for it, that it may not ly upon their hands that have it to sell, alwayes having consideration in the price and time as our next dispatch may correspond. Whereof you may send a certaine advise, as well what you shall receive of credit, and to what quantitie, as also what wares are remaining in your hands: which together well considered, you may advertise us as well for how many hundreth tonnes we must provide fraight against the next yeere, as also what sortes, quantities and qualities of wares we shall send you, as well to pay your credite, as also to furnish the next adventure after. Of this we would be answered largely. For we trust by this time you are able to give full instructions of the state of the countrey: according to the articles of your first Commissions, and what commodities doe principally abound there with their prices and likewise what of our commodities have most utterance there, and what prices will be given for them there and all other things requisite and necessary to be knowen.

Also we doe understand that in the Countrey of Permia or about the river of Pechora is great quantitie of Yewe, and likewise in the Countrey of Ugory, which we be desirous to have knowledge of, because it is a speciall commoditie for our Realme. Therefore wee have sent you a yong man, whose name is Leonard Brian, that hath some knowledge in the wood, to shew you in what sorte it must be cut and cloven. So our minde is if there be any store, and that it bee found to be good, that there you doe provide a good quantitie against the next yeere for the comming of our shippes: and if there can bee found none that will serve for our purpose, then you may set the sayd Leonard Brian to any other businesse that you shall finde most fittest for him, untill the returne of our ships the next yeere. For he is hired by the yeere onely for that purpose. We doubt not but that hee shall doe you good service there. For hee hath good knowledge of wares of that Countrey: for his bringing up hath bene most in Danske, and hath good understanding in making of Ropes and Cables. Also we doe send you two Coopers to remaine there with you at our finding for meate and drinke and lodging to make in a readinesse all such caske as shalbe needfull for traine

oyle, tallowe, or any thing else. One of them may goe

with Leonard Brian to cut and cleve such Yewe as he

shall like there.

And because we be not sure what timber they shall finde there to make Caske, we have laden in these ships 140. tunnes emptie Caske, that is 94. tunnes shaken Caske and 46. tunnes whole, and ten thousand hoopes, & 480. wrethes of twigs: they may be doing with that till they can provide other timber, which we would be glad to heare of. They have an example with them of the bignesse of the Caske they shall make. Neverthelesse, all such Buttes and Hoggesheads as may be found to serve we will shalbe filled with Traine Oyle. Also we charge you that you suffer no goods nor marchandies of any persons being not free of the Company, and of the accompt of the Company to be laden in any wise in our ships either now or at any time hereafter except the Emperour or Embassadour minde to send any thing to the King and Queenes Majesties, or to any noble man, or to the Marchants of the Companie: Nor likewise that you suffer any goods that goe in these ships to be brought on land there, except the Ambassadours goods, and the Physitions & Apothecaries, and others that hee hath with him, who carie no Marchandise. And because our ships be freighted by the great, it shalbe very needefull that you do appoynt certaine to see the romaging of the ships, and to give the master or Boatswaine, or him that will take upon him to romage, a good reward for his labour to see the goods well romaged. If it bee iii.d. or iiii. d. the tunne, it shall not be amisse. For if it be not substantially well looked unto, it may bee a great deale of money out of our wayes.

Our

Also because we reckon that from the Mosco will bee alwayes better conveyance of letters to us by land: minde is that from time to time as occasion shall serve, our Agents shall write to him that shall lie at Mosco of all things that shall passe, that hee may give us large instructions, aswell what is solde and bought, as also what lading we shall take, and what quantitie and kinde of goods we shall send. For hitherto we have had but a slender advise, more like a bill to serve a Chapman, then for quantitie of wares to serve a kingdome.

we

For

must procure to utter good quantitie of wares, especially the commodities of our Realme, although we affoord a good penyworth, to the intent to make other that have traded thither, wearie, and so to bring our selves and our commodities in estimation, and likewise

to procure to have the chiefe commodities of that countrey in our hands, as waxe and such others, that other nations may bee served by us and at our hands. For wee doe understand that the greatest quantitie of waxe that commeth to Danske, Lubeck, and Hambourgh, commeth out of Russia. Therefore if wee should buy part, and they also buy, it would raise the price there, and would bee litle woorth here. And all such letters of importance and secrecie as you doe send by land for any wares or otherwise, you must write them in Cyphers, after the order of a booke sent you in the shippes: alwayes taking good heede in placing of your letters and cyphers, that wee may understand them by the same booke heere, and to send them in such sort, that we may have them here by Christmas or Candlemas, if it be possible. And because you cannot so certainly advertise us by letters of your doings, but some doubt may arise, whereof we would most gladly be certified: our mind is therefore that with these ships you send us home one such yong man as is most expert in knowledge of that countrey, and can best certifie us in such questions as may be demanded, whome we will remit unto you againe in the next ships. We thinke Arthur Edwards wilbe fittest for that purpose: neverthelesse use your discretion in that matter.

