Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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At The Least, Armed With Caliuers And Other Weapons Fit For So
Villanous A Purpose.
[Sidenote: The English ship taken by the Cassaks.] M. Ducket
notwithstanding and the rest aforesaid receiued diuers wounds from
The
enemie, and were so hurt, and withall so oppressed with the multitude and
force of them, that they were at last constrained to make an agreement with
the Cassaks by rendring the ship into their hands, hauing receiued first
their othes sworne by their crucifixes, not to do any further harme to
their persons.
Thus the shippe being taken, and all the English grieuously hurt, the
Cassaks immediately discharged the ship of them, putting them all into the
ship boate with two or three Persian targets full of horse flesh and swines
flesh, without further victuals or reliefe: they being in that case, made
the best hast they could to get to Astracan: and being come to the towne,
master Ducket made great sute to the captaine to haue men and boates set
out for the rescuing and recouering of the ship if it were possible: who
immediately sent out his sonne with fortie boates and fiue hundred men to
pursue the Pirats, and by good hap came to the place where they rid at
anker with the ship, but by reason of their foolishnes in striking vp their
drums before they were come neere them, the Cassaks discouering the boats,
cut their gables and put out to sea, whereupon the boats not being able to
folow them, returned againe to Astracan. After which, 60 boats more were
sent out to pursue them againe the second time: and that second army came
to a place where they found many of these Cassaks and slew them, and found
out the places where they had hid certaine parcels of their goods in the
earth in the chests of the ship: all which they recouered againe for the
English merchants, to the value of 5000 li. of 30 or 40 thousand pound, but
all the rest the Cassaks in the ship had caried away.
In the same place they found further diuers of the Cassaks which the
Englishmen had slaine, buried in the earth, and wrapt some in fortie or
fiftie yards of Sattin and Taffataes, and some in Turkie carpets cut and
spoiled by those villanous Pirats, of whom afterwards as many as could be
taken, by the Persians who entirely loued the English merchants, were put
to most cruell torments in all places according to their deserts.
But our men being thus spoyled of their goods, and wounded in their bodies,
remained about two moneths at Astracan for their better recouerie: and
hauing gotten some reasonable strength, they then prouided boates and went
vp the riuer of Volga to Cazan, with such goods as they had recouered from
the Cassaks. [Sidenote: Ice in the beginning of October.] From Cazan they
went towards Yeraslaue, but in the way the ice intercepted them about the
beginning of October, where suddenly in the night they were taken with a
cruell and vehement frost, and therewithall the waters so congeled, that
their boates were crushed and cut in sunder with the ice, whereby they
sustained both a further danger of life and losse of goods: but as much as
they could preserue with much adoe, they conueyed ouer land in sleds to
Vologda, and from thence sent much of it to Saint Nicholas to be laden in
the ships for England.
But Master Ducket, Lionel Plumtree and Amos Riall went with some parcels to
the Mosko, and there sold certaine quantities of it to the Emperour, who
pitying the mightie losse that they had sustained by his owne rebellious
people and subiects, bought himselfe as much as hee liked, and payed
present money for the same. [Sidenote: 1574.] So that Winter being spent
out in Mosko, and such wares prouided by them as serued for England, they
departed to Saint Nicholas, and there embarked in the moneth of August: and
hauing endured a very terrible passage in nine weekes and three dayes, with
some hardnesse of victuals, contrary and furious windes, and other sea
accidents, they arriued at London in the moneth of October, one thousand
fiue hundred seuentie and foure, and so make an ende of an vnfortunate
voyage: which if it had pleased God to prosper, that all things had come
home as safely as they were carefully prouided, and painfully laboured for,
it had proued the richest voiage and most profitable returne of commoditie,
that had euer bene vndertaken by English merchants, who, notwithstanding
all misfortunes, lost nothing of their principall aduenture, but onely the
interest and gaine that might haue risen by the vse of their stocke in the
meane time.
* * * * *
Further obseruations concerning the state of Persia, taken in the foresayd
fift voyage into those partes, and written by M. Geffery Ducket, one of
the Agents emploied in the same.
Shamaky is the fairest towne in all Media, and the chiefest commoditie of
that countrey is rawe silke, and the greatest plentie thereof is at a towne
three dayes iourney from Shamaky called Arash: [Sidenote: Grosin or
Georgia.] and within 3. dayes iourney of Arash is a countrey named Grosin,
whose inhabitants are Christians, and are thought to be they which are
otherwise called Georgians: there is also much silke to be sold. The chief
towne of that countrey is called Zegham, from whence is caried yeerely into
Persia, an incredible quantitie of Hasell nuts, all of one sort and
goodnesse, and as good and thin shaled as are our Filberds. Of these are
caried yeerely the quantitie of 4000. Camels laden.
Of the name of the Sophy of Persia, and why he is called the Shaugh, and of
other customes.
The king of Persia (whom here, we call the great Sophy) is not there so
called, but is called the Shaugh. It were there dangerous to cal him by the
name of Sophy, because that Sophy in the Persian tongue, is a begger, and
it were as much as to call him.
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