Chap. I. to the L 
On the Hills hereabout many Goats feed upon an 
Herb, called Ledum, which leaves a kind of vifcous 
Dew upon their Beards, that turns into a kind of 
Gum, of a very good Smell, called Labdanum, 
or Laudanum, and is gathered by cutting off their 
Beards. 
As you go to the Town, there is a Caftle upon a very 
high Hill, which commands the Villages of Darmilla. 
Near the Town, upon the Rock Strongyle, is the Palace 
or Temple of the God Bacchus, built of very white 
- Marble, but the Lurks and others carry it away daily 
for their private Ufes. Bacchus may well have a Palace at 
Naxos, where they are fo great Drunkards. The Tower 
and Ducal Palace are ftill in being in the Town. There 
are two Archbifhops in it, a Latin and a Greek, 
The Cathedral Church of the Latin i^rchbifhopj dedi- 
cated to the Affumption of our Lady, is very hand- 
fome, and very well ferved by fix Canons and feven 
Priefts, but their Revenue is inconfiderable, for the 
Archbifliop has no more than twenty Piaffres of 
yearly Rent. He hath a Seat in the Country with 
a Church, at a Place called San Mamma \ the Church 
is paved and lined with Marble, but not kept in very 
good Repair, 
In the Caftle the Jefuits have a forry Houfe, and the 
Greeks a Chappel, that belonged formerly to the Dukes. 
Without the Town are Recollets and Capuchins, who 
make many Profelites to the Roman Faith. The Inha- 
bitants have fuch violent Feuds among them, that fome- 
times they will not fpeak one to another as long as 
they live ; but the Women are more obftinate than the 
Men, and are great Medlers in other People’s Biifi- 
nefs. The Women wear fo many Coats one over ano- 
ther, that they are fcarce able to go, and their Shoes 
are fo ftrait, that they can hardly get their Feet in, 
but they are faid to be pretty honeft and chafte. From 
the Sale of their Wine, Cheefe and Silk they raife 
their Tribute. 
12. About fix Miles from Nixia is the Ifle of Paro, 
anciently called Paros, which has three Caftles, feveral 
Villages, and a good Harbour for all Sorts of Veffcls, 
fair Churches, and many Greek Priefts and Monks. 
The Antiquities of this Ifle, confifting in Statutes, Mar- 
ble Chefts, Is^c. were carried away by an Englijh Gen- 
tleman, who took all he could find here, as well as at 
Delos, now called Sedrille, where was Plenty of them *, 
but now there remains but one Image of a Woman fo 
large that it cannot be ftirr’d. This Ifle was famous 
for its noble Quarries of Marble, and for the Ora- 
cle of Apollo heretofore, but now it is the Refort of the 
Corfairs. The Ifland of Mycone, anciently Myconus, 
was once a well peopled Ifle, but now is almoft forfaken, 
becaufe of the rigorous Perfecution of the Lurks, It is 
about three Miles round. 
Over-againfl: this Ifland is the Ifle of Line, formerly 
Lenes. It belongs to the Venetians, is well peopled, and 
hath a very ftrong Caftle built upon a Rock, and the 
Houfes ftand one above another. It is forty Miles in 
Circuit, and yields Plenty of Provifions and Silk, but 
it is fo overftock’d with People, that many are obliged 
to go out of it, and dwell at Smyrna and Chio. There 
is a Latin Bifhop in it, and the Women are handfome 
and courteous enough. 
13. Nio, called of old Oliarus, which was not long 
fince inhabited by the Albanians, a barbarous and war- 
like People, who ufed to go all Night arm’d by the 
Sea-fide, and is a fruitful Country in all Things, efpe- 
cially Woods of Oaks, and other Trees, which they 
cut down and fell -to other Places. You fail then to 
Santorini, formerly called dherafia, v>?hich is thirty Miles 
about, and fixty from Candy, from which it may be 
feen. There are feveral Caftles in this Ifle, viz. That 
oi St, Nicholas, the Houfes of which are built upon a 
black Rock, that is frightful. A Greek Bifhop has his 
Refidence there, and about 500 Souls about him ; but 
they live moft of them in Caves made in Pumice- 
Stone, and it is pleafant to fee them come out of the 
Ground like Coneys, while others are plowing over their 
Heads. 
VoL. II. N^ CXXVI. 
