Governours, Consuls, assistants, fellowship and comminalty, and to their successours, and to their Factors and assignes, and to every of them, licence for to reare, plant, erect, and fasten our banners, standards, flags, and Ensignes, in whatsoever citie, towne, village, castle, Isle, or maine lande, which shall be by them newly found, without any the penalties, forfeitures, or dangers aforesayde, and that the sayd fellowship and comminalty, and their successors, Factors & assignes and every of them shall and may subdue, possesse, and occupie, all maner cities, townes, Isles, and maine lands of infidelitie, which is or shall be by them, or any of them newly founde or descried, as our vassals and subjects, and for to acquire and get the Dominion, title, and jurisdiction of the same Cities, Townes, Castles, Villages, Isles, and maine landes, which shall bee by them, or any of them newly discovered or found unto us, our heires and successours for ever.

And furthermore, whereas by the voyage of our subjects in this last yeere attempted by Navigation, towards the discoverie and disclosure of unknowen places, Realmes, Islandes, and Dominions by the seas not frequented, it hath pleased Almighty God to cause one of the three shippes by them set foorth for the voyage, and purpose above mentioned, named the Edward Bonaventure, to arrive, abide, and winter within the Empire and dominions of the high and mightie Prince our cousin and brother, Lord John Basilivich Emperour of all Russia, Volodomer, great duke of Moscovie, &c. Who, of his clemencie, for our love and zeale, did not onely admitte the Captaine, and marchants our subjects into his protection, and Princely presence, but also received and intertained them very graciously, and honourably, granting unto them by his letters addressed unto us, franke accesse into all his Seigniories and dominions, with licence freely to traffique in and out with all his Subjects in all kinde of Marchandise, with divers other gracious priviledges, liberties, and immunities specified in his sayde letters under his Signet : Know yee therefore that wee of our further royall favour and munificence, of our meere motion, certaine knowledge, and special grace, for us our heires and successours, have given and graunted, and by these presents doe give and grant unto the same Governours, Consuls, assistants, fellowship, and comunalty above named, and to their successours, as much as in us is, that all the mayne

landes, Isles, portes, havens, creekes, and rivers of the said mighty Emperour of all Russia, and great duke of Mosco, &c. And all and singuler other lands, dominions, territories, Isles, Portes, havens, creekes, rivers, armes of the sea, of al and every other Emperor, king, prince, ruler and governor, whatsoever he or they before the said late adventure or enterprise not knowen, or by our foresayd marchants and subjects by the seas, not commonly frequented, nor by any part nor parcell thereof lying Northwards, Northeastwards, or Northwestwards, as is aforesayd, by sea shall not be visited, frequented, nor hanted by any our subjects, other then of the sayd company and felowship, and their successours without expresse licence, agreement and consent of the Governour, Consuls, and Assistants of the said felowship and communaltie above named, or the more part of them, in manner and number aforesayd, for the time being, upon paine of forfeiture and losse, as well of the shippe and shippes, with the appurtenances, as also of all the goods, marchandises, and things whatsoever they be, of those our subjects, not being of the sayd felowship and communalty, which shall attempt or presume to saile to any of those places, which bee, or hereafter shall happen to bee found, and traffiked unto: the one halfe of the same forfeiture to be to the use of us, our heires and successors, and the other halfe to be to the use of the sayd fellowship and communaltie. And if it shall fortune anie stranger or strangers, for to attempt to hurt, hinder, or endamage the same marchants, their factors, deputies or assignes, or any of them in sailing, going or returning at any time in the sayd adventure, or for to saile or trade to or from any those places, landes or coastes, which by the sayd marchants, their factors, deputies and assignes have bene, or shall bee descried, discovered and found, or frequented, aswell within the coastes and limites of gentility, as within the dominions and Seigniories of the sayd mighty Emperour and Duke, and of all and every other Emperour, King, Prince, Ruler and governour whatsoever he or they be, before the sayd late adventure or enterprise not knowen by any our said marchants and subjects, by the seas not commonly frequented, and lying Northwards, Northwestwards or Northeastwards as aforesaid, then wee will and grant, and by these presents doe licence, and authorise for us, our heires and successors,

the said marchants, their factors, deputies, and assignes, and every of them to doe their best in their defence, to resist the same their enterprises and attempts. Willing therefore, and straightly commanding and charging al and singuler our Officers, Maiors, Sherifes, Escheators, Constables, Bailifes, and all and singuler other our ministers and liege men, and subjects whatsoever, to bee aiding, favouring, helping & assisting unto the sayd governour or governours, Consuls, assistants, fellowship and communalty, and to their successeors and deputies, factors, servants, and assignes, and to the deputies, factors and assignes of every of them, in executing and enjoying the premisses, as well on land as in the sea, from time to time, and at all times when you or any of you shall be thereunto required. In witnesse whereof, &c. Apud Westmonasterium, 6 die Feb. Annis regnorum nostrorum, primo & secundo.

