‘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’ [‎118] (167/470)

ii 8 The Voyages of lohn Struys. V o y. lit
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«f Toe. yet are thofe fo ftupid, as a Lifeland Gentleman told me, that they have
i658. learn'd Catechifm enough, if they can but know the Church from a
Dwelling houfe , or to pull of their Caps when they fee a man with
a Ihoulder knot pafs by. Yet they are flexible enough to Idolatry
by Nature , and withall fuperftitious. In our going through the
Woods we faw a great Troop of them bufy about Oonjuring of a
Tree, which they had tied with a Garland of twigs, creeping round
about it and making a great Howling •, but fo foon as they faw us,
took them to their Heels and away. By the Forms and T enures of the
Curfes and Conjuration they leem to be fenfible of a Future ftate and
fometimes (by I know not what Tokens} pr^fage Death j and the
Soul ofany thathasbeenadifturber ofthe Public Quiet they deliver
up to the Devil. They have a formal Oath, that they take upon divers
Occafions which is thus, The Party cuts up a Turf or Sod of Earth,
this hefets upon his Head and takes his ftick into his Hand, Wifliing
iffuch, or fuch a Matter, benotfo, andfo, that They with their
Cartel may be confumed with Fire. They have befides this , other
fuperftitious Cuftomes , to which they are fo ftrongly inclined by
nature that they will not be better civilized, or if they happen to fliow
themfelves willing , and learn a litle Urbanity it muft be only for
lucres fake, and they promifed fomething to boot to remember it,
which if you forget to perform, they will forget to obferve your
Document. In Ihort they are but one remove from Bruits , and fo
ignorant , that the moft part of them thinks there is no other Land in
the World befides their own.
Two days long we went through the Woods and found it fo foft
and Marlhy that we could hardly bring our Waggons through in
fafety.
Ani-vd On the 14 we arrived at rro/wj/-where we met many Horfes , Wag-
mar^ 0 ' S ons > an d Boors going to market with Corn and other Things. One
of our Company growing weary of his Journey thought to go away in
this Throng, but the Captain being informed of his Defign,watched
him fo narrowly , that he could not meet with an Oppotunity to
march off.
FFolmar, is a litle, but a well-fortified Town, munited with a ftone-
Wall and a deep Ditch, but without Water. The Market in regard
ot the Poverty of the Countrey is very confiderable, and is held twice
a week.
f