EVANT. 820 
Scaro, built on a frightful Mountain, fo fteep, that 
thofe who go up to it muft climb with their Hands and 
Feet, it contains 150 Houfes, and the Greeks have a 
Church there, in which are two Images of maffy Silver, 
one of our Lady, and the other of St. Michael. It 
formerly belonged to iht Latins, who have ftill a Bi- 
fhop there. 
Pirgo, near v,^hich is a Chapel of bur Lady, with 
many large Caves, where about two hundred People 
live. Between thefe Caftles lies an Hill, from, whence 
one may fee the whole Ifland, which is planted with 
Vines, but has no Trees, but Fig-trees and white Mul- 
berries. They make more Wine than they fpend, 
which their Neighbours fetch from them to carry to 
Chio, Smyrna, and other Places, They make all Sorts 
of Stuffs, and by the Sale of them they raife Money 
to pay their Tribute. In this Place are one thoufand 
Souls, almoft all Greeks, and the Cadi refides here. 
Their Houfes are well built, all white, and wall’d in^ 
fo that each looks like a Tower. 
At Scaro there is an Houfe of the Nuns of St. Domi- 
nick, but their Lodgings are poor and Air bad ; Their 
Church is kept in good Order, and ferved by a Chap- 
lain. On St. Stephen’^ Hill, between Pirgo Nebria, 
lived a Woman, that in ancient Times gave Vidluafs 
to all the People for a whole Year that a Plague and 
Famine lafted, and there are ftill remaining feveral 
Statues of her. 
Crotiri, inhabited by an hundred and fifty Souls, and 
about it there are feven Villages, but ill peopled. The 
Inhabitants of the Ifle live very meanly ; their Breads 
called Schifes, which is made of Wheat and Barley, is as 
black as Pitch, and fo harfli that one can hardly fwal- 
low it •, for they bake it but twice a Year, beCaufe they 
have no Wood but what they buy by the Pound from 
Nio. They have no Fifh or Flefh, but feed only on 
Beans, Peafe, Eggs, and Bifcuip They have little or 
no Fruit but Grapes, which are plentiful. They know 
not what Phyficians, Chirurgeons,and Apothecaries are j 
they are ftout, and can defend thenifelves from their 
Enemies with Stones. The People live a beaftly 
Life, doing nothing but Cat, drink, fleep, and play at 
Cards. 
The Ifle at a Diftance looks like Hell, being 
on the Shores all black and fcorched by an Erup- 
tion of Flames, which happened about an hundred and 
twenty Years ago. About the Year 1638, there was 
another Eruption of Fire in the Port, which, with an 
incredible Noife, was heard two hundred Miles from 
thence, caft vaft Numbers of Pumice-ftones out of the 
Sea, like Ballets, and fo infeded the Air, that many 
on the Ifle died, and feveral loft their Sight, but re- 
cover’d it fome Days after ; and all the Silver turned 
red, even in Mens Chefts and Pockets, but in a few 
Days came to itfelf. Seneca fays, this Ifland ftands up- 
on Mines of Sulphur, from whence thefe Fires 
proceeded. It is faid, that Alexander founded 
the Sea in this Place, but could find no Bottom j 
yet a Ship may come to an Anchor 2Ct. Lirefia, a little 
Ifle by it. 
14. The Ifle of Policandro is eight Miles in Compafs, 
and a pleafant Place : There is but one Village of one 
hundred Houfes, and three hundred Souls in it : It has 
three well built Churches, and two Monafteries/ one of 
Men and another of Women. The Convent of Monks 
is well fituated, and dedicated to the bleftpdrVirgin. It 
has a little Garden, and a Fountain of excellent Water 
in it. The Nuns obferve no Rule, but live as Nature 
teaches them ; their Church is dedicated tQ St. John, 
and a Monk fays Mafs in it on all Sundays and Holy- 
days. The Caftle ftands upon a very high Hill, but 
all the Houfes are ruinous, except a Chapel dedicated 
to St. Michael the Arch-angel. From it one may fee 
all the Ifles of the Archipelago. The Inhabitants of this 
Ifle are honeft, civil, and courteous People, efpecially 
the Women, who are very handfome. They have good 
Bread, Fowl, Sheep, and other Things neceffary, but 
no Wine ; fo that what they drink comes from Santo^ 
rini, which is but thirty Miles diftant. They have no 
10 B Trades 
V 
