Exchange standeth in London: the said pillars are in heigth 60 foote, and in compasse 14 foote: also in the said Citie is the castle where Joseph was in prison, where to this day they put in rich men, when the king would have any summe of money of them: there are seven gates to the sayd prison, and it goeth neere fiftie yardes downe right: also, the water that serveth this castle, commeth out of the foresaide river of Nilus, upon a wall made with arches, five miles long, and it is twelve foote thicke. Also there are in old Cayro two Monasteries, the one called S. Georges, the other S. Maries : & in the Courts where the Churches be, was the house of king Pharao. In this Citie is great store of marchandize, especially pepper,_ and nutmegs, which come thither by land, out of the East India: and it is very plentifull of all maner of victuals, especially of bread, rootes, and hearbes to the Eastwards of Cayro, there is a Well, five miles off, called Matria, and as they say, when the Virgin Marie fled from Bethleem, and came into Ægypt, and being there, had neither water, nor any other thing to sustaine them, by the providence of God, an Angell came from heaven, and strake the ground with his wings, where presently issued out a fountaine of water: and the wall did open where the Israelites did hide themselves, which fountaine or well is walled foure square till this day. Also we were at an old Citie, all ruinated and destroyed, called in olde time, the great Citie of Carthage where Hannibal and Queene Dido dwelt: this Citie was but narrow, but was very long for there was, and is yet to bee seene, one streete three mile long, to which Citie fresh water was brought upon arches (as afore) above 25 miles, of which arches some are standing to this day. Also we were at divers other places on the coast, as we came from Cayro, but of other antiquities we saw but few. The towne of Argier which was our first and last port, within the streights standeth upon the side of an hill, close upon the sea shore: it is very strong both by sea and land, and it is very well victualed with all manner of fruites, bread and fish good store, and very cheape. It is inhabited with Turkes, Moores, and Jewes, and so are Alexandria and Cayro. In this towne are a great number of Christian captives, wherof there are of Englishmen onely fifteene, from which port we set sayle towardes England, the seventh of Januarie, Anno 1587, and the 30 day of the sayd moneth, we arrived at Dartmouth on the coast of England. The second voyage of M. Laurence Aldersey, to the Cities of Alexandria, and Cayro in Ægypt. Anno 1586. I EMBARKED my selfe at Bristoll, in the Hercules, a good ship of London, and set saile the 21 day of Februarie, about ten of the clocke in the morning, having a merry winde but the 23 day, there arose a very great storině, and in the mids of it we descried a small boate of the burden of ten tunnes, with foure men in her, in very great danger, who called a maine for our helpe. Whereupon our Master made towardes them, and tooke them into our ship, and let the boate, which was laden with timber, and appertained to Chepstow, to runne a drift. The same night about midnight arose another great storme, but the winde was large with us, until the 27 of the same moneth, which then grew somewhat contrary: yet notwithstanding we held on our course, and the tenth day of March, we descried a saile about Cape Sprat, which is a litle on this side the streight of Gibraltare, but we spake not with her. The next day we descried twelve sayle more, with whom we thought to have spoken, to have learned what they were, but they made very fast away, and we gave them over. Thursday the 16 of March, we had sight of the streights, and of the coast of Barbary. The 18 day we passed them, and sailed towards Patras. Upon the 23 of March, we met with the Centurion of London which came from Genoa, by whom we sent letters to England, and the foure men also which we tooke in, upon the coast of England, beforementioned. The 29 of March we came to Goleta a small Iland, and had sight of two shippes, which we judged to be of England. Tuesday the fourth of Aprill, we were before Malta, and being there becalmed, our Maister caused the two ship boates to be had out, and they towed the ship, till we were out of sight of the Castle of Malta. The 9 day of Aprill we came to Zante, and being before the towne, William Aldridge, servant to Master Thomas Cordall of London, came aboord us, with whom our Master and twelve more of our company, thought to have gone on shoare, but they could not be permitted: so we all came aboord againe, and went to Patras, where we arrived upon good Friday, and lay there with good entertainement at the English house, where was the Consull Master Grimes, Ralph Ashley, and John Doddington, who very kindly went with us, and shewed us the pleasures of the towne. They brought us to the house of the Cady, who was made then to understand of the 20 Turks that wee had aboord, which were to goe to Constantinople, being redeemed out of captivitie, by sir Francis Drake in the West Indies, and brought with him into England, and by order of the Queenes Majestie sent now into their Countrey. Whereupon the Cady commaunded them to be brought before him, that he might see them: and when he had talked with them, and understood howe strangely they were delivered, hee marveiled much, and admired the Queenes Majestie of England, who being but a woman, is notwithstanding of such power and renowne amongst all the princes of Christendome, with many other honourable wordes of commending her Majestie. So he tooke the names of those 20. Turkes, and recorded them in their