Chap. I. 
T H E V E N o t’j Travels, & c. 
79 ^ 
i)tre. IC. The Governme?2i of Seraglioj containing a curious Account of the Grand Signibr' s Hotifi 
bolL 1 6.* An Account of hts Manner of Livings together with a Bet ail of the Expence s and Pro- 
Afions of 'his Court. 17. The Cuftoms and Pules of the Seraglio, and the Munner of the Grdnd Seig- 
ntoPs going abroad in State. 18. The Manner in, which their Bayratri or Carnival is kept, i q. A 
T)efcrtption of the Old Seraglio, and offeveral other Places. 20. Galata tzWPera defcribedi with fe- 
ver al Places adjoining. 21. The red of the Country of the Aiiatick Side of the Boiphorus defcribed. 
22. An Appendix, confifling in a great Parity of entertainmg aiid inflruBive Pajages, extradled 
from other Authors. 23. Hiftoricah Political, and Mifcella?teous Remarks on the foregoing SeBion. 
T is impoffible to read, with any 
Satisfadion, the Travels and Ad- 
ventures of an Author, without 
having fome Knowledge of who 
or what he was, and of his gene* 
ral Charader in the World. Mr. 
Jbhfi Toevenot was of the farne 
Family vvith the famous Melche- 
zidec The'venot, who piiblifhed a large and curious Col- 
ledion of Voyages, Part Originally written, and ^ 
very accurately tranflated from SpMifh, Italian, Engitjb, 
and other I^anguages, into French •, which is the Reafon 
they are very often confounded together, by luch as afe 
not well acquainted with Literary Hidory, but borrow 
what little Knowledge they have, from Title Pages, In- 
dexes, and Journals. The elder Thevenot travelled, in- 
deed, for fome Time, but never without the Limits of 
Europe ; nor did he think any Accounts of his Voyages 
worthy the Notice of the Publick. He was appointed 
Library-keeper to Lewis XIV. and not only difcharged 
the Duties of his Office with great Diligence and Fi- 
delity, but likewife enriched that noble Storehoufe of 
tiCarning, with upwards of two thoufand Volumes from 
his own Study. He was particularly careful in colledt- 
ing Manufcripts in all Languages, and more efpecially 
in xEtEngiiJh, Spanijk^ Italian, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, 
Syriac, Arahick, Turkijh and Perjian Tongues ; all of 
which he underftood perfedlly. He died by too great 
Abftinence, which he flatter’d himfelf would have cured 
Ague, on the 29th of October in 1692, in the fe- 
an Ague, on 
venty-firft Year of his Age. 
Our Author had, from his very Youth, a ftrong In- 
clination to trtlvel, in Hopes of gratifying that Gurio- 
fityj which excited him to enquire into and examine af- 
ter whatever appeared new or curious, ufeful or enter- 
taining. It was to gratify this Inclination of his, that 
he went to Rome, where meeting accidentally with the 
celebrated Mr. Hethelot, the moft learned Mart of his 
own, or perhaps of any Age, in every Branch of Ori- 
ental Literature, he caught from him lo Violent a Paf- 
flon for penetrating into whatever was cufious or extra- 
ordinary in the Eaft, that he refolved to continue his 
Travels to the mofl: diftant Part thereof ; in which he 
flatter’d himfelf with the Hopes of having the Com- 
pany of the very judicious Perfon before- mentioned ; but 
fome Family-Affairs, which required the PrefenCe of 
that learned Gentleman, obliged him at that Time to 
return into France but Mr. Thevenot having made all 
the neceffary Preparations for this long Expedition, and 
being encouraged to undertake it by his F'riend, whb 
promifed to join him in the Ifland of Malta, refolved 
to proceed in the Execution of the Defign he had un- 
dertaken. 
