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                        _Miscellanea Curiosa._

                             Containing a

                              COLLECTION

                                  OF

                           Curious Travels,

                               VOYAGES,

                                  AND

                          _Natural Histories_

                                  OF

                              COUNTRIES,

                 As they have been Delivered in to the

                            ROYAL SOCIETY.

                               VOL. III.


                               _LONDON_:

  Printed by _J. B._ for _Jeffery Wale_ at the _Angel_ in St.
    _Paul_'s Church-yard; _J. Senex _&_ C. Price_ next the _Fleece_
    Tavern in _Cornhill_, 1707.




THE

CONTENTS.


  _A Journal of a Voyage from _England_ to
  _Constantinople_, made in the Year, 1668.
  by _T. Smith_, D. D. and F. R. S._      1

  _Historical Observations relating to _Constantinople_.
  By the Reverend and Learned _Tho.
  Smith_, D. D. Fellow of _Magd. Coll. Oxon._
  and of the _Royal Society_._      32

  _An account of the City of _Prusa_ in _Bythynia_,
  and a continuation of the Historical Observations
  relating to _Constantinople_, by the Reverend
  and learned _Thomas Smith_ D. D. Fellow
  of _Magd. Coll. Oxon._ and of the _Royal Society_._      49

  _A Relation of a Voyage from _Aleppo_ to _Palmyra_
  in _Syria_; sent by the Reverend Mr.
  _William Hallifax_ to Dr. _Edward Bernard_
  (late) _Savilian_ Professor of Astronomy in
  _Oxford_, and by him communicated to Dr.
  _Thomas Smith_, _Reg. Soc. S.__      84

  _An Extract of the Journals of two several Voyages
  of the _English Merchants_ of the Factory
  of _Aleppo_, to _Tadmor_, anciently call'd _Palmyra_._      120

  _Some Account of the Ancient State of the City
  of _Palmyra_, with short Remarks upon the Inscriptions
  found there. By _E. Halley_._      160

  _A Voyage of the Emperour of _China_ into the
  Eastern _Tartary_, Anno. 1682._      179

  _The Distances of the Places thro' which we passed
  in the _Eastern_ Tartary._      195

  _A Voyage of the Emperor of _China_, into the
  Western _Tartary_ in the Year, 1683._      196

  _An Explanation, necessary to justify the _Geography_
  supposed in these Letters._      210

  _Some Observations and Conjectures concerning
  the _Chinese_ Characters. Made by _R. H._
  R. S. S._      212

  _A Letter from _F. A._ Esq; R. S. S. to the Publisher,
  with a Paper of Mr. _S. Flowers_, containing
  the Exact Draughts of several unknown
  Characters, taken from the Ruins at _Persepolis_._      233

  _A Letter from Monsieur _N. Witsen_ to Dr.
  _Martin Lister_, with two Draughts of the Famous
  _Persepolis_._      236

  _A Description of the Diamond-mines, as it was
  presented by the Right Honourable the Earl
  Marshal of _England_, to the _R. Society_._      238

  _A Letter from the _East Indies_, of Mr. _John
  Marshal_ to Dr. _Coga_, giving an Account of
  the Religion, Rites, Notions, Customs, Manners
  of the Heathen Priests commonly called
  _Bramines_. Communicated by the Reverend
  Mr. _Abraham de la Pryme_._      256

  _Part of two Letters to the Publisher from Mr.
  _James Cunningham_, F. R. S. and Physician
  to the _English_ at _Chusan_ in _China_, giving
  an account of his Voyage thither, of the Island
  of _Chusan_, of the several sorts of Tea, of
  the Fishing, Agriculture of the _Chinese_, _&c._
  with several Observations not hitherto taken notice
  of._      269

  _A Letter from Mr. _John Clayton_ Rector of
  _Crofton_ at _Wakefield_ in _Yorkshire_, to the
  Royal Society, _May 12 1688._ giving an account
  of several Observables in _Virginia_, and
  in his Voyage thither, more particularly concerning
  the Air._      281

  _Mr. _Clayton_'s second Letter, containing his
  farther Observations on _Virginia_._      293