great bookes, to remaine in perpetuall memory. After this, our foresaid countreymen brought mee to the Chappel of S. Andrew where his tombe or sepulchre is, and the boord upon which he was beheaded, which boord is now so rotten, that if any man offer to cut it, it falleth to powder, yet I brought some of it away with me. : Upon Tuesday in Easter weeke, wee set out towards Zante againe, and the 24. of April with much adoe, wee were all permitted to come on shoare, and I was caried to the English house in Zante, where I was very well entertained. The commodities of Zante are Currans and oyle the situation of the Towne is under a very great hill, upon which standeth a very strong Castle, which commaundeth the Towne. At Zante we tooke in a Captaine and 16. souldiers, with other passengers. Wee departed from Zante upon Tuesday the 15. of April, and the next day we ankered at a small Island, called Strivalaia, which is desolate of people, saving a fewe religious men, who entertained us well, without taking any money but of courtesie we bestowed somewhat upon them for their maintenance, and then they gave us a couple of leane sheepe, which we caried aboord. The last day of Aprill, wee arrived at Candie, at a Castle, called Sowday, where wee set the Captaine, Souldiers, and Mariners ashoare, which wee tooke in at Zante, with all their carriage. The second day of May wee set saile againe, and the fourth day came to the Islands of Milo, where we ankered, and found the people there very courteous, and tooke in such necessaries as we wanted. The Islands are in my judgement a hundred in number, and all within the compasse of a hundred miles. The II. day, the Chaus, which is the greatest man there in authoritie, for certaine offences done in a little Chappell by the water side, which they saide one of our shippe had done, and imputed it to mee, because I was seene goe into it three dayes before, came to us, and made much a doe, so that we were faine to come out of our shippe armed: but by three pieces of golde the brabling was ended, and we came to our shippe. This day wee also set saile, and the next day passed by the Castle of Serpeto, which is an old ruinated thing, and standeth under a hils side. The 13. day we passed by the Island of Paris, and the Island of the bankes of Helicon, and the Island called Ditter, where are many boares, and the women bee witches. The same day also wee passed by the Castle of Tino, standing upon a very high mountaine, and neere unto it is the Island of Diana. The 15. of May, wee came to Sio, where I stayed thirtie and three dayes. In it is a very proper Towne, after the building of that Countrey, and the people are civil and while we were here, there came in sixe Gallies, which had bene at Alexandria, and one of them which was the Admiral, had a Prince of the Moores prisoner, whom they tooke about Alexandria, and they meant to present him to the Turke. The towne standeth in a valley, and a long the water side pleasantly. There are about 26. winde-mills about it, and the commodities of it are cotton wooll, cotton yarne, mastike, and some other drugs. As we remained at Sio, there grew a great controversie betweene the mariners of the Hercules, and the Greekes of the Towne of Sio, about the bringing home of the Turkes, which the Greekes tooke in ill part, and the boyes cried out, Vive el Re Philippe : whereupon our men beate the boyes, and threwe stones, and so a broile beganne, and some of our men were hurt but the Greekes were fetcht out of their houses, and manacled together with yrons, and threatned to the Gallies: about fourtie of them were sent to the prison, and what became of them, when we were gone, we know not, for we went thence within two dayes after, which was the 19. of June. The 20. day wee passed by the Island of Singonina, an Island risen by the casting of stones in that place: the substance of the ground there is brimstone, and burneth sometimes so much that it bloweth up the rockes. The 24. of June wee came to Cyprus, and had sight in the way of the aforesaide sixe Gallies, that came from Alexandria, one whereof came unto us, and required a present for himselfe, and for two of the other Gallies, which we for quietnesse sake gave them. The 27. of June, wee came to Tripolie, where I stayed till the fift of July, and then tooke passage in a smal barke called a Caramusalin, which was a passage boat, and was bound for Bichieri, thirteene miles on this side Alexandria, which boate was fraighted with Turkes, Moores, and Jewes. The 20. day of July, this barke which I passed in ranne upon a rocke, and was in very great danger, so that we all began some to be ready to swimme, some to leape into the shippe boate, but it pleased God to set us quickly off the rocke, and without much harme. The 28. of July I came to Bichieri, where I was well entertained of a Jewe which was the Customer there, giving me Muskadine, and drinking water himselfe : having broken my fast with him, he provided mee a Camell for my carriage, and a Mule for mee to ride upon, and a Moore to runne by me to the City of Alexandria, who had charge to see mee safe in the English house, whither I came, but found no Englishmen there but then my guide brought mee aboord a ship of Alderman Martins, called the Tyger of London, where I was well received of the Master of the said ship, whose name was Thomas Rickman, and of all the company. The said Master having made me good cheere, and made me also to drinke of the water of Nilus, having the keyes of the English house, went thither with me himselfe, & appointed mee a faire chamber, and left a man with me to provide me all things that I needed, and every |