‘The perillous and most unhappy voyages of John Struys, through Italy, Greece, Lifeland, Moscovia, Tartary, Media, Persia, East-India, Japan, and other places in Europe, Africa and Asia. Containing, I. Most accurate remarks and observations of the distinct qualities, religion, politie, customs, laws and properties of the inhabitants: II. A due description of the several cities, towns, forts and places of trust, as to their site and strength, fortifications by nature, or art, &c. with other things worthy of note: and III. An exact memorial of the most disastrous calamities which befell the author in those parts (viz) by ship-wrack, robberies, slavery, hunger, tortures, with other incommodities and hardships’ [‎226] (285/470)

12.6 Tile Voyages of lohn V oy. III
beat a gain ft the Walls , and in a Storm or tempeftuous Wea-
1670.' ther the Surges rife over the Walls. This is alfo reckoned as
a Barrier again ft the Irruption of the and other Savages,
being the only place on all that Coaft for many miles together,
where they can come alhoar, for the Shoar is there naturally fe-
cured with a ileep Bank and wholly inaccelllble. Wherefore
this City is not improperly called which in their Lan
guage imports as much as The K Der llgnifyinga Key,
and Bent a Kingdm , or Countrcy : and fo the City
Indian Coaft is called Bender, which is the fame Word with tranf-
pofition of the Syllables, and a little variation of the Dialed.
This Town is very ftrongly munited with a Stone-Wall, and
^as fome lay, was built by Alexmd who had here his
Refidence for fom time, akho there doth not any Building re
main of his, lave only the Wall on the South fide, and the For-
trefs : but all the Fortifications on the North were built by the
famous TijuJihinvan , King of the having no other Foun
dation than a folid Rock. The Walls both on the North and the
South fide are fo broad that Horfes and Waggons may ride all
along, and the Stones are of a hard rock, brought hither from a
Hill not far diftant from the Town, being allequally 6 foot Square.
On the Wall of Alexander [ for it ftill bears his name ] is an
oblong Stone having an ancient Infcription in old Syriac and
bic Characters, which none now a days can read.
Der- The City Verhent is divided into 3 parts , The uppermoft
bent /r Ward or Quarter , ftands on a rifing Ground and has a Fortrefs
''furnilhed with Brafs-Cannon •, and at that time when I was there
and fince the Uproar of the Cofacs it has bin Strengthncd with a Garri-
fon of 1000, or 1200 Soldiers, and in this Quarter is the Suit ens
Court. The Midle Ward is inhabited by , but the Build
ings go moftly to decay. The Loweft Ward is about 2000 pa
ces long, but this part is only tilled and ufed for Gardens; and
as they fay has been heretofore inhabited by , bearing ftill
the name of Schaherlunm or , of the
old Above Derhent appear the Ruins of a Wall which reached from. •
"thlut thence to the Tfjcropont , or Euxm which has been a work of
Dcibcm. an incredible Charge and Labour. In fom places the faid Wa
■ appears