distant from Shabowshare aforesaid 25. leagues: we left it on our, right
hand, and the 29. came vnto an Island one league from the citie of Cazan,
from which falleth downe a riuer called Cazanka reca, and entreth into the
foresaide Volga. Cazan is a faire town after the Russe or Tartar fashion,
with a strong castle, situated vpon a high hill, and was walled round about
with timber and earth, but now the Emperour of Russia hath giuen order to
plucke downe the old walles and to builde them againe of free stone. It
hath bene a citie of great wealth and riches, and being in the hands of the
Tartars it was a kingdome of it selfe, and did more vexe the Russes in
their warres, then any other nation: but 9 yeres past, this Emperour of
Russia conquered it, and tooke the king captiue, who being but young is
nowe baptised, and brought vp in his court with two other princes, which
were also kings of the said Cazan, and being ech of them in time of their
raignes in danger of their subiects through ciuil discord, came and rendred
themselues at seueral times vnto the said Emperor, so that at this present
there are three princes in the court of Russia, which had bene Emperours of
the said Cazan, whom the Emperour vseth with great honour.
[Sidenote: The Island of marchants.] We remained at Cazan till the 13. day
of Iune, and then departed from thence: and the same day passed by an
Island called the Island of merchants, because it was woont be a place
where all merchants, as well Russes and Cazanites, as Nagayans and Crimmes,
and diuers other nations did resort to keepe mart for buying and selling,
but nowe it is forsaken, and standeth without any such resort thither, or
at Cazan, or at any place about it, from Mosco vnto Mare Caspium.
[Sidenote: The riuer of Cama.] Thus proceeding forward the 14. day, we
passed by a goodly riuer called Cama, which we left on our left hand. The
riuer falleth out of the countrey of Permia into the riuer of Volga, and is
from Cazan 15. leagues: and the countrey lying betwixt the said Cazan and
the said riuer Cama on the left hand of Volga is called Vachen, and the
inhabitants be Gentiles, and liue in the wildernesse without house or
habitation: and the countrey on the other side of Volga ouer against the
said riuer Cama is called the land of Cheremizes, halfe Gentiles, halfe
Tartars, and all the land on the left hand of the said Volga from the said
riuer vnto Astracan, and so following the North and Northeast side of the
Caspian sea, [Sidenote: Nagay Tartars.] to a land of the Tartars called
Turkemen, is called the countrey of Magnat or Nagay, whose inhabitants are
of the law of Mahomet, and were all destroyed in the yeere 1558, at my
being at Astracan, through ciuill warres among them, accompanied with
famine, pestilence, and such plagues, in such sort that in the said yeere
there were consumed of the people, in one sort and another, aboue one
hundred thousand: the like plague was neuer seen in those parts, so that
the said countrey of Nagay being a countrey of great pasture, remaineth now
vn-replenished to the great contentation of the Russes, who haue had cruel
warres a long time together.
The Nagayans when they flurished, liued in this maner: they were diuided
into diuers companies called Hords, and euery hord had a ruler, whom they
obeyed as their king, and was called a Murse. [Sidenote: Hords.] Towne or
house they had none, but liued in the open fields, every Murse or King
hauing his Hords or people about him, with their wives, children and
cattell, who hauing consumed the pasture in one place, remooued unto
another; and when they remooue they haue houses like tents set vpon wagons
or carts, which are drawen from place to place with camels, and therin
their wiues, children, and all their riches, which is very litle, is caried
about, and euery man hath at the least foure or fiue wives besides
concubines. Vse of money they haue none, but doe barter their cattell for
apparell and other necessaries. They delight in no arte nor science, except
the warres, wherein they are expert, but for the most part they be
pasturing people, and haue great store of cattell, which is all their
riches. They eate much flesh, and especially the horse, and they drinke
mares milk, wherewith they be oftentimes drunke: they are seditious and
inclined to theft and murther. Corne they sowe not, neither do eate any
bread, mocking the Christians for the same, and disabling our strengths,
saying we liue by eating the top of a weede, and drinke a drinke made out
of the same, allowing their great deuouring of flesh, and drinking of milke
to be the increase of their strength. But now to proceed forward to my
iourney.
[Sidenote: The Crimme Tarters.] All the countrey vpon our right hand the
riuer Volga, from ouer against the riuer Cama, vnto the towne of Astracan,
is the land of Crimme, whose inhabitants be also of the lawe of Mahomet,
and liue for the most part according to the fashions of the Nagayes, having
continuall wars with the Emperour of Russia, and are valiant in the fielde,
hauing countenance, and support from the great Turke.
