‘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’ [‎61] (104/470)

1
A
Chap.X. The Voyages of Mn Stmys. 61
vens began to clear , and we to get courage, but durft not fall to
drinking again, for fear of another bout. 1650
NAnguefaque lies in 53 degr. 15 min. northerly latitude in a very siutsiimt
pleaiant Land-fhip and is both very great and populous^ but like molt o / n ? 11-
of the Towns of Upon lies without walls. It is feated upon a very Sl,t ' acl '
commodious Bay, or Road , fit to receive Ships of the greatelt
burthen. It has a very magnificent profpeft from Seaward, having an
an infinit number of Towers , Temples and Spacious Palaces.
The Houfes are moftly built of Wood, for the Ground is weak
and frequently fubjccl to Earthquakes , fo that they cannot life
Hone. But the poorer fort have litle Cottages made of Twigs and
plaifter'd over with Clay, as in Brabant, and other Countreys.
They are Covered with Flanks which Ihootfar out over the walls like
a Pent-houfe, to ftielter them from Sun and Rain. They have upon
each houfe feveral Tubs with water, which is kept in cafe of fire, to
which fuch buildings are liable. And certainly were it not for the great
benefit of the water running through the Town in Ditches, as it does
in moft Towns in Holland : it would be fuddenly reduced to ashes and
for this reafon have they built feveral Houfes of Stone where to fecure
their Goods upon fuch occafions. The Houfes of this City are uni
form , and the ftreets regular', there being 88 Streets, each 400 foot
long, which are are all fenced off with Palizados at the end, and Lant-
horns fet up. Here they have alfo their watch-houfes, and none are
fuffered to pafs by night j no not to fetch either Doftor or Midwife,
without a Pafs from the Governour. This Watch is fet allways at 10 a
clock, after which hour few people are feen upon the ftreets." This
is a good means to prevent Mutiny and Theft, but is a great incon
venience if Fire do happen to break out j for no ftreet or Ward Can
have the Affiftance of another in fuch cafe : befides the great danger'
that the People themfelves are in, being fometimes fo narrowly pen'd
up. An Inftance of this happened in the year 1646, when a dread-
full fire happened in a houfe where feveral Dutch had their lodging ,
which on a fudden had confumed a great part of the Street and feve
ral Houfes on both fides, burnt down to the Ground. The then
feeing themfelves in fuch peril, chufed rather to hazard the eff efts
of the Governours difpleafure for that time, than to berpafted alive ,
broke up the Fence and faved themfelves.
H 5 The