As to the _Greek Books_ which you enquire after, and the Rarities, and the wild Beasts of a strange Kind, which you hear I have brought back, they are hardly worth mentioning: Among them, there is one _Ichneumon_ very gentle, which is known for its deadly Quarrels with the _Crocodile_ and the _Asp_. I had also a _Weesel_ of that kind they call an _Ermine_, very beautiful; but I lost it on the Way. I have many brave Horses, such as no Man ever brought from thence before, and six She-Camels. I brought back no Shrubs nor Herbs, but in Painting, which I left to the Care of _Matthiolus_, with some other Things, many Years ago. I sent him Tapestry and Linnen after the _Babylonian_ Fashion, with Swords, Bows, and other Trappings: I have also many other Things made of Horses-hides, curiously wrought after the _Turkish_ Fashion, or rather I may say, I had them; for in so great an Assembly of principal Men and Women at _Francfort_, one beg’d one Thing, and another another; so that I have but a small Matter left. The rest of my Gifts was well bestowed; but I am very sorry that I was lavish of one Balsam, because Physicians call the Truth of it in question, as not answering all the Marks that _Pliny_ gives of it: Whether it be that the Virtue of those ancient Plants from whence it flows, be weakned by Age, or from any other Cause; this I know for certain, that it trickles down from Shrubs in the _Mattarcan Gardens_ near _Cairo_.
Before I left _Constantinople_, I sent one _Albacarus_, a _Spanish Physician_, into _Lemnos_, on the sixth Day of _August_, to be present at the digging out that famous Earth, desiring him to write me the Certainty of its Place, Origin, manner of Extracting and Use; which I know he will do, if he is not hindered. I had a Mind to go thither my self to be an Eye-witness of it; but, the _Turks_ not giving me leave, I deputed him in my Stead. I have brought back also abundance of old Coins, the chief of which I shall present my Master with. Besides, I have whole Waggon-loads, if not Ship-loads, of _Greek Manuscripts_, and about 240 Books, which I sent by Sea to _Venice_, from thence to be carried to _Vienna_: I design them for _Cæsar_’s Library; there are many of them common, but some choice; I rummaged every Corner to procure such Kind of Merchandize, as my last gleaning.