Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 3: containing a collection of curious travels, voyages, and natural histories of countries as they have been delivered in to the Royal SocietyRoyal Society (Great Britain)
History
Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 3: containing a collection of curious travels, voyages, and natural histories of countries as they have been delivered in to the Royal Society
Royal Society (Great Britain)
Natural history; Science -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
_Octob. 1._ The Secretary was sent with the King's Pass to the
Vice-Roy to demand Prattick, who presently summoned the Officers of
the _Sanita_. After long Debates and Delays they consented, and came
to the _Mole_ to receive him. He went directly to the Governour to
acquaint him, that we were ready to Salute the City with what number
of Guns he pleased, if he would engage upon his Honour to give us as
many. He replied, that he would give us three for five; and wondered,
that we being but a single Ship, should make such a Demand. The
Secretary told him, That we were to be treated as an Admiral, having
a Flag on our Maintop; and that the Governour of _Malaga_ had done
it. To this he said, That _Majorca_ was a Kingdom, that he was the
King's Representative, and that by Reason of the Miscarriage of his
Predecessor, when Monsieur _de Beaufort_, the _French_ Admiral was
there, he had received strict Orders from _Madrid_ not to do the
like. The Secretary replied, That we had an Ambassador on board, and
had as strict Orders, and should answer as severely for the Breach
of them. His last Answer was, That we might, with our Sails loose,
keep before the Town, till we had furnished our selves with what we
wanted. Upon receiving this Message, the Ambassador dispatched away one
_Joseph Gabriel Cortez_, a _Spaniard_, but employed by the _English_
Merchants trading to that Island, then on board our Ship, to acquaint
him, That when we were ready to go away, we would loose our Sails,
and not before. We landed within the _Mole_; the Walk upon it about
four or five Yards broad; at the Extremity of which is a very large
and stately Gate, which leads into the City. We went into the great
Church, somewhat wider than _Westminster-Abbey_, but darkish within:
the Portal very magnificent, adorned with several Marble Statues in
Niches one over another. The High Altar very plain and unadorned: but
others extraordinary rich and glorious. Not far from the City are
several Mills to grind their Olives, Oyl being the great Commodity of
the Island.
2. The next Morning we weighed, without taking any kind of notice of
the Town, sailing all along in sight of the Island, which presented
us with a pleasing and delightful Prospect; the Valleys, lying under
the Hills, fruitful of Wine and Corn. The whole Island is judged to be
about sixty Leagues in Compass, and in length about fifteen: which we
sailed from the Westermost Point, where lies the Isle _Dragovera_, at
a very little distance to the Eastermost, where there is built a small
Fort. To the S. S. E. lie several little Islands, called the _Cabreas_;
between which and _Majorca_ we steered.
3. We were athwart _Port Maon_ in _Minorca_; a fine level Country,
having but one Hill in it N. W. by W. as it bore off us. In the Evening
the Wind very scant.
4. This day, as yesterday, excessive hot.
5. In the Afternoon we descryed the Main Land of _Provence_.
6. We were over against the Islands _Hieres_ and the Highland of
_Thoulon_.
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