At last, Dec. 22, Thursday, about eleven in the morning, we weigh’d Anchor with a fair gale at S.E.
Saturday, Dec. 24. In the morning I had a little Aguish distemper: I fancy’d that I had gotten cold with overheating myself in wading and labouring upon the sand-bank the last day we were there a shooting. The wind blew very hard most part of the day at N.N.E., and we had a very boysterous Sea. We split our Fore sail, and it almost blew away: we had stood in close under Lesbos all night, and that day, about four o’clock in the afternoon, we came to Anchor before Tenedos, in ten fathome water. Soon after, we sent our purser a shoar to wait on the Aga, who, by him, invited us to come and take what Provisions we wanted. He sent us some fish; amongst the rest Sea Breme (as our Capt. call’d them), with a large, very sharp prickly fin all along the back, and some fish which feel’d rough, like perches, with two prickly fins on their back, and on either side they had just eleven streaks or laces fore and aft (to use the seaman’s phrase), parallel to one another from the back downwards, of a bright gold colour.
The Agá beg’d some glasse bottles of our Capt., which were sent to him next day by our Purser, who went a shore and bought all the provisions which we wanted, and with them good store of white Muscadine, a rich, sweet, heavy wine. I was so ill as I durst not venture out, but shall hereafter give you an account of what I observed when I came there a second time.
Dec. 27, Tuesday. About five in the morning we weighed Anchor, and by eleven o’clock following we were at the mouth of the Hellespont.
A little beyond the innermost castles of old Sistos and Abydos, on the Southern Shore, lyes a little sand bank, which reaches on round about a sharp point of land directly opposite to Magla (antiently Madgla). Our second Mate, being on the watch, kept the south side of the Stream (which continually set out here to the West), for the advantage of the Eddy and the easier passage on that west side of the point; but, bearing in too near the South Shore, about two o’clock, ran our ship on ground. We had but one easy gale, just enough to stem the current, and the sand and mud at the bottome were soft, so we were in no great danger, and, carrying out an Anchor a sterne (as is usuall in such cases) with the Winlace, we soon wrought the ship of again, and so plying our voyage, by five o’clock we safely doubled the point, and got sea room enough.
Dec. 28, Wednesday. About ten in the morning we came to an Anchor before Galliopoli (the Greeks still call it by the old name Callipolis) in 20 fathom water. We stay’d not above two houres, and then weigh’d again for Constantinople, where, on Saturday, Dec. 31, at thre in the afternoon, we came to Anchor at the custome house on Galata side, having saluted the Seraglio as we past by with 11 guns.
I went immediately up to my Ld. Ambassador, Sr. Dan. Harvey, and deliver’d those letters of consequence which I thought not fit to venture with others by the common messo from Smyrna; and, the next day being New Yeares Day, I entred upon my employment.
When I went to get my books and other things on shore, the Customes ript open my Trunkes and boxes, and searched and rifled every thing. However, at last I mist nothing but Niceron’s Thaumaturgus opticus, which I shrewdly suspect was filch’t from me by one who was indeed call’d a Christian, but had not, it seems, the honesty of a common Turk.
[In Dr. Covel’s MS. there here follows a long and detailed account of Constantinople, which differs little from those given by other travellers of the period, and has therefore been omitted.]