'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎30] (51/448)

20
^Ethiopia. White^fea.
To
ex-
— : p , Kr ttmhm, pamm, mcl, conficiunt
PUn y S}f are bought with little charge, thirty Orenges or Lemons the Blacks ex-
conclude, the 'f p ^ e n r p ° De ,-. for two {heets ten Coco-nuts; an Oxe for a piece of
cha h rl f aGoac for fe pence.' Ships they have none, nor Boats, but Canooes hewed out
eight; a Goat tor n p three Men-, and if they fink, their fwimmmg
fcS >" fcrli,ke " hl, by
draught may better be apprehended.
The of September we bad farewel to Moh by benefit of a fair gale that fill d all
our fails ' p lowfng up the yielding Ocean. The long billows made us dance apace, yet
ffeine the Marines made fo good uie of this advantage, as in tour days
mnrp hv obfMvatira wefound our felves but four degrees from the tfquinodbal. I may
nM forcet how that this Night being the 19. of Sep. the Ocean for about ten leagues
ibace^ through which we failed was white as Snow, contrary to the ufual colour which
r kiS o fprpne or azure Firmament. This (as one obferves) is tmer mi.
refembied a fer^e oOTe ^ ^ thiscam ei 0 pafs I enquired of the Malter of the
Shin hutlktk to fatisfadioir, for all he could fay for folution, was, that in this lati-
tude' others failing upon that point of the Compafs had obferved the like i what other
caufe therewas they conld not tell, feeing the Sea was exceeding deep and fmooth, and
no difturbance by wind to curl the waves, or to make it frothy. That Sea-water when it
re^s is black, white when it moves, becanfe when the beams of light pafs not ftreight
tlsdark but when fmooth pafs ftreight, feeing fplendor hath a degree of whitenefs,
the Lord rJraW tells us. Howbeit this whitenefs may ratherhappen through afubtile
intermixture of Air with Water •, feeing that two diaphanous Bodies intermixt, their op-
tSortionsinafimpleorder equally placed do conftitute whitenefs-, for proof where-
o? rnmeFxamoles we have the water near Glauca in Mifana is reported to be white ,
■n«^lfo P s a Fountain that at fome time of theyear is white. Alfo
failins through the Verfian Gulfh, reports, that betwixt Ormm and he
found the Sea milk-white, 0 which we did not. Corfalim informs, that in fome
nart of the Eali In&tm Ocean the water for 100 leagues is white. affirms
the lik° concerning the Weft Indian Seas. Now Seas there are, I acknowledge, which
have their names from divers colours, as M Red-fea, the naiM rather
than colour riving the denomination-. Mare or Black, fo the Euxm,
u nrU/hifefea fothc JrchipeUfohculkd i the Ocean is Cer«/«OT or Blew-, Yellow
SXL th cobul is Grlen ii dnarrow Seas -, but tells ns of a ^
for fo he terms the Mriat^e, l.^Geor S . which is rareft. But concerning th s
.T7, r„ rpnt - gives a pretty conjedure; Sailing between Madagafcar zndZey-
/^M /ar or Near'thilplace) La<Stk night fnddenly there happeneda gleam of l.ght,
fo br 1 eht that he could eafily read by it. Amazed he was at this alteration *, but at length
rcefwd it was occafioned by a number of Fifh, whofe glittering ihells made that art.
hcial li^ht in the night, and gave the Sea a white repercuffion; this was accidental . now
feeinethefe watry Citizens are feldome refident long in any one place, '
nrefumed thpt the difcolouring of the water upon this occafion will hardly appear
fntto degree to other Palfengers, unlefs they Ihould incounter the hke accident -or
why do not the like gleams happen elfewhere confidenng their motion. But eei g
found to about this very Latitude and place the Sea is conftant to this whitenefs, it
cannot be refemd to that caufe -, but as it isoccult, Heave the further fcrutmy to fuch
as are curious in Natures fecrets. Having