‘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’ [‎13] (52/470)

C h ap JI. The Voyages 'titriys.
" - '. ". ~ '■ t ' ~, ■ ■ . ' . » : T~ : / ' ' i f • • . . fir'f r\ri
landj wewill do you no harm, we give you liberty to come afhoar. , 64S /
Capt. 4/^5 told us .that he had,Been there in that Ifland before,
and that a Slave of his, whom he had taught to read and writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping.
had run away from him there , haying .taken his opportunity
when the Ship iwas ready to fet .Sail j and tl^t .he,had, heard ho>y
the Slave was come to,great,Advaacement^ and by. the Natives '
elected Iving. \ v
So ibon as we weregot to, land, we .were intrgducted by the King
himfelfj and his AttendantSiinto his Pallace, which was in the midil
of a Sconce, reaibnablyftroiig j and.eaYiron'dwithPalizados. The
Houfe was hung with neat Ma;t-'Woris>and theFloors coyered with the
lame. The King prefehtly begiahvtoinqu irej V^hat for Fepple that we - •>
were ? and, to what place cur Ship belpng'dJ 1 .for he could lee by h^r
Colours that we did not come put ofThe Commander made
anfwer that we were HolUndcri ■, but were then jn the : fervice of
the Duke oiGema , to whom/he-Ships belong'd. After tliey had
exchanged afew Woi;4s tpgefher , - the :,Cfthe
liberty to ask him., Wliere.he ( had learned to 4pe a k I have
been, quoth he, formerly in Eafi India , and w^s ^t that time a Slave
to one lohn Maas ,a Marriner, and intending for Holland, we were
furpriz'd with a difmal Hurricano , which dilabled us of our
Mails , and made us in.fuch a Condition,that we were forced to
put in hereto Calk, and fit us out again j but I having no great
appetite to proceed on our Voyage, deferred my JHafter, when I faw
the Ship was ready to fail. Well { quoth the Captain /was not your
name Dternbro. Yes , replies the King, do you know me ? Why, faid
theCaptain, do you not know lohn A ? The King was hereupon
in a great ftupor, but viewing him thorowly began to remember his
Countenance, and with that embraced : and .kiiTedhim. While they
llood mute a while and fearing, one another earneftly pn the .face,
both llupifyed at this llrange meeting,, the King began thankfully
to acknowledge,hpw good a iyiqlfcer pur t Comm.ander had beento. him,
and prefented -him allneceiTaryTrpvifiongr^/ix: but the Commander
courteoufly declined it, j faying, He^ellemedit a fufHcient Favour it )
exchange Wares for Wares. The King (accorcling to the cuftome
of that Country) prefented our men. the ufeof his Wives and Con
cubines i who coming forth made choice of fuch as thev would
B 3 have