"I was once given a ride on a boat made of reeds. It was very flimsy, and I was afraid it would sink."

"The women of this country are very beautiful, and they are treated with more respect than the men. They are not veiled, and they have no shame."

"They are a people who do not know the religion, and they are ignorant."

"The people of Sumatra eat dogs, which I found disgusting. But when I tried it, it was not so bad."

"In Constantinople, I saw a church so large it could hold ten thousand people. The Christians there worship idols, but their buildings are magnificent."