[Sidenote: The River of Samar.] The 16. day of Iune we passed by certaine
fishermens houses called Petowse twenty leagues from the riuer Cama, where
is great fishing for sturgeon, so continuing our way untill the 22. day,
and passing by another great riuer called Samar, which falleth out of the
aforesaide countrey, and runneth through Negay, and entreth into the saide
riuer of Volga. The 28. day wee came vnto a great hill, where was in times
past a castle made by the Crimmes, but now it is ruined, being the iust
midway betweene the said Cazan and Astrachan, which is 200. leagues or
thereabout, in the latitude of 51. degrees 47. minutes. [Sidenote: Licoris
in great plentie.] Vpon all this shore groweth great abundance of Licoris,
whose root runneth within the ground like a vine.
Thus going forward the sixt day of Iuly we came to a place called
Perouolog, so named because in times past the Tartars caried theit bortes
from Volga vnto the riuer Tanais, otherwise called Don, by land, when they
would robbe such as passed downe the said Volga to Astracan, and also such
as passed downe by the riuer Tanais, to Asou, Caffa, or any other towne
situated vpon Mare Euxinum, into which sea Tanais falleth, who hath his
springs in the countrey of Rezan, out of a plaine ground. It is at this
straight of Perouolog from the one riuer to the other two leagues by land,
and is a dangerous place for theeues and robbers, but now it is not so
euill as it hath bene, by reason of the Emperour of Russia his conquests.
Departing from Perouolog, hauing the wildernesse on both sides, wee sawe a
great heard of Nagayans, pasturing, as is abouesaid, by estimation aboue a
thousand camels drawing of cartes with houses vpon them like tents, of a
strange fashion, seeming to bee a farre off a towne: that Hord was
belonging to a great Murse called Smille, the greatest prince in all Nagay,
who had slaine and driuen away all the rest, not sparing his owne brethren
and children, and hauing peace with this Emperour of Russia he hath what he
needeth, and ruleth alone: so that now the Russes liue in peace with the
Nagayans, who were wont to haue mortall warres together.
The 14. day of Iuly passing by an old castle, which was Old Astracan, and
leauing it vpon our right hand, we arriued at New Astracan, which this
Emperour of Russia conquered sixe yeeres past, in the yeere 1552. It is
from the Mosco vnto Astracan sixe hundred leagues, or thereabout.
[Sidenote: Astracan.] The towne of Astracan is situated in an Island vpon a
hill side, hauing a castle within the same, wailed about with earth and
timber, neither faire nor strong: The towne is also walled about with
earth; the buildings and houses (except it be the captaines lodging, and
certaine other gentlemens) most base and simple. [Sidenote: Store of
Sturgions.] The Island is most destitute and barren of wood and pasture,
and the ground will beare no corne: the aire is there most infected, by
reason (as I suppose) of much fish, and specially Sturgion, by which onely
the inhabitants liue, hauing great scarsitie of flesh and bread. They hang
vp their fish in their streets and houses to dry for their prouision, which
causeth such abundance of flies to increase there, as the like was neuer
seene in any land, to their great plague. And at my being at the sayd
Astracan, there was a great famine and plague among the people, and
specially among the Tartars called Nagayans, who the same time came thither
in great numbers to render themselues to the Russes their enemies, and to
seeke succour at their hands, their countrey being destroyed, as I said
before: but they were but ill entertained or relieued, for there died a
great number of them for hunger, which lay all the Island through in heapes
dead and like to beasts vnburied, very pitifull to behold: many of them
were also sold by the Russes, and the rest were banished from the Island.
At that time it had bene an easie thing to haue conuerted that wicked
Nation to the Christian faith, if the Russes themselues had bene good
Christians: but how should they shew compassion vnto other Nations, when
they are not mercifull vnto their owne? At my being there I could haue
bought many goodly Tartars children, if I would haue had a thousand, of
their owne fathers and mothers, to say a boy or a wench for a loafe of
bread woorth sixe pence in England, but we had more need of victuals at
that time then of any such merchandise. This Astracan is the furthest hold
that that this Emperour of Russia has conquered of the Tartars towards the
Caspian sea, which he keepeth very strong, sending thither euery yere
prouision of men and victuals, and timber to build the castle.
