A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 112
The Islands in Europe Described.
In the Western Atlantick Seas are Groenland, Groviland, Island, and Frisland. These are extream cold, yet yeild plenty of Fish, Oil, Whale bones, and Morses teeth.
In the British Seas, are Ireland, Great Britain with her train, the Orcades, Hebrides, Silly, Man, Weight, Anglesey, Jersey, Garnsey, &c. Others there are of lesse note in the German Seas, and those which divide Norway, and Sweden from Germany, and Poland. Towards Spain are the Azores, nine in number, the chief of them is Faial.
The Southern Islands of Europe lie in the Mediterranean Seas: As the Baleans neer Spain, Corsica, Sardinia neer Italy, Sicily, and Malta. In the Adriatick, and Jonian seas, Absorrus, Curicta, Scardona, Insulae Diomedeae, Issa, Tragurium, Pharia, Corsica, and Melitum. More Southward, Ertcusa, Cephalenia, Ithica, Echidnades, Zazinthus, the Strophades and Cythera.
In the mouth of the Aegean sea is Candy, an Ile of five hundred and twenty miles in compasse, abounding with Cypresse trees, and a lascivious wine called Malmesey. The chiefest Islands in the Aegean sea are Melos, Chias, Bria, the Cyclades, Sporades, Delos, &c. But I will write a little more particularly of the chiefest of these Islands; as
1 Samothracia, which is a small Island, where the air is most cleer, and pure: the chief Town is Samia, beautified with a goodly harbour, but now by reason of the Pyrates infesting it, left almost desolate.
2 Lemnos, containing in circuit almost one hundred miles: here is digged that soveraign Mineral called Terra Lemnia, and Sigillata, because its sealed when made into pellets, with a Turkish character: The VVestern parts are dry, and barren, the Eastern more fruitful: It contains about seventy five Villages.
3 Lesbos is one hundred sixty eight miles in compasse: the South, and VVest parts are mountainous and barren, the rest level, and fruitful.
4 Chios is one hundred twenty and five miles in compasse. It beareth that sweet Gum called Mastick. In it are an infinite number of Partridges that are of a red colour, they are kept tame; and fed in flocks in the streets, and Villages, a little boy or girle driving them into the fields, and with a whistle calling them home again. The most excellent Greekish VVines are made here, called Vina Chia.
5. Euboea, over against Chios, now called Negropont, is in compasse three hundred sixty five miles: A very fruitful Island; between the continent and it, is only a little Euripus that ebbs and flowes seven times in one day, the reason whereof, when Aristotle could not finde out, hee threw himself into it, saying, Quia ego non capio te, tu capis me: In it are two Rivers, Cireus, and Nileus: Strabo saith, that if sheep drink of the former, their wooll turns white; if on the latter, coal black.
The Sporades are twelve in number, the chiefest is Milo: fourscore miles in circuit; the soil is fruitful of grain, and oil: Here is excellent Marble, curiously spotted: pitch and brimstone, and hot springs good for many diseases.
The Cyclades are in number three and fifty, the chiefest are. 1. Delos, wherein they had a custome not to suffer men to dye, nor children to bee born in it, sending their sick men, and great bellied women to Rhena, a small Island hard by▪ 2 Samos, where the Tyrant Polycrates lived, who, because hee never had any mischance, threw a Ring that hee loved dearly, into the Sea; but shortly after, hee found it in the belly of a fish that was brought to his Table: yet was hee at length brought to a miserable death by Orontes, a Persian, shewing the instability of all earthly things. 3. Patmos, whither St. John was banished by the Emperor Domitian, and where hee had his Revelations.
In the Cretan Seas are. 1. Crete, in compasse five hundred and ninety miles, in length two hundred and seventy, in breadth, fifty: the soil is fruitful, especially of Wines called Muskadels: it yeelds also Sugar-Candie, Gums, Hony, Sugar, Olives, Dates, Apples, Orenges, Lemons, Raisons, Citrons, and Pomegranats, yet it wants Corn. Its very populous. Paul describes the people out of Epimenides: The Cretians are lyers, evil beasts, slowbellies. Its famous for three things. 1. They have no venemous Creature there. 2. If a woman bite a man hard, hee never recovers again. 3. There is an herb called Alimos, which if one chaw in his mouth, hee shall feel no hunger that day. It was once called Hecatompolis, because it had in it a hundred Cities. It is in the Venetians hands.