Hear is indiferente store of Currante and ayle, and greate store of corne, for theye doo sell som to other contris that wante; also good store of goates and shepe and other catle. Because som of our companye was sicke, we restede heare 3 dayes.
The 24, being Christmas Eeve, we proseded in our jurnaye throughe Morrea. A bout nowne we came to a rever that we muste pass throughe; and, determaninge thare to baite, for we ever had vitals reddie dreste for 3 dayes, we pitched and placed ourselves under the alder trees, to kepe us from the son; for thoughe it was Christmas eve, yeat we thoughte it to be as hoate wether as we have it in Inglande at Whitsontide, and swallowes came fliinge a bout us. Our dinner ended, we croste the rever, and entred into a foreste-like Cuntrie, wheare we saw nether towne nor villidge, but somtime a shipheardes Hoote (hut). At nyghte we founde 3 litle pore cottidges. In this wylde cuntrie, wheare we rested the moste part of the nyght; and whyle 4 of us slepte, the other 4 did watche, for we touke the place to be daingerus to sleepe it. I was one of the 4 that did watche in the fore parte of the nyghte. Betwixte 11 and 12 of the clocke we saw a bale of fierr, as bigge as a greate foot bale,[148] risinge out of the easte, and did rise of a greate heighte, and did give a greate lighte; than, faulinge towardes the weste, the lighte and fier bothe was less and less. Mr. Conisbe was verrie sorie that he had not sene that fier bale.
At 4 a clocke in the morninge, beinge Christmas daye, we Sett forwardes. This day we could not number the heardes of swine which we saw and paste throughe, and also heardes of shepe and goates, and we weare verrie muche trubled wethe shepheardes’ doggs, the which weare like to pluck us of our horsis.
This cuntrie is a parte of the plains of Arcadia. Aboute (an) howre we cam to a villidge, wheare we did thinke to have boughte som vittels, but we could gitt nothinge but 8 egges.
When we weare a myle oute of this towne upon the plains, the day before was verrie fair, but now thar fell a sodon shower of raine, the which came downe as if it had bene powered downe with bouls, and no winde; but our horsis stood stone still, and would not stur one foote. The shower lasted not a bove halfe a quarter of an hour, and for a great parte of that time for a myle round aboute us we could se no ground for water. Upon a sodon it seaste, and the water was gone, all savinge som which laye in hollow placis.
Pasinge throughe this plaine, upon our righte hande we myghte se the seae, and upon the sandes an infinite company of wyld swans.[149] Upon our lefte hande we sawe highe mountains.
At nyghte we came to a Castell, caled Castell Turneaes,[150] the which dothe stand upon a verrie hie hill, posseste with a garreson of Turkes, and is 3 myles from the seae. It is a Castele that may be kepte with a verrie few men. The waye to it is so lade[151] that ordenance cannot be broughte anythinge near it.
On St. Stevn’s Day we did thinke to have croste a parte of the sea to the iland Zante, but the wynde was so hie that we could not.
On St. John’s Day, the wynde beinge somwhat abatted, we carried our supportes[152] and other Lugedge to the seasid, wheare we weare in hoope to find som boats. Cominge thether, we founde a great markett of swyne and other cattell, and so thar is everie day, beinge faire weather. The iland Zante hathe all theire provition of vittell from thence. From this place it is but 12 or 18 myles by sea, yeate we had muche adow to hier a hogge boate to carrie us to Zante. For our passage and carriege of our stufe we payed seven Chickens (sequins), or 7 pecis of gould which weare nyne shillinges a peece.