There is a certaine trade of merchandise there vsed, but as yet so small
and beggerly, that it is not woorth the making mention, and yet there come
merchants thither from diuers places. The chiefest commodities that the
Russes bring thither are redde hides, redde sheepes skinnes, woodden
vessels, bridles, and saddles, kniues, and other trifles, with corne,
bacon, and other victuals. The Tartars bring thither diuers kindes of wares
made of cotten wooll, with diuers kindes of wrought silkes: and they that
come out of Persia, namely from Shamacki doe bring sowing silke, which is
the coursest that they vse in Russeland, Crasco, diuers kinds of pide
silkes for girdles, shirts of male, bowes, swords, and such like things:
and some yeeres corne, and wallnuts, but all such things in such small
quantitie, the merchants being so beggerly and poore that bring the same,
that it is not worth the writing, neither is there any hope of trade in all
those parts woorth the folowing.
[Sidenote: The length of the Island of Astracan] This foresaid Island of
Astracan is in length twelue leagues, and in bredth three, and lieth East
and West in the latitude of fortie seuen degrees, nine minutes: we taried
there vntil the sixt day of August, and hauing bought and prouided a boate
in company with certaine Tartars and Persians, we laded our goods and
imbarked our selves; and the same day departed I, with the said two
Iohnsons hauing the whole charge of the Nauigation downe the sayd riuer
Volga, being very crooked, and full of flats towards the mouth thereof.
[Sidenote: They enter into the Caspian sea.] We entred into the Caspian sea
the tenth day of August at the Easterly side of the sayd riuer, being
twentie leagues from Astracan aforesayd, in the latitude of fortie six
degrees, twentie seuen minutes.
Volga hath seuentie mouthes or fals into the sea: and we hauing a large
wind, kept the Northeast shore, and the eleuenth day we sailed seuen
leagues Eastnortheast, and came vnto an Island hauing an high hill therein,
called Accurgar, a good marke in the sea. From thence East tenne leagues,
we fell with another Island called Bawhiata, much higher then the other.
Within these two Islands to the Northwards, is a great Baie called the Blew
sea. [Sidenote: The Blew sea.] From thence wee sailed East and by North ten
leagues, and hauing a contrary wind, we came to an anker in a fadome water,
and so rid vntill the fifteenth day, hauing a great storme at Southeast,
being a most contrary wind, which we rid out. Then the wind came to the
North, and we weyed, and set our course Southeast, and that day sailed
eight leagues.
[Sidenote: Baughleata being 74 leagues from Volga.] Thus proceeding
forwards, the 17. day wee lost sight of land, and the same day sailed
thirtie leagues, and the 18. day twentie leagues winding East, and fell
with a land called Baughleata, being 74. leagues fromm the mouth of the
said Volga, in the latitude of 46. degrees 54. minutes, the coast lying
neerest East and by South, and West and by North. At the point of this land
lieth buried a holy Prophet, as the Tartars call him, of their law, where
great deuotion is vsed of all such Mahometists as doe passe that way.
[Sidenote: Iaic riuer.] The nineteenth day the winde being West, and we
winding Eastsoutheast, we sailed tenne leagues, and passed by a great riuer
called Iaic, which hath his spring in the lande of Siberia, nigh vnto the
foresaid riuer Cama, and runneth through the lande of Nagay, billing into
this Mare Caspium. [Sidenote: Serachick] And vp this riuer one dayes
tourney is a Towne called Serachick, subiect to the aforesaid Tartar prince
called Murse Smille, which is nowe in friendship with the Emperour of
Russia. Here is no trade of merchandize vsed, for that the people haue no
vse of money, and are all men of warre, and pasturers of cattel, and giuen
much to theft and murther. Thus being at an anker against this riuer Iaic,
and all our men being on land, sauing I, who lay sore sicke, and fiue
Tartars whereof one was reputed a holy man, because he came from Mecka,
there came vnto vs a boate with thirtie men well armed and appointed, who
boorded vs, and began to enter into our barke, and our holy Tartar called
Azy, perceiuing that, asked them what they would haue, and withall made a
prayer: with that these rouers staied, declaring that they were Gentlemen,
banished from their countrey, and out of liuing, and came to see if there
were any Russes or other Christians (which they call Caphars) in our barke:
To whom this Azi most stoutly answered, that there were none, auowing the
same by great othes of their lawe, (which lightly they will not breake)
whom the rouers beleeued, and vpon his words departed. And so through the
fidelitie of that Tartar, I with all my company and goods were saued, and
our men being come on boord, and the wind faire, we departed from that
place, and winding East and Southeast, that day being the 20. of August
sailed 16. leagues.
[Sidenote: The Countrie of Colmack] The 21. day we passed ouer a Bay of 6.
leagues broad, and fell with a Cape of land, hauing two Islands at the
Southeast part thereof, being a good marke in the sea: and doubling that
Cape the land trended Northeast, and maketh another Bay, into which felleth
the great riuer Yem, springing out of the land of Colmack.
The 22. 23. and 24. dayes, we were at an anker.
