The Candiots are excellent good Archers, surpassing all the Orientall people therein, couragious and valiant upon the Sea, as in former times they were; and they are naturally inclined to singing: so that commonly after meat, Man, Wife, and Child of each family, will for the space of an houre, sing with such a harmony, as is wonderfull melodious to the hearer; yea, and they cannot forgoe the custome of it.
Their Harvest is our Spring: for they manure the ground, and sow the seed in October, which is reaped in March, and Aprill. Being frustrate of my intention at Candy, I was forced to returne to Canea the same way I went: when come, I was exceeding merry with my old friends the English-men: Meane-while there arrived from Tunnis in Barbary, An English runagate.an English Runagate named Wolson, bound for the Rhodes: where after short acquaintance with his natives, and understanding what I was, he imparted these words, I have had my elder brother, sayd he, the Maister (or Captaine) of a ship, slaine at Burnt-Iland [III. 91.]in Scotland by one called Keere; and notwithstanding he was beheaded, I have long since sworne to be revenged of my brothers death, on the first Scotsman I ever saw or met, and my designe is, to stob him with a knife this night, as he goeth late home to his lodging desiring their assistance: But Smith, Hargrave, and Horsfeild refused, yet Cooke and Rollands yeelded. Meane-while Smith knowing where I used sometimes to diet, found me at supper in a Sutlers, a souldiers house, where acquainting me with this plot, the hoste, he, and three Italian souldiers conveighed me to my bed, passing by the arch-villaine, and his confederats, where he was prepared for the mischiefe: which when he saw his treachery was discovered, he fled away, & was seene no more here.
Remarking the fidelity and kindnesse that Smith had twice shewen me, first in freeing me from the danger of galley-slavery, and now in saving my life, I advised to doe him a good deed in some part of acquittance, and thus it was: Smith relieved from long bondage.At his first comming to Venice, he was taken up as a souldier for Candy: where, when transported, within a small time he found the Captaines promise and performance different, which enforced him at the beginning to borrow a little money of his Lieutenant: the five yeares of their abode expired, and fresh Companies come from Venice to exhibit the charge, Smith not being able to discharge his debt, was turned over to the new Captaine for five yeares more, who payed the old Captaine his mony; and his time also worne out, the third Captaine came, where likewise he was put in his hands serving him five yeares longer.
Thus having served three Captaines fifteene yeares, and never likely able (for a small trifle) to attaine his liberty, [III. 92.]I went to the Captaine and payed his debt, obtaining also of the Rector his licence to depart; and the allowance of the State for his passage, which was Wine and Biscot-bread: Thereafter: I imbarked him for Venice in a Flemish ship, the Maister being a Scotsman, John Allen borne in Glasgow, and dwelt at Middleborough in Zeland, his debt was onely forty eight shillings starling.
Here I stayed in Canea twenty five dayes before I could get passage for the Arch Ilands, being purposed for Constantinople; but gladly would not have left the Monastary of these foure Friars, with whom I was lodged, if it had not beene for my designes; in regard of their great cheere and deepe draughts of Malvasey I received hourely, and oftentimes against my will: Every night after supper, the Friars forced me to dance with them, either one gagliard or other: Drunken Fryers.Their Musicke in the end was sound drunkennesse, and their Syncopa turnd to spew up all, and their bed converted to a boord, or else the hard floore, for these beastly swine, were nightly so full, that they had never power to goe to their owne chambers, but where they fell, there they lay till the morne: the cloyster it selfe had two faire Courts, the least of which might have lodged any King of Europe: The Church was little, and among the foure Friars, there was but one Masse-Priest, being a Greeke borne and turn’d to the Roman faction: his new name was Pattarras Matecarras, Pater Libenter, or Father of free will, indeed a right name for so sottish a fellow, for he was so free of his stomacke to receive in strong liquor, that for the space of twenty dayes of my being there, I never saw him, nor any one of the other three truely sober. Many odde merriments and jests have I observed of these Friars of Candie, but time will not suffer me to relate them, onely remitting the rest to my privat discourse, a figge for their folly.
[III. 93.]I travelled on foot in this Ile more then foure hundred miles, and upon the fifty eight day after my first comming to Carabusa, I imbarked in a Fisher-boat that belonged to Milo, being a hundred miles distant, which had beene violently driven thither with stormy weather.
And in our passing thither, we were in danger to be over-runne two severall times, with two huge broken Seas, which twice covered the body of the closse boat: yet with extreame fortune we arrived at Milo in a bay of the East corner of the Ile, being about St. Andrewes day, where the poore Greeks tooke me up to their Village, two miles distant from this Creeke, and I abode with them foure dayes.
Milo.Milo was called by Aristotle, Melada, and by others, Mimalida, Melos: And lastly Milo; because of the fine mil-stones that are got there, which are transported to Constantinople, Greece, and Natolia. This Ile is one of the Iles Cyclades, or Sporades, but more commonly Archipelago, or the Arch-Ilands, and standeth in the beginning of the Ægean sea: The Inhabitants are Greekes, but slaves to the Turke, and so are all the fifty foure Iles of the Cyclades, save onely Tino, which holdeth of the Venetians.
From Milo I came to Zephano in a small boat, an Iland of circuit about twenty miles, and ten miles distant from Milo: The Inhabitants are poore, yet kind people: There are an infinite number of Partridges within this Ile, of a reddish colour, and bigger then ours in Brittaine: They are wilde, and onely killed by small shot; but I have seene in other Ilands flockes of them feeding in the fields, and usually kept by children: Some others I have seene [III. 94.]in the streetes of Villages, without any keeper, even as our Hennes doe with us. I saw fountaines here, that naturally yeeld fine Oyle, which is the greatest advantage the Ilanders have.
Zephano.Zephano did once produce the Calamita, and was renowned for the fine Mines of Gold and Silver, of which now it is altogether desolate: There is also fine Sulphur here, and exceeding good Marble: from whence Lucullus was the first that transported it to Rome: There is a certaine ground in this Ile, where it is sayd, that if any take it away, or digge deepe holes, the earth of it selfe in a small time will surcrease without any ayde of man. East from Milo and Zephano, lye the Iles Policandro, and Christiana, formerly Laguso, Sicandro; and Sasurnino, anciently Calistha, famous for the birth of the Poet Calimachus.