Leaving this monstrous shapen Monster to the owne strange, and almost incredulous Nativity, we returned to Lesiva. But by the way of our backe comming, I remember that worthy Gentleman who shewed me the ruines of an old house, where the noble Demetrius.King Demetrius was borne; and after I had yeelded by bounden and dutifull thankes unto his generous minde, I hired a Fisher-boate to goe over to Clissa, being twelve miles distant. This Ile of Clissa is of length twenty, and of circuit threescore miles: It is beautified with two profitable Sea-ports, and under the Signiory of Venice. There are indifferent good commodities therein; upon the South side of this Iland lieth the Ile Pelagusa, a rocky and barren place.
Departing from thence in a Carmoesalo bound to Ragusa, we sailed by the three Iles, Brisca, Placa, Igezi; And when we entred in the Gulfe of Cataro, we fetched up the sight of the Ile Melida, called of old Meligna: Before we could attaine unto the Haven, wherein our purpose was to stay all night, we were assailed on a sudden with a deadly storme: Insomuch, that every swallowing wave threatned our death, and bred in our breasts, an intermingled sorrowe of feare and hope. And yet hard [II. 54.]by us, and within a mile to the ley-ward, a Barbarian man of war of Tunneis, carrying two tyre of Ordonance, and 200. men, seaz’d upon a Carmosale of Venice, at the first shot, she being loaden with Malvasie and Muscadine and come from Candy, and had us also in chase till night divided our contrary designes. The winds becomming favourable, and our double desired safety enjoyed, both because of the sea storme, and of the stormy Pyrat, we set forward in the Gulfe of Cataro, and sayled by the Cursola.Ile Cursola: in this island I saw a walled towne called Curzola, which hath two strong Fortresses to guard it. It is both commodious for the trafficke of Merchandize they have, and also for the fine wood that groweth there, whereof the Venetian Ships and Gallies are made: An Iland no lesse pleasant then profitable; and the two Governours thereof are changed every eighteene moneths, by the State of Venice.
It was of old called Curcura, Melana, and of some Corcira Nigra, but by the Modernes, Curzola. Continuing our course, we passed by the iles Sabionzello, Torquolla, and Catza Augusta, appertaining to the Republike of Ragusa. They are all three well inhabited and fruitfull, yeelding cornes, wines, and certaine rare kinds of excellent fruites. It is dangerous for great vessels to come neere their coasts, because of the hidden shelfs that lie off in the sea, called Augustini, where divers ships have beene cast away in fowle weather; upon the second day after our loosing from Clissa, we arrived at Ragusa.
Ragusa.Ragusa is a Common-weale, governed by Senators, and a Senate Counsell; it is wonderfull strong, and also well guarded, being situate by the sea side, it hath a fine Haven, and many goodly ships thereunto belonging: The greatest trafficke they have, is with the Genueses: Their [II. 55.]territory in the firme land is not much in respect of the neighbouring Turkes, but they have certaine commodious ilands, which to them are profitable: And notwithstanding, of the great strength and riches they possesse, yet for their better safeguard and liberty, they pay a yearly tributary pension unto the great Turke, amounting to fourteene thousand Chickens of Gold: yea, and also they pay yearely a tributary pension unto the Venetians, for the Iles reserved by them in the Adriaticall Gulfe, so that both by sea and land they are made tributary citizens. The most part of the civill Magistrates, have but the halfe of their heads bare, but the vulger sort are all shaven like to the Turkes.
This Citty is the Metropolitan of the Kingdome of Slavonia.Slavonia: Slavonia was first called Liburnia, next, Illiria, of Ilirio the sonne of Cadmus: But lastly, named Slavonia, of certaine slaves that came from Sarmatia passing the river Danubio, in the time of the Emperour Justinian: Croatia lying North-west from hence, is the third Province of this auntient Ilyria, and was formerly called Valeria, or Corvatia: It hath on the West Istria and Carniola: on the East and South, Dalmatia: on the North North-west a part of Carindia quasi Carinthia, and northerly Savus: So much as is called Slavonia, extendeth from the River Arsa in the West, the river Drino in the East, on the South bordereth with the Gulfe of Venice, and on the North with the Mountaines of Croatia: These Mountaines divide also Ragusa from Bosna. Bosna is bounded on the West with Croatia, and on the South with Illiricum, or Slavonia, on the East with Servia: and on the North with the River Savus.
