‘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’ [‎223] (282/470)

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Chap. XVII. The Voyages of lohn Struys. 2,13
difcourfe about Trading and Commerce , making a paralel be- J uly v
tween their way of merchandizing and ours, where among other ,67 ®'
'> Words, I told him That if I "were
im, 1 make a good Advantage , and did not d short time 1 should
tolieit return ivith a ship full of Hollands Co : upon which he asked
iti»i me ' 1 ( 0 rich theii? I anfwered No s fife
^1,3. oTvucountrey fome or other -Wouldintrufl me irith a Car go for thofe parts, hemg
nolo mil acquainted Tvith the Convenience Cafpian My Pa-
, tron hearing, that thought that I might probably be fom way in-
ll " 1 ftrumental to do him fervice and that night difcourfed fom
menians about me who dealt in Silk ; upon which they defired to
fee me. My Matter having appointed them a day, I went along
with him, where one of the moft eminent asked me if I could
fpeak Italian , and if I was of Am ft er dam , or if I knew fuch a Merchant
} ®M there ? I anfwered him in Italian, That I was of Amfterdam> but did
not know the Gentleman he named, yet was acquainted with feve-
, and Is ra l there who dealt in Silk. He thenentred into a difcourfe which
irlf.® was much after this manner: « That the only way to Trade with
ion.lis "Holland, was to bring over, Lead , Quickfilver, Cloth, Serges,
K !m " Says and all kinds of Loiv-Countrey Commodities and Manufa-
5a, II cc dures, which Would be very marketable at Derhent, Scam achy and
icilca "Ardcbtl and might produce good profit, fo that all the Staple of
1^13! "Silk might be brought to Holland. and. That all Goods whate-
attkfec ""ver might be more conveniently tranfported over the Cafptan Sea,
jijOiE "and fo up the mlga, bringing it down to Archangel 3 and fo for
wcittf " Holland : which would not prove fo tedious by far, as to bring
"it over Land to Smyrna, where by the way fo much Danger
,c and fo many Duties were met withall j and then from
.J Smyrna to run the Hazard of the Corfairs thro the Medt-
0 torrancm and the Spanish Sea : befides unreafonable Duties that are
:35 • impofed by the Turks, which probably the CW of would
"not fet fo high, to draw a Traffic of fiich importance thro his Ju
"rifdiftion. Sec. That Gllan,Sxirlran and other adjacent Provinces
A' " bordering upon the Cafpian Sea, could deliver upwards of 50000
tc Bales of Silk every year. Bocharen alfo aftbards pretious Furrs and the
"EaftCountrey good plenty of Scgrine-Leather, Saffron, Rhubarb
<c andother precious Druggs. This was thefumof all the Difcourfe
w " ' we