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-paring to set him the example. These companions
of our's proved to be a Turkish vessel, a Venetian
and one under Swiss colours manned with Greeks Sclavonians
with only one Russian on board a common sailor This latter we visited
yesterday afternoon, the Captain, Mr Griffiths and Mr
Schnieder and I, at the desire of Mr Schneider to
whom in his quality of a Russian subject such a
vessel was more particularly interesting. It proved to be
a three mast Polacea (two months from Taganrog
(at the
farther end of the Sea of Azoss) loaden with corn for
Smyrna. The Captain who was a Greek was not on
board: we therefore did not go on board ourselves. What
was still more agreeable to me we landed & made a little excursion
into the country, first on one side of the harbour
and then on the opposite. I picked up some plants
one of which a pretty shrub with quinque foliated leaves
was new to me. It had no flowers, so that I we could not
determine its genus but what was better it had seeds
of which I took care to bag in a good stock. P.S. It turns out to be the Vitex Agnus-Castus. In one group
wh in rocky ground close to the water's edge I found the Oleanders
Mirtles, one of the sorts of Mastick-Tree which grows
every where, wild vines and a pretty kind of reed about
so as 7 foot high, and the five-finger-leaves anonymous shrub above-mentioned
Further up we saw the arbutus in fruit
a few of them were ripe and were not unpleasant to the
I made a pretty nosegay of some tall elegant
heather of several sorts that were cover'd with beautiful
flowers. Mr Griffiths in the mean time picked up
close to the water a substance which proved a curiosity
It was a piece of bitumen about the size of one's fist
with shells incrusted on it. Its lightness shew'd it not to
be a stone: and upon being held to the candle it melted
and shew'd itself to be a combustible. This discovery might
have been an interesting one, had we had time to pursue
it. I find no mention made of any such thing in
any of the topographical books I have at hand. There
may be plenty of it for aught we know. I was not
by where it was picked up. Except on here and there
a rocky spot the ground was every where planted, chiefly
with olives, under which nothing but a fair ugly and
common weed will grow. We found a pear tree
seemingly wild the fruit of which though rough &
sharp was eatable. I saw another old pear tree
which had been lately grafted after the manner of crown-grafting.
It was pleasing to see that even this slight instance of the
union of skill and industry. Human creatures we saw
none, except a few stragglers from the different vessels
like ourselves. I would not learn from either the Venetian
Captain or the French Merchants Clark that the any part of
a whole a the Island the capital included affords any
sort of manufacture even of the coarsest kind, or
any article which one could wish to buy, except
ordinary provisions. The Bullocks here are said to be
small seldom weighing above £400. On coming
out of the harbour we saw four swans flying at a
great height. Some islands near Smyrna are said
with them to an incredible degree.
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Wednesday Nov: 9th
On board a Turkish bark from Smyrna &
Constantinople N E of the Island of Metelin.
We anchored at Smyrna Tuesday fortnight Oct. 24. We embarked
on board this Turk Thursday Friday last, Nov:3d a little after about midnight, and immediately
set sail. A deal of time in arrear for journalising — I must
e'en omitt for the present the transactions at Smyrna. The few
moments I can snatch for writing in the midst of all manner
of embarassments would otherwise be consumed in recollecting.
Previous to our embarkation we took a farewell supper with
Capt. Brine. The two Mr Lee's and Capt. Seward of the
Smyrna in the Levant trade were of the party to take leave.
The little wind which blows pretty regularly off land at midnight
brought us no farther than a league or two beyond the Castle
The next day at noon Saturday Friday 5th Nov r between calms and contrary winds
we found ourselves no farther on our way than off Fochia
Nova, a place considerably within the gulph of Smyrna. A
wind not only contrary but violent, at least in the estimation
of Turkish Navigators, determined the Captain to seek
shelter in the harbour belonging to that little town. The same
curses detained us there till yesterday morning; Tuesday Nov r 8. we left it
with a fair wind at 6 o'clock The wind from a scarce
perceptible breeze swelled gradually to a pitch which would
have been the delight of an English Captain, but struck terror
into the soul of Sacristi Osman Reis: He sought shelter
between the Asiatic main and two or three islands too small
to be marked on your map of Europe. This morning when at our
rising we expected to find ourselves off the Dardenelles, we found
ourselves at Anchor but a few leagues beyond the Southern extremity of our old acquaintance
the Island of Metelin. By our conjecture, the
Imperial vessel which we ought to have been on board of
by this time at Constantinople. we sailed from Fochia
in company with several vessels, all which have distanced
us and are long ago out of sight. To Turkish unskilfulness
our vessel in particular adds the misfortune of a lading
by much too deep for it: what would be cowardice
in another is may in others be no more than prudence. The
Captain besides has the candour to acknowledge his own
people worse sailors than even the Greeks.
You will be curious to learn the situation of us poor
Christians among these votaries of Mahomet. Our Vessel
upon the largest computation is but 80 tons: upon the
smallest not more than 60 \ yet, being very shallow
it is at least 2/3 of the length, and more than the breadth
of the Mary Frances: though laden to extremity, it draws
not more than 7 feet water. Our crew consists of 15 men
besides the Captain: we have 24 passengers on the deck,
all Turks, besides 18 young Negresses (slaves) under
the hatches. Bugs, lice and fleas, of each a moderate
provision: Maggots about twice the length of
a meat maggot, out of number. The catching of
these last as they crawl over the wainscoat
our cloaths, our persons and our provisions, forms
no small part of our necessary occupation. Mr
Schneider and Mr Griffiths have a small cabbin
between them at the head: with a kind of oblong box
big enough to hold Mr Schneider's servant on one side
of it. At the stern we have a larger Cabbin for Mr
H. the two ladies and myself: with two such boxes one
on each side. This Cabbin which is a hole about 12 foot
wide, 8 deep and 4 foot 2 or 4 inches high serves as
common room for the whole half dozen of us, and as a
bedchamber for the Ladies: the 2 boxes serve Mr H & me for
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Identifier: | JB/539/456/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 539.
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1783-10-22 |
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539 |
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456 |
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002 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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