The fabulous Countrey of Syrene.The chiefe Cities therein are Cyrene, Arsinoa, and Barca whence the whole Cyrenean Country taketh the modern name Barca Marmorica, anciently Penta Politana. The Soyle is barren of Waters and Fruites, the people rude and theftuous: yet it hath bred the most ingenious spirits of Calimachus the Poet; Aristippus the Phylosopher; Eratosthenes the Mathematician, and Symon of Cyrene, whom the Jewes compelled to carry our Saviours Crosse.
In this Province, which is now reckoned as a part of Ægypt, stood the Oracle of Jupiter Hammon, in the great Wildernesse confining with Lybia: Whither when Alexander travailed, he saw for foure dayes space, neither man, Beast, Bird, Tree, nor River: Where, when arrived, the flattering Priests, professed him to be the sonne of Jupiter: which afterward (being hurt with an Arrow) hee found false, saying; Omnes me vocant filium Jovis, sed hæc sagitta me probat esse mortalem. West from Cyrene all the Kingdomes of Tunnis, Tremisen, Algier, Fesse, and a part of Morocco even to Gibilterre, or fretum [VII. 326.]Herculeum, under a generall name now called Barbary; and hardly can be distinguished by the barbarous Moores.
In the time of this our Navigation for Christendome, there dyed seaventeene of our Mariners, and all our foure French Pilgrimes, two of them being gray hayred, and 60. yeares of age, which bred no small griefe, and feare to us all, thinking that they had dyed of the plague, for it was exceeding rife in Alexandria from whence wee came.
The French men had onely left unspent among them all, threescore and nine Chickens of gold, which the Master of the Ship medled with, and because they were Papists, and they and I alwayes adverse to other, I could not clayme it. Foure French Pilgrimes dead.Their dead Corpes were cast over Board, in a boundlesse Grave to feed the fishes, and wee then expecting too the like mutation of Life; So likewise in our passage, we were five sundry times assayled by the Cursares and Pyrats of Tunnis and Biserta; yet unprevailing, for we were well provided with good Munition, and skilfull, Martiall, and resolute Ragusans, and a Gallant ship.
Our Ships burthen being sixe hundred Tunnes, did carry twenty eight peeces of Ordonance, two of them brazen; and foure score strong and strenuous Saylers, besides nine Merchants and Passengers. The greatnesse of our ship did more terrifie the roguish Runagats, then any violent defence we made: for they durst never set on us, unlesse they had beene three together; and yet we little regarded them, in respect of our long reaching Ordonance, and expert Gunners: In these Circumstances of time, I remember, almost every day, wee would see Flying fish.flockes of flying Fishes, scudding upon the curling waves, [VII. 327.]so long as their finnes be wet, which grow from their backe, as feathred wings doe from Fowles: But when they grow drye, they are forced to fall downe and wet them agayne, and then flye along. Their flight will bee the length of a Cables Rope, untouching Water; and in this their scudding, it is thought the Dolphin, is in persuing them, who is their onely enemy in devouring and feeding upon them; whose bignesse and length are like to Mackrels, but greater headed and shouldered. Meanewhile in these our Courses were we seven weekes crossed with Northerly Windes, ever Tackling and boarding from the Affricke Coast, to the Carminian shoare, in all which time wee saw no Land, except the boysterous billowes of glassie Neptune: And as Ovid sayde, in the like case crossing the Ionian seas, Nil nisi pontus et aer, viz.
Nothing but Waves I view, where ships do floate
And dangers lye: huge Whales do tumbling play;
Above my head, Heavens star-imbroadred coate,
Whose vault containes, two eyes for night and day,
Far from the Maine, or any Marine Coast,