A collection of curious travels & voyages in two tomes ... / by John Ray ...

CHAP. III.

An Account of a Journey by Land from Mount Athos to Constantinople, wherein the Gold and Silver Mines of Macedonia, together with many Antiquities and Natural Rari∣ties, are describ'd.

LEaving Mount Athos, we travelled in two days to Saloniki, formerly called Thessalo∣nica, and in two days more we reach'd Sidero∣capsa, the Chrysites of the Ancients, where now the Turks, and many other Nations, work the rich Oars, which afford yearly a very conside∣rable Treasure, and make the place much fre∣quented and resorted to. 'Tis situated amongst the Valleys, at the foot of high Mountains, and yields monthly to the Grand Signior for his share only above 18000 Gold Ducats, and sometimes 30000 clear of all Disbursements. There are about Five or Six hundred Furnaces dispers'd up and down these Mountains, which abound with great varieties of Pyrites, Marchasites, and other Oars, which they work in a different manner from the Germans and Spaniards: Their Furna∣ces and Work-houses are all placed on the sides of Rivolets, for all their Bellows play with Wheels turn'd by Streams of Water. The white Soot of the Chimneys is called Spodus and Pom∣pholix, as it differs in colour, of which above ten pounds may be gathered every week. They separate the Lead from the Gold and Silver by

particular fusions, then the Silver from the Gold by Aqua fortis: Out of the Gold they coyn their Ducats, which are very flexible, and esteem'd the purest Gold in the World, always clean and resplendent.

From these metallick Mountains we saw Mount Athos, and great part of Macedonia, which appear'd hilly. I observ'd here two Serpents never seen before by me; the Greeks called them Sapidi or Sapiti, which comes near to Seps or Sips. The Inhabitants of Syderocapsa gather abundance of the Rhus or Sumach, which they use in preparing their Skins, and tanning their Leather, which the Aegyptians do with the Pods of their Acacia, the Natolians with the Cups of the Acorns of a Dwarf-Oak called Esculus, the Illyrians with a black Myrtle (perhaps the Rhus Myrtifolia) the French with Oak bark, the Les∣bians and Phrygians with the bark of the Picea.

The Workmen use several Machines in wor∣king and drawing up the Oars, according as the Veins lye: These Works employ above 6000 men.

In a Lake near Syderocapsa I took notice of several Fishes, as one called Laros by the Natives, because the Gulls feed much upon it, by the Latines Gania, by the French Mouatte, by those of Diepe and Newport, Mauue. Another called Claria, by those of Lyons, Lotte; by the Parisians Barbotte. Also the Liparis, the Perch, young Mul∣lets, &c.

In the adjacent Country there are Fallow Deer, Buffalo's, Wild Boar, Goats, Red Deer, and our Roe Deer, Porcupines, Urchins, Wolfs, Foxes, Hares; the Chamois or Rupicapra; the Trage∣laphus different from the Hippelaphus.

Leaving Syderocapsa, we spent two days in getting to Cavalla, anciently called Boucephala, whereas we might have gone by Sea in half a day: In this Journey we saw the River Strymon, and on it Swans, and other Birds like Pelecans: At the mouth of this River are seen the Remains of a place called by the Natives Chrysopolis, tho' Pliny puts it not far from Chalcedon. We saw Ceres the Cranon of the Ancients; afterwards Tricala, and so by the side of the Mountain De∣spota, through a great Plain to Philippi, near which are many Villages and several Mines. We ob∣serv'd hereabouts Misseltoe on the Oak, as also in many other places of Macedonia, where they make Bird-lime. The Ground is very much over-run with the Paliurus and Rhamnus.

The Ruins of Philippi are about two days Jour∣ney from Trica or Tricala, and Philippi scarce three more from Philippolis. These were great Roads in the time of the Roman Empire, now heaps of Rubbish, and Sepulchres of Marble with Inscriptions. The Isle of Tasso is but six hours distant, and from thence this great quantity of white Marble might have easily been fetch'd. The Magnificence of Philippi may be guess'd at from the number of these noble Monuments and Inscriptions, from the fair Amphitheatre still en∣tire with its Marble Seats: 'Tis not oval, as those at Otricholi and Rome, but spherical, as those at Verona and Nismes: There are also Dorick and Ionick Pillars, with many Statues belonging to the Temple of Divus Claudius. At Cavalla or Boucephala there are still great Cisterns of hard∣ned Cement (as at Baiae) and Aquaeducts.

Departing from Cavalla, we pass'd by Mount Haemus, over the River Nesus, and came to Bouron on the Salt-Lake of Bisto, near a moist

Plain, full of Cytisus, Halimus, &c. as about Phi∣lippi. Here are taken great quantity of Dace or Dare, which they pickle as we do Herrings, as also smoak and dry them. The Fishing on this Lake is very considerable, for from hence they supply many distant places. About six hours from Bouron we came to Commercina, where they sell great variety of Provisions; from thence we went to Cypsella, where they make Alum by gently calcining the Stone, and letting it dissolve afterwards in the Air by the Dews and Rains, and then boyling and crystallizing the impreg∣nated Water. In this Journey we saw many old Roman Highways pav'd with great Stones.

We passed the Marisca (of old Hebrus) in a Ferry, and came to Vire; here they wash some Gold out of the Sand, but are often forced to use Quicksilver in the separation. The Water of Hebrus is very cold in the middle of Summer, and the Banks are set with Tamarisks; King's-fishers build their Nests in holes on the sides, they make them of the Bones and Scales of little Fishes. The Natives hereabouts often leave their Habitations to work in Harvest time: Their Sickles differ from ours, and their Corn is not thresh'd but trodden with Cattel. In this Jour∣ney we found great variety and plenty of Jaspars and Chalcedony.

The Thracians and Macedonians gather all the Galls or Excrescencies on the Turpentine Trees, which they sell at Prusa, for the dying of Silks. This Country abounds much with Tortoises, for the Greeks never eat nor destroy their, unless they catch them in their Gardens or Plantations of Cotton and Sesamum.

We left the Road of Gallipoli on the right, and came to Rodesto (the old Perinthus) from thence

we left Heraclea on the left, and past Selibria, a days Journey distant from Constantinople. The Honey of Heraclea is said to be pernicious, per∣haps because the Country abounds with the Chamaeleon niger (a sort of Carlina) to whose Root adheres a very venomous Excrescence called Ixia, which may affect the Bees that feed on that Plant.

I found hereabouts a milky Plant (perhaps an Apocynum) with the leaves and flower of a Ne∣rion, or the purple Lysimachia.

Thrace is an open Country without Trees, like Picardy, the great Plains are divided here and there with Ridges and little Hills: About three miles before we came to Constantinople, we pass'd two long Wood-Bridges that run over the Salt-Marshes, upon which are many Boats and Mills with eight Wings or Arms: On these Lakes there is a great Fishery, as also on the Propontis, for the Oriental People (as other Nations of old) are more delighted with the Fish Diet than with that of Quadrupeds or Birds. This may be one reason why the Books of the Ancients treat more of Fish than of Fowl, or any other Ani∣mals.