Mr. Ray's travels, Vol. 2 : A collection of curious travels and voyages. Containing Dr Leonhart Rauwolf's journey into the eastern countries, viz. Syria, Palestine, or the Holy Land, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Chaldea, &c., translated from the Original High Dutch, by Nicholas Staphorst. And also, travels into Greece, Asia minor, Egypt, Arabia felix, Petræa, Ethiopia, the Red Sea, &c. Collected from the observations of Mons. Belon, Prosper Alpinus, Dr. Huntington, Mr. Vernon, Sir George Wheeler, Dr. Smith, Mr. Greaves, and others. To which are added three catalogues of such trees, shrubs, and herbs, as grow in the Levant. By the Rev. John Ray, F.R.S.

A sweeping anthology of eighteenth‑century exploration, this volume gathers the vivid journals of travelers who crossed the eastern Mediterranean and the heart of the Near East. Alongside Dr. Rauwolf’s Dutch‑language account, the editor weaves notes from French, English, and German observers, complemented by meticulous catalogues of the region’s trees, shrubs and herbs. The result is a richly textured portrait of a world still largely unknown to western readers.

The narrative opens with a seasoned scholar leaving his German home for the bustling port of Marseille, then boarding a ship bound for Tripoli. He details the city’s grand baths, bustling markets and the everyday lives of Turks—both noble and common—while noting the fragrant spices, soaps and pot‑ashes produced nearby. From Tripoli he presses on to Damascus and Aleppo, where he records the architecture of citadels, the ceremonial customs of court officials, and the distinctive way locals sit while sharing meals. Even the peril of gathering delicate desert plants is recounted, offering listeners a taste of both the beauty and the challenges of early modern travel.