Читать книгу The Totall Discourse of the Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations. The Long Nineteene Yeares Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and Affrica онлайн

76 страница из 131

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.