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 more, if they had touched them, they would have thought themselves so defiled, that I know not how many Washings would not have cleansed their imagined Pollution. For, as I told you before, the Turks, and the Greeks too, are so superstitious, that they abhor ever to touch of that Animal; so that, it being no hurtful Creature, and no body endeavouring to catch them, the whole Country abounds with Tortoises. I kept one of them by me a great while, which had two Heads, and it would have lived much longer, if I had been as careful of it as I might. That Day's Journey brought us to a Village, called Cartaly, which I mention, because I shall, for the future, gratify you with the Knowledge of the several Stages of this Voyage. For tho' the Journey from Vienna to Constantinople hath been performed by many, yet this from Constantinople to Amasia, hath, as yet, been undergone by no Christian that I know of. From Cartaly we came to Gabise, a Town of Bithynia, which some think was anciently called Libyssa, and is famous for the Sepulchre of Hannibal, who was there interred. From thence there is a most pleasant Prospect into the Sea, and into the Bay of Nicomedia; here also grow Cyprus Trees of a wonderful Bulk and Tallness.

fourth Day's Journey from Constantinople brought us to Nicomedia, a City, anciently of great Note; but we saw nothing remarkable in it, but the Ruins and Rubbish of old Walls, with some broken Pieces of Pillars with their Chapiters, which were all the Remainders of its ancient Splendor, except one Castle on an Hill, which was somewhat more entire. A little before we came to this Place, some Workmen, that were digging under Ground, discovered a long Wall made with Mar