Certaine instructions delivered in the third voyage, Anno 1556. for Russia, to every Purser and the rest of the servants, taken for the voyage, which may serve as good and necessary directions, to all other like adven

turers.

I FIRST you shall before the ship doth begin to lade, goe aboord, and shall there take, and write one inventorie, by the advise of the Master, or of some other principall officer there aboord, of all the tackle, apparell, cables, ankers, ordinance, chambers, shot, powder, artillerie, and of all other necessaries whatsoever doth belong to the sayd ship and the same justly taken, you shall write in a booke, making the sayd Master, or such officer privie of that which you haveso written, so that the same may not be denied, when they shall call accompt thereof: that done, you shall write a copie of the same with your owne hand, which you shall deliver before the shippe shall depart, for the voyage to the companies booke keeper here to be kept to their behalfe, to the ende that they may be justly answered the same, when time shall require : and this order to be seene and kept every voyage orderly, by the Pursers of the companies owne ship, in any wise. 2 Also when the shippe beginneth to lade, you shall be ready a boord with your booke, to enter such goods as shall be brought aboord, to be laden for the company, packed, or unpacked, taking the markes and numbers

of every packe, fardell, trusse, or packet, corovoya, chest, fatte, butte, pipe, puncheon, whole barrell, halfe barrell, firken, or other caske, maunde, or basket, or any other thing, which may, or shall be packed by any other manner of waies or devise. And first, all such packes, or trusses, &c. as shal be brought aboord to be laden, not marked by the companies marke, you shall doe the best to let that the same be not laden, and to enquire diligently to know the owners thereof, if you can, and what commoditie the same is, that is so brought aboord to be laden: if you can not know the owners of such goods, learne what you can thereof, as well making a note in your booke, as also to send or bring word thereof to the Agent, and to some one of the foure Marchants with him adjoined so speedily as you can, if it be here laden or to be laden in this river, being not marked with the companies marke, as is aforesaid: and when the sayd shippe hath received in all that the companies Agent will have laden, you shal make a just copie of that which is laden, reciting the parcels, the markes and numbers of every thing plainely, which you shall likewise deliver to the sayd bookekeeper to the use aforesayd.

3 Also when the ship is ready to depart, you shall come for your cockets and letters to the Agent, and shall shew him all such letters as you have received of any person or persons privately or openly, to be delivered to any person or persons in Russia or elsewhere, and also to declare if you know any other that shall passe in the ship either master or mariner that hath received any letters to be privily delivered to any there, directed from any person or persons, other then from the Agent here to the Agent there: which letters so by you received, you shall not carie with you, without you be licenced so to doe by the Agent here, and some of the foure merchants, as is aforesayd: and such others as do passe, having received any privie letters to be delivered, you shal all that in you lieth, let the deliverie of them at your arriving in Russia and also if you have or do receive, or shal know any other that doth or hath received any goods or ready money to be imployed in Russia, or to bee delivered there to any person or persons from any person or persons, other then such as bee the companies goods, and that under their marke, you shall before the ship doeth depart, declare the same truely to the sayd

Agent, and to some of the other merchants to him adjoyned, as it is before declared.

Also when the shippe is ready to depart, and hath the master and the whole company aboord, you shall diligently foresee and take heede, that there passe not any privie person or persons, other then such as be authorized to passe in the said ship, without the licence and warrant of one of the Governours and of the assistants, for the same his passage, to be first shewed. And if there be any such person or persons that is to passe and will passe without shewing the same warrant, you shall let the passage of any such to the uttermost of your power: And for that there may no such privie person passe under the cloke and colour of some mariner, you shall upon the weying of your ships anker, call the master and the mariners within boord by their names and that by your bookes, to the ende that you may see that you have neither more nor lesse, but just the number for the voyage.

5 Also you must have in remembrance, that if it shall chance the shippe to bee put into anie harbour in this coast by contrary windes or otherwise in making the voyage, to send word thereof from time to time as the case shall require, by your letters in this maner. Το master I. B. Agent for the company of the New trades in S. in London: If you doe hier any to bring your letters, write that which he must have for the portage. And for your better knowledge and learning, you shall do very well to keepe a dayly note of the voyage both outwards and homewards.

6 And principally see that you forget not dayly in all the voiage both morning and evening, to call the company within boord to prayer, in which doing you shall please God, and the voiage will have the better successe thereby, and the company prosper the better.

7 Also in calme weather and at other times when you shall fortune to come to anker in the seas during the voyage, you shall for the companies profite, and for the good husbanding of the victuals aboord, call upon the Boateswaine and other of the company to use such hookes and other engines as they have aboord to take fish with, that such fish so taken may bee eaten for the cause aforesayd and if there bee no such engines aboord, then to provide some before you goe from hence.