The 25. the winde came faire, and wee sailed that day 20. leagues, and
passed by an Island of lowe land, and thereabout are many flats and sands:
and to the Northward Of this Island there goeth in a great Bay, but we set
off from this Island, and winded South to come into deepe water, being much
troubled with shoalds and flats, and ran that course 10. leagues, then East
Southeast 20. leagues, and fel with the maine land, being full of copped
hils, and passing along the coast 20. leagues, the further we sailed, the
higher was the land.
The 27. day we crossed ouer a Bay, the South shore being the higher land,
and fel with a high point of land: and being ouerthwart the Cape, there
rose such a storme at the East, that we thought verily we should haue
perished: this storme continued 3. dayes. [Sidenote: The port of
Manguslaue.] From this Cape we passed to a port called Magnuslaue. The
place where we should haue arriued at the Southernmost part of the Caspian
sea, is 12. leagues within a Bay: but we being sore tormented and tossed
with this foresaid storme, were driuen vnto another land on the other side
the Bay, ouerthwart the sayd Manguslaue being very lowe land, and a place
as well for the ill commoditie of the hauen, as of those brute field
people, where neuer barke nor boate had before arriued, not liked of vs.
But yet here we sent certaine of our men to land to talke with the
gouernour and people, as well for our good vsage at their handes, as also
for prouision of camels to carry our goods from the sayd sea side to a
place called Sellyzure, being from the place of our landing fiue and
twentie dayes iourney. Our messengers returned with comfortable wordes and
faire promises of all things. [Sidenote: They goe on land.] Wherefore the
3. day of September 1558. we discharged our barke, and I with my companie
were gently entertained of the Prince and of his people. But before our
departure from thence, we found them to be very bad and brutish people, for
they ceased not daily to molest vs, either by fighting, stealing or
begging, raising the prise of horse and camels, and victuals, dooble that
it was woont there to be, and forced vs to buy the water that we did
drinke: which caused vs to hasten away, and to conclude with them as well
for the hire of camels, as for the prise of such as wee bought, with other
prouision, according to their owne demaund: So that for euery camels
lading, being but 400. waight of ours, we agreed to giue three hides of
Russia, and foure woodden dishes, and to the Prince or gouernour of the
sayd people, one ninth, and two seuenths: Namely, nine seuerall things, and
twise seuen seuerall things: for money they vse none.
[Sidenote: The countrey of Manguslaue.] And thus being ready, the
foureteenth of September we departed from that place, being a Carauan of a
thousand Camels. And hauing trauailed fiue dayes iourney, we came to
another Princes Dominion, and vpon the way there came vnto vs certaine
Tartars on horseback, being well armed, and seruants vnto the saide Prince
called Timor Soltan, gouernour of the said countrey of Manguslaue, where
wee meant to haue arriued and discharged our barke, if the great storm
aforesayd had not disappointed. These aforesaid Tartars stayd our Carauan
in the name of their Prince, and opened our wares, and tooke such things as
they thought best for their saide prince without money, but for such things
as they tooke from me, which was a ninth (after much dissension) I ridde
vnto the same Prince, and presented my selfe before him, requesting his
fauour, and pasport to trauaile through his countrey, and not to be robbed
nor spoiled of his people: which request he graunted me, and intertained me
very gently, commaunding me to be well feasted with flesh and mares milke:
for bread they vse none, nor other drinke except water: but money he had
none to giue mee for such thinges as he tooke of mee, which might be of
value in Russe money, fifteene rubbles, but he gaue me his letter, and a
horse woorth seuen rubbles. And so I departed from him being glad that I
was gone: for he was reported to be a very tyrant, and if I had not gone
vnto him, I vnderstoode his commaundement was that I should haue beene
robbed and destroyed.
This Soltan liued in the fields without Castle or towne, and sate, at my
being with him, in a little rounde house made of reedes couered without
with felt, and within with Carpets. There was with him the great
Metropolitan of that wilde Country, esteemed of the people, as the Bishop
of Rome is in most parts of Europe, with diuers other of his chiefe men.
The Soltan with this Metropolitan demanded of me many questions, as wel
touching our kingdoms, lawes, and Religion, as also the cause of my coming
into those parts, with my further pretence. To whom I answered concerning
all things, as vnto me seemed best, which they tooke in good part.