The next two speciall Citties in that Kingdome, are Sabenica and Salona. The Slavonians are of a robust [II. 56.]nature, martiall, and marvellous valiant fellowes, and a great helpe to maintaine the right and liberty of the Venetian State, serving them both by sea and land, and specially upon their Galleyes and men of Warre. From Ragusa I imbarked in a Tartareta, loaden with corne, and bound to Corfu, being three hundred miles distant.
In all this way we found no Iland, but sayled along the maine land of the Illirian shoare: having passed the Gulfe of Cataro, and Capo di Fortuna, I saw Castello novo: which is a strong Fortresse, situate on the top of a Rocke: wherein one Barbarisso, the Captaine of Solyman, 4000. Spaniards starvd to death.starved to death foure thousand Spaniards. Having left Illiria Albania, and Valona behind us, we sayled by Capo di Palone, the large promontore of which, extendeth to eight miles in length, being the face of a square and maine Rocke. This high land is the furthest part of the Gulfe of Venice, and opposite against Capo di Sancta Maria in Apulia, each one in sight of another, and fourteene leagues distant. Continuing our Navigation, we entred into the Sea Ionium, and sayled along the coast of Epire, which was the famous Kingdome of the Epirotes, and the first beginning of Greece. Epirus is environed on the South with the sea Ionian: on the East with Macedon; On the West North west, with Albania; and on the North, with a part of Rascia, and the huge Hill Hæmus: Of which Mountaine Stratonicus was wont to say, that for eight moneths in the yeare, it was exceeding cold, and for the other foure, it was Winter: This long Mountaine devideth also Greece from Mysia, called vulgarly Bulgaria, lying on the North of Hæmus, and to the South of Danubio, even Eastward to the Euxine sea: Which River parteth also Dacia, from Mysia the superiour, the which Dacia being an auncient and famous countrey, [II. 57.]containeth these Provinces, Transilvania, Moldavia, Vallachia, Servia, and Bosna: Here in this Kingdome of Epyre, was the noble and valiant Pirhus King, who made so great warres upon the Romanes, and at last by a woman of Argos was killed with a stone: The most valerous Captaine George Castriot surnamed Scanderberg.Scanderberg, the great terrour and scourge unto the Turkes was borne here; of whom it is recorded, he slew at diverse battels with his owne hands, above three thousand Turkes; obtaining also many fortunate victories against Amurath and Mahomet: After whose death and buriall, his body was digged up by the Turkes, and joyfull was that man could get the least bit of his bones to preserve, and carry about with him, thinking thereby so long as he kept it, he should alwayes be invincible, which the Turkes observe to this day, and likely to do it to their last day. And more,
Renoun’d Epire, that gave Olimpias life,
Great Alexanders Mother, Phillips Wife.
In this countrey are these two Rivers, Acheron and Cocytus; who for their minerall colours, and bitter tasts, were surnamed the Rivers of Hell; and the sacred Mount Pindus, celebrate to Apollo and the Muses so well memorized by Poets, is here. It is now called Mezzona, at the foote of which springeth the River of Peneia, called Modernely Salepiros, but more properly Azababa, and keeping his extreamest course through the fields of pleasure, named by the auncients Tempi, being five miles long, and as much large, lying betweene the two Hils Osso and Olympus, and watering that beautiful plaine, the faire Peneian spring, or Azababan River, disburdeneth it selfe in the gulfe Thessalonick. This is the first kingdom of Greece, and of a great length consisting betweene [II. 58.]the West, most part of Albania, as a perpendicular Province annexed to it, and the Arcadian Alpes, which divide Ætolia and Acarnania, the East-most regions of it, from Sparta, Thessaly, and the old Mirmidons Countrey of Macedon, amounteth to foure hundred and eight miles, lying along by the Sea side, whose breadth extendeth all the way along Northward to the hill Hæmus, above 68. miles. The chiefe Towne of Epyre, where the Kings had their residence, was called Ambracia, modernely Laerto named of a river running by it: And upon the sixt day after our departure from Ragusa, we arrived at Corfu.