  _A Continuation of Mr. _John Clayton_'s Account
  of _Virginia_._      301

  _Mr. _John Clayton_, Rector of _Crofton_ at
  _Wakefield_, his Letter to the _Royal Society_,
  giving a farther Account of the Soil, and other
  Observables of _Virginia_._      312

  _A Continuation of Mr. _Clayton_'s Account of
  _Virginia_._      337

  _Part of Two Letters from Mr. _J. Hillier_, dated
  _Cape Corse_, _Jan. 3. 1687/8._ and _Apr. 25.
  1688._ Wrote to the Reverend Dr. _Bathurst_,
  President of _Trinity Colledge, Oxon_; giving
  an Account of the Customs of the Inhabitants,
  the Air, _&c._ of that Place, together
  with an Account of the Weather there from
  _Nov. 24. 1686._ to the same Day 1687._      356

  _An Account of the _Moorish_ Way of Dressing
  their Meat (with other Remarks) in _West-Barbary_,
  from Cape _Spartel_ to Cape _de Geer_.
  By Mr. _Jezreel Jones_._      381

  _A Letter from Mr. _John Monro_ to the Publisher,
  concerning the Catacombs of _Rome_ and
  _Naples_._      394

  _An accurate Description of the _Lake of Geneva_,
  not long since made by a Person that had visited
  it divers times in the pleasantest season of
  the Year; and communicated to the Publisher
  by one of his Parisian Correspondents: English'd
  as followeth._      404

  _Part of a Journal kept from _Scotland_ to _New
  Caledonia_ in _Darien_, with a short Account
  of that Country. Communicated by Dr. _Wallace_,
  F. R. S._      413

  _A Discourse tending to prove at what Time and
  Place _Julius Cæsar_ made his first Descent
  upon _Britain_: Read before the _Royal Society_
  by _E. Halley_._      422

                         _Miscellanea Curiosa._

                               VOL. III.




  _A Journal of a Voyage from _England_ to _Constantinople_, made in
    the Year, 1668. by _T. Smith_, D. D. and F. R. S._


On _Monday_ Evening _August 3, 1668._ we took Barge at _Tower-Wharf_,
and at _Greenwich_ went on Board the _Bezant_ Yacht for the _Downs_,
where we arrived the next day in the Afternoon, and went on Board
the _Leopard_ Frigat, a Ship of 56 Guns mounted, Captain _O Bryen_
Commander, appointed to carry Sir _Daniel Harvey_, his Majesty's
Ambassador to the Port of the _Ottoman_ Emperor at _Constantinople_.
Here, upon his first Arrival, the Ambassador was Complemented by Sir
_Jeremy Smith_, then riding Admiral, Sir _Edward Spragg_, and several
other Commanders of the Men of War, and afterwards Saluted with
Fifteen Pieces of Ordinance by the Admiral, to whom we returned as
many; then by the Vice-Admiral, and several other Ships. All which were
answered together at the same time with 21 in the whole.

Here we were forced to Ride for several days, the Winds being contrary.

In the _Offing_ between the _North Foreland_ and _South Foreland_ it
runs Tide and half Tide, that is, it is either ebbing Water or Flood
upon the Shore, in that part of the _Downs_, three hours, which is
grossly speaking the time of half a Tide, before it is so, off at
Sea. (For the flux and reflux of the Sea is not made exactly twice in
24 hours, but, as it appears by accurate observation, it requires an
overplus of almost 50 minutes.) The reason of this diversity of Tides,
I take to be from the meeting of the two Seas in that narrow Streight.

Oftentimes when the Wind has blown hard at N. E. or at W. or W. and
by S. there has hapn'd an alteration of the Tides in the River of
_Thames_, which ignorant People have mistakenly lookt upon as a Prodigy.

It is a most certain Observation, that where it flows Tide and half
Tide, tho' the Tide of Flood runs aloft, yet the Tide of Ebb runs under
foot, that is, close by the _ground_; and so at the Tide of Ebb, it
will flow under foot, as that great and experienc'd Sea-Commander, Sir
_H. Manwaring_, words it.

_August 9._ We sailed from the _Downs_, but were soon forced back
by distress of Weather, and came to an Anchor S. W. of the _South
Foreland_.

10. The Wind blew at S. S.