‘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’ [‎240] (301/470)

■hhihhhhmi
£40 The V oyages of V oy. ^
sept, violence it had ac 'the beginning for when this Earth-quake made
j670 ' it's firft overture, all the Towers, Churches [or Walls if®
and greateft Buildings were overthrown, and that with fuch fudden-
nefs that they reckoned above 80000 men were loft, befides Women ^
and Children not yet come to maturity , nor yet was the Earth
quake fo raging at Scamacbj , but alfo all the Countrey round about,
where vaft Mountains were removed , and whole Villages thrown
into the clefts of Rocks and clofed again. We alfo faw a place f«
where feveral Towns and Mountains had been funk , not very far i»f 1
from Scamachy , where only appeared the tops of fome of thofe Hills.
The High ways neare the Town were alfo fo chink'd and crack'd pti
that the C hyavms muft go many times far about. Day and night con- iitoljC
tinned this Earth-quake thatthe Inhabitants thought the World life 1
would be diflolved. . ..
Being now arrived at Schamachy , I was fet to work at the Building ultoj
of my Patrons houfes , about which I was clofely imployed from Ijj ,}
the S'h September to the 2 8 ,h October. In the mean while I received a
meflage from 2 Friars of the Society, or Order of J/. where iMI
being come they afked me if I could fpeak j I told them I could
not fpeak it with its due Property and Elegancy, but could make a . w 4
fliift to underftand and exprefs my mind. They alked me then ,
From whence I came? and, iflwasaChriftian ? Itoldthemthat Iwas jmlilji
a Hollander , They then, if I was a I faid No, but of the
true Catholic and Apoftolic Church 5 and with that began to give ^
an account of my Faith as what my Opinion was about the Divine ^
Eflence, the Holy Trinity , the Incarnation of our Lord, the Sacred ^
Scriptures, Everlafting Life, &c. To which they made no objeftion,
as if they did approv of my Confeflion for good conformity with ^
theirs, but charged me to perfevere a true beleever in the Lord I ejus, ^
and not give way to the many allurements I muft expect from tnole ^
of the Mahometan Faith to become a Profelyte in the Seit ot that 1 ^
foul Impoftor, When they had out of their great Zeal admonilhea ^
me a litle, they began to enquire of me how I came into Slavery i ^
I told them all the whole paflage from the Beginning to the End; ^
for which they fhow'd themfelvs much concern'd, and promiled me, ^
if I were willing, they would indeavour to get me into the Hands ot ^
a Chriftian , and confequently that they would intreat the U s