V 
830 
Thevenot’5 Travels 
Book III. 
Trades atnong them, becaufe their Port, which is in- 
different good, is infefted by the JSdainots and Corfairs^ 
who lodge in a Church by the Sea-fide. 
15. The Ifland of Mtlo, which is fo called from My- 
los, a Mill, becaufe they have many Wind- mills in it, 
and it affords Abundance of Mill-ftones, is thirty-fix 
Miles about. It is fruitful in all Things, and exports 
yearly to Candla^ Venice^ and other Places, between three 
and four hundred Tun of Wine. They have a Mine 
of Brimftone, and another of Pumice-ftones, which 
they farm to one of the Inhabitants for one thouland 
five hundred Piaftres yearly. Three Miles from the 
Town are certain hot Baths of Sulphur, where difeafed 
People from feveral Places wafii and recover theirHealth. 
The Port is fix Miles long, three over, and has a good 
Depth of Water, and two Miles from it, in a Grotto, 
is a Fountain of Luke- warm Water, which gives fo 
much Pleat, that an artificial Bath cannot make one 
fweat more. In this Ifie is a Town where two thoufand 
five hundred Souls live, and an old Caftle inhabited 
by five hundred more. They have a Latin and Greek 
Bifhop. 
The Latin Cathedral is without the Town, dedicated 
to St. Peter y but without Ornaments ; and the Bifhop 
celebrates in a Chapel that joins to a Greek Church. Pie 
has many Tithes, of which he gives to the Greek Bifhop. 
one third Part. Pie has alfo many well built Churches 
in good Repair under him, and many Priefts to offi- 
ciate in them. Moft of the Inhabitants are Greeks, who 
jive much at their Eafe, and are civil, but, as ufual, 
wicked and perfidious. Their Women go in a very ug- 
ly Drefs, fpeak very ill, and cannot pronounce the Let- 
ter L. They are, however, very charitable and kind 
to Strangers. They have all Neceffaries for Life, but 
no Phyficians or Chirurgeons. There are no Turks in 
the Ifle, but it is governed by four Deputies of the 
Town. 
Plalf a Mile from Milo is the Ifle called Chimolo, or 
Argentara, which hath a good Plarbour, and a Village 
containing about two hundred Souls, which was burnt 
by the Corfairs in 1638. Thefe poor People live in 
great Mifery. 
1 6. The Ifle of Sifano, or Sifanto, anciently Sifanus, 
is thirty-fix Miles in Circuit, and has a Caftle upon a 
Plill, with double Walls, inhabited by three thoufand 
Souls ; and there are no other Houfes in all the Ifland, 
unlefs it be fome Country-houfes of private Men. The 
Harbour is not good. There is upon it a Latin Biffiop, 
and a good Greek Vicar ^ but the Biffiop’s Chapel is 
little and very poor. There is alfo a Monaftery of 
Greeks built upon a Hill. The file produces not Pro- 
vifions enough for above two Months in the Year, and 
for the reft of the Year, the People fetch it in Barks 
from other Places. They are very great Rogues, but 
their Women are very honeft, and go with their Faces 
cover’d. There are no Manufactories or Trades, but 
W^eavers, Shoe- makes. Joiners, and fuch-like. 
The Ifle of Thermia, fo called from the Thermae, or 
hot Springs in it, which give a great Relief to fick Per- 
fons, is thirty-fix Miles in Circuit. The Town contains 
about three hundred Ploufes, inhabited by about two 
thoufand Souls. The Greeks have fifteen Churches in 
it, and a Biffiop, who refides fix Months here, and as 
many at Zia. There is alfo a Caftle and a pretty Vil- 
lage, called Meft. The Ifie is almoft all plain, has few 
xTees, yet is fruitful, and abundant in all Things. The 
Inhabitants are reputed to be honeft People, and trade 
in Stuffs, Threads, and other Commodities, raifing 
thereby Money to pay their Tribute. The Venetian 
Corn only goes in this Ifie, as it doth in all the others, 
except Naxia, Andro, and Seym, where Turkijh Money 
goes. Their Women are vertuous, handfome, and 
wear a neat Drefs. The People live pretty well there, 
and a Cadi commands, with four Procurators, chofen 
out of the Citizens of the I'own, 
ly. Ajcra is an Ifle eighteen Miles about, and de- 
pends on the Ifle of Scyra, who keep fome Shepherds 
there to feed their Sheep, There are four Churches in 
it, but Divine Service is perform’d in them at Eajter 
©nly, when ffie Shepherds communicate. The Cor- 
fairs hinder its being cultivated, becaufe they take away 
the Oxen, and fometimes the Sheep. 
