Seer aenmerkelyke reys-beschryving na Constantinopolen, en Egypten, gedaan in het jaar 1605, en vervolgen...

1606.

Its fertility, consisting of wine, all kinds of grain, tree fruit, and garden fruit, is excellent. The air is healthy there, and the water is pleasant and sweet; indeed, the grass is so beautiful and so suitable for cattle breeding that thousands of fat oxen and cows are taken from there annually, sold, and transported elsewhere. On the mountains, which are found there in multitude, there are many wild goats.

The city Rhodis described.

The city of Rhodis, having its name in common with the island, is reasonably large and built on a hill that descends gradually toward the sea. Around the city goes a triple wall, with many deep and very wide moats that are full of water. The seaport of Rhodis is very convenient, having on its left side 13 beautiful windmills. The castle is one of the best fortifications in all of Turkey; for it is provided all around with strong round towers, upon which much cannon stands, and a very deep moat. It is to be wondered at that the Turks could have won this beautiful city and fortification, being provided with all war necessities.

Underground chambers.

The streets of the city are paved neatly and straight, and therefore always clean. On the streets, one encounters many round holes going upward, like chimneys, the size of a barrel; these holes are covered with lids upon which tiles lie. These lids are opened and closed with a lock, and these holes serve to let oneself down with a pulley into a deep vault where the inhabitants store their grain. Deep vaults in the streets of Rhodis. These vaults are a full two stories deep and serve the inhabitants as granaries; the grain is better kept therein against fire and other unfortunate accidents than in the open air. Besides that, one can also keep the grain good for longer, for they often store grain for a multitude of years. These vaults are well provided with masonry at the bottom, for to keep the water out, they mix their lime with olive oil instead of water.