‘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’ [‎374] (451/470)

[374]
•^OHTufcday-we came to Sea, {ailing clofc by the Coaft and to the Southward.
"Vv c aiio iaw ^ filial 1 Vcflclsj or Barks which indcavoured to keep Company with
us. Having pafTed Settimbo Gar a theWind was flat North, and about the Evenin?
all was calm.
THE Day following one of the above mentioned Shipping IiailM us , andfaid
that they were bound for Terki and came from Afirachm being laden with Salt.
We kept them Company along the Coaft near the broken Land which is all grown
over with huge tall Reeds: we had n and iz Foot "Water. At night oneofthofe
VefTels fir ay d about a Cannon Ihot from us; and the next morning 2 Barks made
up towards us and gave Fire, without doing any Execution: But when they came
near us the cowardly Banians fell upon their knees anc^ begged their Lives. In each
Boat were 9 Perfons and aboard of us were 46", fome Perflans, Tartars and Bouchars,
but moft Banians. Coming to board us they plundered all to our very Provifion.
I had about 8 Rubbles in Money and my Seal-ring which had bin once already re
deemed from the Cofacs. This Ring with the Money I gave to the Chirurgeon;
but they threatningto put him to the Torture when it came to his turn to be pillaged;
he confcfled all and delivered up the Money and Ring, befides 4 double Ducats
of his own : but found an opportunity to hide Ducats more after an efp^cial
manner about his Body.
W HEN the Cofacks had taken all and pillaged us of what they could find, they
held a certain fort of a Council among themfelvs whattheyihoulddo with us. At
la ft it was refolved after a long debate, that we ihould be faved alive but turned off
to Sea, with charge not to come anigh the Coaft any more, upon pain of being thrown
over board if they came to take us again.
UPON this they left us , and gave us opportunity to make ufe of the Wind, which
was Welterly, and about the Evening with a brilk Gale, and a dark moon we fet
fail and bore up to the Sea.
BUT after we had failed about 2 Leagues the "Weather began to befomwhat
boiftrous, fo that we were fain to put in at a fmall Creek ofanlfland , where we
lay at Anchor till Saturday following ; at what time the "Weather growing more
calm and temperate we weighed and bore up again to the Coaft , where we imme-
diatly defcried 2 Barks that made up to us , and at laft came dole by the board. The
Chirurgeon and I had taken our laft Farewel of each other, expeding nothing more
than Death. In Ihort, they fell a plundering us, and I to pafs for a Banjan had
anointed my felf with Black tempered with Greace, and tied a Handherchdfabout
my Head 1 but it was lo botchingly don that they found occafion to alk the Chi
rurgeon, what for a Black Devil that I was? In the mean while they fearched very
cloic for Bread and Provifion which I feeing pointed to my mouth, whereupon
they were fo merciful as to return me a part of the Provifion back again. Two Da~
gtftan Merchants were thrown over board and the Chirurgeon who paffed for a
Pole was moft feverely beat. They threatned that if they met us again near the Coaft
that we thould have no Mercy at their hands. Meanwhile I had loft my little Com-
pafs , fo that we had no other help in direfting our Courfe, than only the Sun and
North-ftar. Towards the Evening it began* to blow hard again and. the Pyrats left
us,