safetie at Astracan, and there remained till the tenth of June following, as well to prepare us small boates, to goe up against the streame of Volga, with our goods, as also for the companie of the Ambassadours of Tartarie, committed unto me, to bee brought to the presence of the Emperour of Russia. This Caspian sea (to say some thing of it) is in length about two hundred leagues, and in breadth 150. without any issue to other seas: to the East part whereof, joyneth the great desert countrey of the Tartars, called Turkemen to the West, the countreyes of the Chyrcasses, the mountaines of Caucasus, and the Mare Euxinum, which is from the said Caspian Sea a hundred leagues. To the North is the river Volga, and the land of Nagay, and to the South part joyne the countreys of Media and Persia. This sea is fresh water in many places, and in other places as salt as our great Ocean. It hath many goodly Rivers falling into it, and it avoideth not it selfe except it be under ground. The notable Rivers that fall into it, are first the great River of Volga, called in the Tartar tongue Edell, which springeth out of a lake in a marrish or plaine ground, not farre from the Citie of Novogrode in Russia, and it is from the spring to the Sea, above two thousande English miles. It hath divers other goodly Rivers falling into it, as out of Siberia, Yaic and Yem: Also out of the mountaines of Caucasus, the Rivers of Cyrus and Arash, and divers others. As touching the trade of Shamaky in Media and Tebris, with other townes in Persia, I have enquired, and do well understand, that it is even like to the trades of Tartaria, that is little utterance, and small profite: and I have bene advertised that the chiefe trade of Persia is into Syria, and so transported into the Levant sea. The fewe shippes upon the Caspian Seas, the want of Mart and port Townes, the povertie of the people, and the ice, maketh that trade naught. At Astracan there were merchants of Shamaky, with whom I offered to barter, and to give them kersies for their wares, but they would not, saying, they had them as good cheape in their countrey, as I offred them, which was sixe rubbles for a kersie, that I asked and while I was at Boghar, there were brought thither out of Persia, Cloth, and divers commodities of our countries, which were sold as good cheape, as I might sell ours. The tenth day of June, we departed from Astracan towards the Mosco, having an hundred gunners in our company at the Emperors charges, for the safe conduct of the Tartar Ambassadors and me. And the eight and twentieth day of July following, wee arrived at the citie of Cazan, having bene upon the way from Astracan thither, sixe weekes and more, without any refreshing of victuals : for in all that way there is no habitation. The seventh of August folowing, wee departed from Cazan, and transported our goods by water, as farre as the citie of Morum, and then by land: so that the second of September, we arrived at the citie of Mosco, and the fourth day I came before the Emperours Majestie, kissed his hand, and presented him a white Cowes taile of Cathay, and a drumme of Tartaria, which he well accepted. Also I brought before him all the Ambassadors that were committed to my charge, with all the Russe slaves: and that day I dined in his Majesties presence, and at dinner, his Grace sent me meate by a Duke, & asked me divers questions touching the lands and countreis where I had bene. And thus I remained at the Mosco about your affaires, until the 17. day of February that your wares were sent downe: and then having licence of the Emperors Majestie to depart, the 21. day I came to your house at Vologhda, and there remained until the breaking up of the yere: and then having seene all your goods laden into your boates, I departed with the same, and arrived withall in safetie at Colmogro the 9. of May 1560. And here I cease for this time, intreating you to beare with this my large discourse, which by reason of the varietie of matter, I could make no shorter, and I beseech God to prosper all your attempts. The latitudes of certaine principall places in Russia, and other Regions. dayes } Deg. Min. 72 42 18 39 ΙΟ At the entrance into the Caspian sea. 46` Certaine notes gathered by Richard Johnson (which was at Boghar with M. Anthony Jenkinson) of the reports of Russes and other strangers, of the wayes of Russia to Cathaya, and of divers and strange people. The first note given by one named Sarnichoke a Tartarian subject to the Prince of Boghar, which are also Tartars bordering upon Kizilbash or Persia, declaring the way from Astracan, being the furthest part of Russia, to Cathaya as foloweth. FIRST from Astracan to Serachick by land, travailing by leysure as Merchants use with wares, is 10. dayes journey. From Serachick to a towne named Urgenshe, 15. dayes. From Urgenshe to Boghar, 15. dayes. From