Accordingly, on Monday, May i, 1655, he \thRome, 
in order to go and embatk at Civita Vecchia on board 
the Galley commanded by Count Gaddi, in which he 
began that Voyage of which we intend to give the Rea- 
der an Account in this Se( 5 tion. He appears, by his 
Writings, to have been a Man of great Accuracy aOd 
Diligence, as well as of wonderful Curiofity and Vivacity, 
of a bold and enterprifing Spirit, merely for the Sake 
of Knowledge; for he does not appear to have had 
any Turn towards Profit or Glory. His foie Aim was 
to know; and as to Wealth and Power, he left them 
to the Covetous and Ambitious. He was very careful in 
his Enquiries, took very little upon Truft, examined all 
Things with his own Eyes, committed his Obfervations 
to Writing immediately, and, after his Return tO 
France, revifed and publifhed them at feveral Times, 
at the Requeft, and to fatify the Importunity of his 
Friends. He appears to have had a large Share of ufe- 
ful Learning, which enabled him to make juft and 
proper Enquiries; as well as very judicious, and at the 
fame Time very entertaining Remarks, tie was very 
inquifitive, but very far from being credulous ; he had 
a ftrong Dirpofition to learn, and was ready to fubmic 
himfelf to be taught by any whom he found more 
knowing than himfdf. He was free from Prejudices 
or Prepoffeffions, was very delirous of knowing the 
true State of Things, and very willing to communicate 
his Knowledge. In a Word, his Candour and Inte- 
grity procured him the general Efteem of all who knew 
him, and have had the fame favourable Effcdl with 
refpecl to his Writings, to which we itall now pro- 
ceed. 
2i He continued his Journey from Rome, and 
upon June the 2d. he embark’d at Civita-Vecchia, 
and came to an Anchor before the Port of Mejina in 
Sicily in Seven Days. This Town lies oppofite to Rhe- 
gio in Italy, from which it is diftant about fixty Miles.- 
It was built by the MeJJtnians of Peloponnefus, and from 
them took its Name, being anciently call’d Zande. Ir 
is a fafe Harbour by Nature, and round it are feveral 
fair Palaces built very uniform, which form a pleafant 
Profpe6t. The Mole, which fliuts in the Port, has a 
Tower by it to fecute the Entry, and another in the 
Midft of it. This Town is but a melancholy Place; 
though the Streets are fair and large. Over the Door 
of the Cathedral Church is written, Gran-Mercy a Mef- 
fine, in Memory of the Surrender of that City to the 
French, when they took Sicily. Before it is a great Pi- 
azza, with a Theatre in the Middle of it; where the 
Vi( 5 tory of Lepanto is reprefented in Brafs, and a brazen 
Statue of Don John of AuHria ftands by it. The No- 
vitiate of the jefuits ftands upon an Hill that Over-looks 
the Town. 
There are eighteen ftrong Caftles in it, but four of 
them only are in the Hands of the Spaniards : Tlie 
Mejfmefe hoxt the reft. The Town is very rich, by 
Reafon of the great Trade in Silk driven there. There 
are no Inns for Strangers, fo that they are obliged to 
lodge in a wretched Tavern by the Harbour. All 
Things are cheap, the Wines ftrong, but pad. It is an 
Archiepifcopal See. Tht Streights are made dangerous 
by Scilla and Charybdis, though anciently they were 
much more fo than now, becaufe Navigation is im- 
proved. Scilk is a Rock near the Caftle Scyllio, 0n the 
Italian S)\Q)Xt. Charybdis is the Meeting of two con- 
trary Eddies, which by beating and clafhing one a- 
gainft another, make a Noife like the fcking of 
Dogs; and by caufihg Veffels to tufn round about, 
fuck them down to the Bottom ; nor is the Harbour it- 
felf fafe from' it, tor the Currents will foraetimes carry 
the Ships out into it, and therefore Mejfmefe have 
always a great many Pilots in Readinefs to aflift Vef- 
fels in Danger. 
Sicily is of a triangular Form, each Angle making 
a Cape, which are now called Difaro, anciently Pelorus, 
Pajfaro, anciently Pachinis, and Bdcho, heretofore Lilu 
bteum. It is but three Miles diftant from Italy, being 
feparated from it by a dangerous Stfeight, call’d. The 
Phafo of Meffina. It is the moft c6nfiderable Ifland 
of the Mediterranean both for Bignefs (being 700 
Miles in CompafsJ and Fruitfulnefs, produces Plenty of 
Corn, excellent Wines, Olives, and other Neceffaries of 
Life, infomuch as that it was call’d one of the Grana- 
ries of Rome. It contains a great many fair rich Towns, 
but it is much annoy’d by Mount Gihello, or, as it is fti- 
led by the Ancients, .cEtna, which continually cafts forth 
Abundance of Flames, and covers the Land about it 
with 