The Ifle of Scyra, which in the vulgar Greek fig- 
nifies Signora, or Miftrefs, is fo called, becaufe it ftands 
in the Midft of the other Ifles, and by its Height com- 
mands them all. It is thirty- fix Miles in Compafs, and, 
having a dry Soil, but few Trees, abounds with Plenty 
of Provifions, as Fleffi, Fiffi, and Venifon. The Wa- 
ter is good. They have no Villages of Note, but only 
fome fcattering Houfes up and down in the Country. 
The People are much addidled to Devotion, and efpe*^ 
cially the Women, who are very filly. There is much 
Hatred and Envy always amongft them, by reafon of 
the Oppreffion they fufer from the Turks, and Oppref- 
fion of the common Poverty. They are almoft all La- 
tins, and have feveral Churches. The Cathedral ftands 
at the upper End of the Town, and is dedicated to St. 
George, and ferved by feveral Priefts, who have a Bi- 
ffiop for their Superior, and he lives on his Revenue 
and Tithes. The Capuchins are diligent in Preaching, 
Catechizing, and hearing Confeffions, by which they do 
much Good. 
1 8. From Chio Mr. Thevenot failed into Egypt, and in 
his Paffage, being left before the Ifle of Samos, he took 
a View of it. It is a very barren Country, though fa- 
mous for having been the Birth-place pf Pythagoras^ 
Polycrates, and the SihyL It is eighty Miles in Circuit. 
Over-againft Samos, and pretty near it, is the Ifle of 
Nicaria, anciently called Icaria, from Icarus the Son of 
Desdalus. It is of a long Figure, and the Land is very 
dry, and full of Rocks, in which are the Houfes of the 
Inhabitants, who are in all about three thoufand Souls, 
very poor and ill clad. 
They are much additffed to Swimming and Fiffiing 
up Sponges and Wrecks, and the richeftMen, or Papa*^ 
in the Ifle, give their Daughters to the beft Swimmer, 
which is tried before the Damfel and her Father. He 
that can remain longeft under Water wins the Maid, 
They pay the Grand Signior Tribute in Sponges. They 
have Vineyards among the Rocks here and there, and 
they make of the Grapes a Sort of white Wine, as clear 
as Water, which paflTes by Urine as foon as it is drunk. 
The Wine, as alfo Wax and Honey, they trade with to 
Chio. The Women are Miftrefles there, and as foon 
as the Hufband is arrived from any Place, the Wife 
goes to the Sea-fide, and takes the Oars, and carries 
them Home, after which the Huffiand can difpofe of 
Nothing without her Leave. The Inhabitants are well 
ffiaped and ftrong. The old Greek Emperors of Con- 
ftantinople baniffi’d Perfons of Quality that had offended 
them into this Ifle. 
19. Leaving Samos, he came to the Ifle of Stanchio, 
otherwife call’d Ifola Longa, ninety Miles diftant from 
it. It was anciently call’d Coos, is Seventy Miles in Cir- 
cuit, and very fruitful, efpecially in good Wine. On 
the Port by the Sea-fide is a pretty good Caftle, where 
the Turks keep Garrifon. The Town lies behind it, 
where there is a prodigious Tree of that vaft Extent, as 
to cover 2000 Men eafily, for the Branches being fup- 
ported with many Stones and wooden Pillars ; there are 
feveral Barbers Shops, Coffee- houfes, and fuch like Pla- 
ces, befides Benches to fit on under it. It was anciently 
famous for the Temple of ^fculaplus, and the Births 
of Hippocrates the Prince of Phyficians, and Apelles the 
Prince of Painters. The Knights of Malta held it, 
v/hen they were Mafters of Rhodes, and there are ftill 
many Monuments remaining in it. Strangers are 
here more regarded by the Women, than is grateiul 
to their Hufbands. r- t. 7 1 • t 
From hence he failed to the Caftle of Bodrou, which 
lies over-againft Stanchio at twelve Miles diftance. There 
is a good Port, but fo ffiut up with Dir^ that great 
Ship? can’t get into it. You enter this Caftle through 
feven Gates, over which are feveral Coats of Arms, 
which belonged to the Knights of Rhodes, that com- 
manded there, for in fome of them are Croffes of Malta. 
There is above 300 of thefe Efcutcheons. Beycmd the 
fixth Gate is a Platform, where there are fix Cannon 
pointed toward the Sea. The laft Gate is niade ot 
Irona and there ftands a Guard of fifteen or twenty Men 
