‘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’ [‎355] (430/470)

C hap . XXXVil. The Voyages of Struys.
355
JC73.
for thelflaud St. tklcn.% ,which liland he had taken from the
about 14 Weeks before. The reft of the Ships yrcre to follow us in
7 or 8 days time, and fo to fail together for
Thus having a brisk Gale of wind we hoifedfail, and had aboard us
one Captain Bredenbach who was tobe Governour Wefct
our coiufe JNorth- Weft and on the 21 of UW/y being Whitfuntide
came before isittt Helena > but coming juft in at the Bay we found
<iil | we had got a wrong Sow by the Tail, finding inftead of our own, 7
Pft great English Men of War , with a FireQiip and 3 Merchant Men.
iScrt. The Er/ghjh finding us within Shot did lb wclcom us with their
| upper and lower Tires, that we were prefently quit of Hopes, Ship
and Goods. They gave us Nutmegs enough , but thofe were focru-
Aj el hard that we could not grate ( much lefs digeft) them with our
j wills: In fhort they ihot fo hotly upon us that we had feveralMen
^ ona fudden killed and n.any wounded. We had aboard us about
tk 50 Men and had not above 5 or 6 Guns that we could u{e. Being
tii thus in a great Strait and not knowing what to do having no lei-
ijie fure to confult, it was refolved thac we lliould board the
kI an EnglishFriggat of 48 Guns, which followed us with the Fire-
ii ihip. "Hereupon our Captain gave order that the Hatches fliould be
sfe flint and nailed up, that none might creep out of the way, butuna-
nimoufly to fall upon our Enterpiife: yet when all was don we
came fhort of Ammunition, and were at laft fain to furrender our felvs,
Ship andGoods to the Mercy ofthe who never left firing upon
us with 12 and 18 Founders.
The English were no fooner com aboard but they fell a plunde
ring us, fearching fo narrowly that I knew no longer how to con
ceal the Jewels which my Patronels A It me had given me, being Ten
Bruto , or rough Diamonds, for I had ibid one at which was
the meaneft, for about tooo gl. And now that good Treafure, which
1 had fo long hid , and fecured from Theevifli hands , lay at Stake
for an Offering to impious Mars, and finding that they began to
make a new Search ,1 called an Eng afide, and told him that I
had fo many rough Diamonds, which if he would pleafe totakeand
hidefor me, I would give him 5 , upon further Condition that he
would be faithfull to me and redeliver me the other back again when
we arrived in England : but abov all to keep the matter fecret. He
Y y 2 pro-
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