one of the most beautiful, pleasant, and celebrated islands of the Archipelago, near to the coast of Natalia, to the south of Metelin, and to the north-east of Samos. It is 32 miles in length, and 15 in breadth; a mountainous country, and yet pleasant enough, there being fruits of various kinds growing in the fields, such as oranges, citrons, olives, mulberries, and pomegranates. There is also a large quantity of pleasant wine, which they export to the neighbouring islands; but their principal trade is in silks. They have also a small commerce in wool, cheese, figs, and mastic. The women are better bred than in other parts of the Levant; though the dress is odd, yet it is very neat. The partridges are tame, being sent every day into the fields to get their living, and in the evening are called back with a whistle. The town called Scio is large, pleasant, and the best built of any in the Levant, the houses being beautiful and commodious, some of which are terraced, and others covered with tiles. The streets are paved with flint-stones, and Scipio and the Venetians, while they had it in their possession, made a great many alterations for the better.

The castle is an old citadel built by the Genoese, in which the Turks have a garrison of 1400 men. The harbour of Scio is the rendezvous of all shipping that goes to or comes from Constantinople, and will hold a fleet of four-score vessels. They reckon there are 10,000 Turks, 100,000 Greeks, and 10,000 Latins, on this island. The Turks took it from the Venetians in 1695. Scio is a bishop's see, and is seated on the sea-side, 47 miles west of Smyrna, and 210 south-west of Constantinople.