Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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Besides
the huge and mighty flame of the citie all on light fire, the people
burning in their houses
And streetes, but most of all of such as laboured
to passe out of the gates farthest from the enemie, where meeting together
in a mightie throng, and so pressing euery man to preuent another, wedged
themselues so fast within the gate, and streetes neere vnto it, as that
three rankes walked one vpon the others head, the vppermost treading downe
those that were lower: so that there perished at that time (as was said) by
the fire and the presse, the number of 800000 people or more.
The principall cause of this continual quarell betwixt the Russe and the
Chrim is for the right of certaine border partes claimed by the Tartar, but
possessed by the Russe. The Tartar alleageth that besides Astracan and
Cazan (that are the ancient possession of the East Tartar) the whole
countrey from his bounds North and Westward so farre as the citie of Mosko,
and Mosko it selfe perteineth to his right. [Sidenote: Homage done by the
Russe to the Chrim Tartar.] Which seemeth to haue bene true by the report
of the Russes them selues, that tell of a certaine homage that was done by
the Russe Emperour euery yeere to the great Chrim or Can, the Russe
Emperour standing on foot and feeding the Chrims horse, (himselfe sitting
on his backe) with oates out of his owne cappe, in stead of a bowle or
manger, and that within the castle of Mosko. And this homage (they say) was
done till the time of Basileus grandfather to this man. Who surprising the
Chrim Emperour by a stratageme done by one of his nobilitie (called Iuan
Demetrowich Belschey) was content with this raunsome, viz. with the
changing of this homage into a tribute of furrres: which afterwards also
was denied to be paide by this Emperors father.
Hereupon they continue the quarrel, the Russe defending his countrey, and
that which he hath won, the Chrim Tartar inuading him once or twise euery
yere, sometime about Whitsontide, but oftner in haruest. What time if the
great Can or Chrim come in his owne person, he bringeth with him a great
armie of 100000. or 200000. men. Otherwise they make short and sudden rodes
into the countrey with lesser numbers, running about the list of the border
as wild geese flie, inuading and retiring where they see aduantage.
Their common practise (being very populous) is to make diuers armies, and
so drawing the Russe to one or two places of the frontiers, to inuade at
some other place, that is left without defence. [Sidenote: The maner of the
Tartars fight and armour.] Their maner of fight, or ordering of their
forces is much after the Russe maner (spoken of before) saue that they are
all horsemen, and carie nothing els but a bowe, a sheafe of arrowes, and a
falcon sword after the Turkish fashion.
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