‘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’ [‎185] (236/470)

C H A P. XIII. The Voyages of Struys. 185
C?ar. The Inhabitants of a fmall Per Jim City hearing of his approa- ^ept.
■ J %i c jj [n g deferted the Town and betook themfelves to the Hills and i669«
H Mountains without the Town , where they thought themfelves
fecurefrom his violent and tyrannical Actions. percei-
; ^ Wiving that,fent out Emmiffaries to fee where they kept therafelves, with
:0K *iti| Inftruftions, to tell them that his End was not to do any harm to
theirPerfonsorEftateS} but only to buy Provifion for his Money,
^glUs and therefore willed them to return into the City. The Perfons who
■mperotr were fent did their meflage , and the credulous Citizens came down
there v: entred their Houfes, and fet open their Shops , of whom and
1 to let;- his followers bought feveral Commodities and Neceffaries paying
lolJitfr them to the utmoft farthing : but had given a token to his Men by
Mlyl ietting of his Cap after an unufual manner , upon which they were
[QiJ all on a fudden to fall upon the Towns-men and maifacre them, as
jIj after a moil barbarous manner they did, fparing neither Man, Wo-
j „ man, nor Child.
l 1/ The tvayTvodeof^yfjtrdchm , whofe name was Ivan
J/p r of ski, hearing how many places they had defpoliated in the Coun-
T trey of the OHedes and upon the Borders of thought it high time
1 " ll!i to put himfelf in a Pofture of Defence , and fupprefs the growing
Army of the Malecontents > he in order thereto caufed all the Ship-
.jleaiii pi n g aswe ll Merchant-men as others to be put into an equippage,
'.ft, Ak an d difpatches Smcum lyambits Geboof , who had then the third Suffra-
laWtb AftrAchm>to find out the Cofacks-Rebells , and give them battail.
raiW xbis Navy coniifted of 36 Stroegs, and about 4000 Men. The Re-
ulItteTit bells had already 2 3 Stroegs with a proportionable number of Men,
lesandJii' keeping themfelves about the llland which lies about
iiaiie!' the Entrance of the mlgx into the Cafp Sea, where they had fet up
innlitli a Watch-Houfe upon the Top of a high Hill, from whence they
15 j floff could view the whole Countrey round about, as alfo the Sea
f&jii and the f Volga. This Ifland lay very commodioufly for their Ends,
jjcies, 1: being all along the Coafc of a high folid Rock, and had only one way
Ikd to enter it. . . - ■
jjjjuul So foon as the Coficks faw the Aflrac Fleet approach , they put
off their Shipping, and betook themfelves to flight, lo that that Ex-
rjf. pedition was in vain. Seeing now that the Cofzks kept themfelves
w together and would not come to open batttel, their were new
p Aa- Mea-