As touching our goods that were robbed and pilfered out of our ships at Colmogro and Vologda we trust by this time they are restored againe, and the malefactors so punished that other may take example for doing the like, otherwise it will be an evill president. Moreover, wee doe perceive that Richard Gray doeth buy mastes to send into England, they will not quit the costes, except we had a ship of purpose for them. And likewise that Steven Burrow is returned from his discoverie with the Serchthrift, and wintereth at Colmogro, and is minded to set forth in the beginning of June next to seeke the river of Ob. We pray God to speede him well, and trust to have him here in England this yeere to bring us good

newes.

We doe perceive there is a river found about the mouth of S. Nicholas Bay that hath thirteen foot upon the barre at a lowe water, and is as neere Colmogro as S. Nicholas : which will bee a great pleasure unto us. We will that Steven Burrowe doe proceed on his voiage to discover. Also we have sent you one Anthonie Jenkinson Gentle

man, a man well travelled, whom we mind to use in further travelling, according to a Commission delivered him, subscribed by master Anthonie Huse and others. Wherefore we will you deliver him one or more of such painfull young men as he shal thinke meetest for his purpose and likewise such money and wares as he shal think best to take with him. He must have fourty pounds a yeere for foure yeeres, to be paid him by the halfe yeere, or as he wil demaund it of you, so let him have it from Easter last. Also the prices of wares here at this present are, bale flaxe twenty pound the packe and better, towe flaxe twentie eight pound the hundred, traine oyle at nine pound the tunne, waxe at foure pound the hundred, tallow at sixteene shillings the hundred, cables and ropes very deare: as yet there are no shippes come out of Danske.

Kept untill the tenth day of this present. As this day came the goods out of Scotland that were recovered out of the Edward Bonaventure: and nowe we doe perceive that the caske that the trayne oyle came in, is verie good, and much better then ours. Therefore our minde is, that you shall lade it all in such barrels of the bigger sort as you laded in the Edward, and no long barrels nor small. And that caske that wee have sent may serve for the Tallowe or anie other ware that is not leakage. Neverthelesse, this voyage you must take such as you can get.

Also if the Emperour bee minded to deliver you any summe of money, or good Waxe at as reasonable a price as you may buye for readie money, wee will that you shall take it and lade it for our accomptes, and to come at our adventure, and hee to bee payed at the returne of the shippes in Velvets, Sattens, or any other kinde of silke, or cloth of golde, cloth of tissue, or according as his Commission shall bee that hee shall sende us in the shippes, and according to such paternes as hee shall send. Wee doe not finde the Ambassadour nowe at the last so conformable to reason as wee had thought wee shoulde. Hee is very mistrustfull, and thinketh everie man will beguile him. Therefore you had neede to take heede howe you have to doe with him or with any such, and to make your bargaines plaine, and to set them downe in writing. For they bee subtill people, and doe not alwaies speake the trueth, and thinke other men to bee like themselves. Therefore we would have none of them

to send any goods in our shippes at any time, nor none to come for passengers, unlesse the Emperour doe make a bargaine with you, as is aforesaid, for his owne person.

Also we charge you not to suffer any of our nation to send any wares to their wives or friends in any of our ships; but to take their money there to be paied heere by the companie and not otherwise: and to have consideration how you doe take the roble. For although we doe rate it after sixteene shillings eight pence of our money, yet it is not worth past 12. or 13. shillings sterling. Moreover, you had neede to sende newe accomptes, for them that came in the Edward bee marred and torne, so that we can make no reckoning by them: and likewise to write us a perfect note of all the goodes which you received the last voyage out of the Edward, and heerein not to faile.

Andrew Judde.

George Barne.

Anthonie Huse.

William Garrard.

William Chester.

A Letter of Master Thomas Hawtrey to the worshipfull Master Henrie Lane Agent at Colmogro, written in Vologda the 31. of Januarie 1557.

WORSHIPFULL Sir, heartie commendations premised. These may bee to advertise you, that yesterday the thirtieth of this present came hither Robert Best, and brought with him two hundred robles, that is, one hundred for this place, and one hundred for you at Colmogro. As for hempe which is here at two robles and a halfe the bercovite, master Gray hath written to buy no more at that price for John Sedgewicke hath bought for sixe or seven hundred robles worth at Novogrode for one roble and a halfe the bercovite, and better cheape: and white Novogrode flaxe is there at three robles the bercovite. trust hee will doe much good by his going thither. As I doe understand, Richard Johnson is gone to Novogrode with money to him, I doubt not but Master Gray hath advertised you of all their doings, both at the Mosco and at Novogrod. And touching our doings heere, you shall perceive that wee have solde wares of this fourth voyage for one hundred and fourtie robles, besides fiftie robles of the second and third voyage since the giving up of

I