Boghar to Cascar, 30. dayes. From Cascar to Cathaya, 30. dayes journey. By the same partie a note of another way more sure to traveile, as he reporteth. FROM Astracan to Turkemen by the Caspian sea, 10. dayes with barkes. From Turkemen by lande specially with Camels, bearing the weight of 15. poodes for their common burthens, is 10. dayes to Urgenshe. From Urgenshe to Boghar, 15. dayes. Note. At this Citie of Boghar is the marte or meeting place betweene the Turkes and nations of those parts and the Cathayans. Also the toll there is the 40. part to be payed of Merchandizes or goods. From thence to Cascar is one moneths journey, and from Cascar (being the frontier of the great Can, having many townes and fortes by the way) is also a moneths travel for merchants by land to Cathay. Further, as he hath heard (not having bene in those parts himselfe) ships may saile from the dominions of Cathaia unto India. But of other waies, or how the seas lie by any coast hee knoweth not. The instruction of another Tartarian merchant dwelling in the citie of Boghar, as he hath learned by other his countreymen which have bene there. FIRST from Astracan by sea to Serachick is 15 daies : affirming also that a man may travell the other way before written by Turkemen. From Serachick to Urgence is 15 dayes. From Urgence to Boghar also 15 dayes. Note. These last 30 daies journey is without habitation of houses therefore travellers lodge in their owne tents, cariyng with them to eate, their severall provisions and for drinesse there bee many wels of faire water at equall baiting places not farre distant dayly to be had. From Boghar to Taskent easie travelling with goods, is 14 dayes by land. From Taskent to Occient 7 dayes. From Occient to Cascar 20 daies. This Cascar is the head towne or citie of another prince, lying betweene Boghar and Cathaia, called Reshit can. From Cascar to Sowchick 30 daies journey, which Sowchick is the first border of Cathay. From Sowchick to Camchick 5 daies journey, and from Camchick to Cathay is 2 moneths journey, all the way being inhabited, temperate, & wel replenished with innumerable fruits, & the chiefe citie in that whole land is called Cambalu, which is yet 10 daies journey from Cathay. Beyond this land of Cathay, which they praise to be civill & unspeakeably rich, is the countrey named in the Tartarian tongue Cara-calmack inhabited with blacke people but in Cathay, the most part therof stretching to the sunne rising, are people white and of faire complexion. Their religion also, as the Tartars report, is christian, or after the maner of Christians, and their language peculiar, differing from the Tartarian tongue. There are no great and furious Beares in travelling through the waies aforesaid, but wolves white and blacke. And because that woods are not of such quantitie there, as in these parts of Russia, but in maner rather scant then plentiful, as is reported, the Beares breed not that way, but some other beasts (as namely one in Russe called Barse) are in those coasts. This Barse appeareth by a skinne of one seene here to sell, to be nere so great as a big lion spotted very faire and therefore we here take it to be a Leopard or Tiger. Note that 20 daies journey from Cathay is a countrey named Angrim, where liveth the beast that beareth the best Muske, & the principall therof is cut out of the knee of the male. The people are taunie, & for that the men are not bearded nor differ in complexion from women, they have certaine tokens of iron, that is to say: the men weare the sunne round like a bosse upon their shoulders, and women on their privie parts. Their feeding is raw flesh in the same land, and in another called Titay: the Duke there is called Can. They worship the fire, and it is 34 dayes journey from great Cathay, and in the way lyeth the beautifull people, eating with knives of golde, and are called Comorom, and the land of small people is neerer the Mosko then Cathay. The instructions of one of Permia, who reporteth he had bene at Cathay the way before written, and also another way neere the sea coast, as foloweth, which note was sent out of Russia from Giles Holmes. FIRST from the province of Dwina is knowen the way to Pechora, and from Pechora traveiling with Olens or harts, is sixe dayes journey by land, and in the Sommer as much by water to the river of Ob. The Ob is a river full of flats, the mouth of it is 70. Russe miles over. And from thence three dayes journey on the right hand is a place called Chorno-lese, to say in English, blacke woods, and from thence neere hand is a people called Pechey-cony, wearing their haire by his description after the Irish fashion. From Pechey-cony to Joult Calmachey three dayes journey, & from thence to Chorno Callachay three dayes tending to the Southeast. These two people are of the Tartarian faith, and tributaries to the great Can. |