‘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’ [‎222] (281/470)

The Voyages o f lohn Struys. V oy. Ill
j VLK being in Cr*p, which with feveral other Roots ufed in Dying,
iOjq , gfow there in j^rest at)und.ance» tie h3.cl tiho tt frrKill Btirk of
his own, wherein he tranfported his own Commodities: Thisfaid
Veflel alwayes lay in a Bay about half a League from the City,
and thither his Slaves alwaies brought the Wares ; for about
Derbcnt it is very rocky and unfafe for Veflels to lie at Anchor,
in cafe of Storm or tempeftuous Weather. But in the faid Bay
is very good anchorage, at 6, 7 and 8 Fathom Water, and a clay
ground with Shells.The Coaft from Bzynak to is altogether
fandy , and here and there low land, where appear the Tops of
the Ddgeftm Hills : between thofe two Coafts it is all a long verygood
anchorage, there being many fair Roads able to receive Ships of a
greater burthen than are ufually built for this Sea ; there are alfomany
fair Towns, built for the moftpartat the mouths of Rivers , and
have many Veil els and Shipping belonging to them, as well for
Traffic and Tranfportation of Merchandizes , as for the Fifliing
trade- for this Sea is very plentiful of Filh, and brings up the
King of Perjia an incredible fum of Money yearly, receiving from
fome as Toll, and from others as Contribution. In the Bay of
GiUn are 2 great Whirl-pools, for which the Per funs are very
whirl- fearfull in failing from their own Coafts to Gilan. The Water in-
tool r thefe Whirpools is hurried about with an incredible violence and
Zylf makes fucha noife, that if the Weather be Ml, they may be heard
Giian. %£ K or 6 leagues diftant. It is my opinion that thefe are the Paf-
fages whereby this great Lake has afubterranean communicatioa
with the Euxtn , or fom other Sea, for it is well known that it
receivs 84 huge Rivers, befides the which is reputed the
itf River of the World for greatnefs, and hither do all the Floods of
the Ferfian and Tart mm Rivers haften, as it were to their Cen
ter, with an admirable celerity, fo that when we failed we al-
wavs made a calculation how far we would be carried off in thwarting
the ftream , and fo bore up towards the Coaft^ as well for
fliortning our Courfe, as to avoid the Whirpools, where if any
Veffet be brought flie muft inevitably periih. The beft and molt
commodious Shipping for this Sea, is a Flat-bottom, from 80
to a hundred Tuns. , t r 11 - ^
Upon a time it happened that my Mafter and 1 fell