[Sidenote: 20 dayes trauaile in the wildernese, with scarcite of water.] So
hauing leaue I departed and ouertooke our Carauan and proceeded on our
iourney, and trauailed 20 dayes in the wildernes from the sea side without
seeing towne or habitation, carying prouision of victuals with vs for the
same time, and were driuen by necessity to eate one of my camels and a
horse for our part, as other did the like: and during the said 20 daies we
found no water, but such as we drew out of old deepe welles, being very
brackish and salt, and yet sometimes passed two or three dayes without the
same. [Sidenote: Another gulfe of the Caspian sea.] And the 5. day of
October ensuing, we came gulfe of the Caspian sea againe, where we found
the vnto a water very fresh and sweete: at this gulfe the customers of the
king of Turkeman met vs, who tooke custome of euery 25. one, and 7. ninthes
for the saide king and his brethren, which being receiued they departed,
and we remained there a day after to refresh our selues.
[Sidenote: Will. de Rubricis describeth this riuer of Ardok, cap. 4.] Note
that in times past there did fal into this gulf the great river Oxus, which
hath his springs in the mountains of Paraponisus in India, and now commeth
not so far, but falleth into another riuer called Ardock, which runneth
toward the North, and consumeth himself in the ground passing vnder ground
aboue 500. miles, and then issueth out againe and falleth into the lake of
Kithay. [Footnote: Oxus, the Jihun of the Arab, the Amu-darya of the
Persians, and the Vak-shu of the Hindus, is a river of Central Asia, in
Turkestan, draining the Great Pamir through two head streams--the Panja or
southern, rising in Lake Victoria, 13,900 feet above the sea-level, and the
Ak-su or Murghah, or northern, said to flow from Lake Barkal Yasin, 13,000
feet above the sea-level, and receiving the outflow of Lake Kara-kul above
the junction. The united stream flows westwards towards Balkh, before
reaching which it gradually trends to the northwest until, after a course
of about 1300 miles, it reaches the south coast of the Aral Sea. In parts
the stream has a breadth of 800 yards, with a depth of 20 feet, and a very
rapid current; but the vast quantity of sedimentary matter which it brings
down to the month, forming shifting sands and banks, renders it difficult
to navigate. A great portion of the volume of the stream is absorbed in the
irrigation of the Khivan Oasis. The tendency of the Oxus, like that of the
great Siberian rivers, is to press continually on its right or east bank,
and twice within historic times it has oscillated between the Caspian and
Aral Seas. In the fourteenth century it is supposed to have entered the
Caspian by the Uzboi channel, near Mikhailovsk. It was proposed at one time
to attempt to reopen this bed, but the scheme has been abandoned in favour
of the steppe river, Chagan. Herodotus seems to refer to the Oxus under the
name of Araxes, but his description is confused, and many of his
commentators suppose that the Araxes of Herodotus is the river of the same
name in Armenia; while others suppose that it is either the Volga or the
Jaxartes. Strabo says that the Oxus rose in the Indian mountains and flowed
into the Caspian, which is also the opinion of Mela and Ptolemy. Pliny
makes it rise in a lake called Oxus, and the truth of his statement is now
confirmed.]
[Sidenote: Sellizure, or Shayzure.] We hauing refreshed our selues at the
foresaide gulfe, departed thence the 4. day of October, and the seuenth day
arriued at a castle called Sellizure, where the king called Azim Can,
remained with 3. other of his brethren, and the 9. day I was commaunded to
come before his presence, to whom I deliuered the Emporors letters of
Russia: and I also gaue him a present of a ninth, who entertained me very
well, and caused me to eate in his presence as his brethren did, feasting
me with flesh of a wilde horse, and mares milk without bread. [Sidenote:
Letters of safteconduct] And the next day he sent for me again, and asked
of me diuers questions, as wel touching the affaires of the Emperour of
Russia, as of our countrey and lawes, to which I answered as I thought
good: so that at my departure he gaue me his letters of safe conduct.
This Castle of Sellizure is situated vpon an high hill, where the King
called the Can lyeth, whose palace is built of earth very basely, and not
strong: the people are but poore, and haue litle trade of merchandise among
them. The South part of this Castle is lowe lande, but very fruitfull,
where grow many good fruites, among which there is one called a Dynie, of a
great bignesse and full of moysture, which the people do eate after meate
in steade of drinke. Also there growes another fruite called a Carbuse of
the bignesse of a great cucumber, yellow and sweete as sugar: also a
certaine corne called Iegur, whose stalke is much like a sugar cane, and as
high, and the graine like rice, which groweth at the toppe of the cane like
a cluster of grapes; the water that serueth all that countrey is drawen by
ditches out of the riuer Oxus, vnto the great destruction of the said
riuer, for which cause it falleth not into the Caspian sea as it hath done
in times past, and in short time all that land is like to be destroied, and
to become a wildernes for want of water, when the riuer of Oxus shal faile.