to Places already mentioned and defcribed, and 
therefore it may feem fomewhat unneceffary, more efpe- 
cially confidering how much we are flfaitned for 
Room, to fuffer thefe Repetitions. But to this, feveral 
Anfwers may be made, as for Inflance i There is fuch 
a Connexion runs through the whole of Mr. 
Travels, that the Reader will very eafily difcern there 
was no Choice left for us to make, but whether we 
would receive or rejeX all ; ,and he will certainly fee 
good Reafon to think that he had been very ill treated 
if the latter had_ bepn our Refolution. It mufl he alfo 
obferved, that his Obfervations are of a very different 
Nature from thofe of Miffon or Burnet, more dpecially 
as we have' taken Care to leave out a few Paffages^ 
which It was impofllble fhould not be the fame in Re- 
S E . lation® 
