The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

Of the ISLAND of CANDY.

OUT of the Island of Candy Strangers export great store of Wheat and Sallet-Oyl, all sorts of Pulse, Cheese, yellow Wax, Cottons, Silks, but more especially Malmsey, wherein consists its chiefest Trade. When Vintage draws near, the Country-people that are to gather the Grapes wrap their Feet in a piece of a Boar's Skin, which they tye together upon the upper part of the Foot with a piece of Pack-thred, to preserve their Feet from the violent heat of the Rocks upon which they are to tread. Those Skins are brought out of Russia by the Russes, that bring Botargo and Caviare to Constantinople, where they have a vast vent for it all over Turkie, Persia, and Ethiopia; where they that follow the Greek and Armenian Church, eat little or nothing else all the Lent. By the way take notice, that the Turks make a certain Glew out of Sturgeon, which is the best in the World, so that whatever is fasten'd with it, will rather break in another place than where it is glew'd. They make it thus: When they have caught a Sturgeon, they pull out his Guts, and then there remains a Skin that covers the Flesh; this Skin they take off from the head to the belly. It is very clammy, and about the thick∣ness of two Sheets of Paper, which they roll as thick as a Man's Arm, and let it dry in the Sun. When they use it, they beat it with a Mallet, and when it is well beat'n they break it into pieces, and steep it in Water for half an hour in a little Pot.

When the Venetians were Masters of Candy, they that had committed any Crime which deserv'd Death, if they could get out of the Island before they were appre∣hended,

went directly to Constantinopole, to beg their pardon. For you must know, that no person but the Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Venice had the Pri∣viledge to pardon Crimes committed in Candy. For example, when Signor Der∣visano was Ambassador for the Commonwealth of Venice at Constantinople, a Candiot having a desire to lye with a Woman by force, she told him she would sooner eat her Child's Liver than yield to his Lust. Whereupon, the Villain enrag'd he could not compass his design, took his opportunity, kill'd the Child, cut out the Liver, and made the Mother eat it, and then slew the Mother also. Upon this he fled to Con∣stantinople, to beg pardon of the Ambassador, and obtain'd it there: But the Ambassador at the same time wrote word to the Governour of Candy to put him to death at his return; having only granted him his Pardon, to preserve his Priviledge. And indeed, to speak truth, the Candiots are the most wretched people under Heaven.