As the comming of Rutter, whom the Emperours
Maiestie himselfe commanded before my face should bee sent vnto me without
faile, and I did see the letters written to the chiefe officers at the
Mosco for the same. Neuerthe lesse the said Rutter did not come, neither
could I heare of him after, nor know the sudden cause of his stay contrary
to the princes owne word and meaning, as I suppose. But I could not help
the matter being farre from the prince, neither could I tell how to haue
redresse, because by absence I could not complaine. Notwithstanding I vsed
my indeuour, and sent a messenger Iohn Norton one of your seruants from
Vologda to Nouogrod, where the court then lay, expressely with letters, as
well to aduertise his maiestie that the sayd Rutter was not sent vnto me
according to his highnes commandement and order, as also about the dispatch
of the said letters of priuiledge and receit of your money, with straight
charge that he should in any wise returne vnto me againe before the
departing of the ships. And the first day of Iune I departed from the said
Vologda by water towards Colmogro, where I arriued the 21 of Iune
aforesaid, and remained there vntil the 23 of Iuly, looking for the said
Iohn Norton to haue returned vnto me in al that time, which had respite
fully enough in that space both to go to the court to dispatch his busines,
and to haue returned againe vnto me, but he came not, for it was otherwise
determined before his going, as I did after vnderstand, and can more at
large by worde of mouth declare vnto your worships the occasion thereof.
Neuerthelesse, I am well assured before this time your Agent hath receiued
into his hands the sayd letters of priuiledges, and shall haue dispatch
with expedition in all things touching your affaires, according to his
maiesties grant by me obtained, and as he hath written to the Queenes
maiestie at this present, wishing that as now by my going the Emperour hath
withdrawen his grieuous displeasure from you, and restored you againe into
his fauour, so your Agent and others your seruants there resident may
behaue, and endeuour themselues to keepe and augment the same, whose euill
doings haue bene the onely occasion of his indignation now remitted.
* * * * *
The names of such countries as I Anthony Ienkinson haue trauelled vnto,
from the second of October 1546, at which time I made my first voyage out
of England, vntill the yeere of our Lord 1572, when I returned last out
of Russia.
First, I passed into Flanders, and trauelled through all the base
countries, and from thence through Germanie, passing ouer the Alpes I
trauelled into Italy, and from thence made my iourney through the Piemont
into France, throughout all which realme I haue throughly iournied.
I haue also trauelled through the kingdomes of Spaine and Portingal, I haue
sailed through the Leuant seas euery way, and haue bene in all the chiefe
Islands within the same sea, as Rhodes, Malta, Sicilia, Cyprus, Candie, and
diuers others.
I haue bene in many partes of Grecia, Morea, Archaia, and where the olde
citie of Corinth stoode.
I haue trauelled through a great part of Turkie, Syria, and diuers others
countries in Asia minor.
I haue passed ouer the mountaines of Libanus to Damasco, and trauelled
through Samaria, Galile, Philistine or Palestine, vnto Ierusalem, and so
through all the Holy land.
I haue bene in diuers places of Affrica, as Algiers, Cola, Hona, Tripolis,
the gollet within the gulfe of Tunis.
I haue sailed farre Northward within the Mare glaciale, where we haue had
continuall day, and sight of the Sunne ten weekes together, and that
nauigation was in Norway, Lapland, Samogitia, and other very strange
places.
I haue trauelled through all the ample dominions of the Emperour of Russia
and Moscouia, which extende from the North sea, and the confines of Norway,
and Lapland euen to the Mare Caspium.
I haue bene in diuers countries neere about the Caspian sea, Gentiles, and
Mahometans, as Cazan, Cremia, Rezan, Cheremisi, Mordouiti, Vachin, Nagaia,
with diuers others of strange customes and religions.
I haue sailed ouer the Caspian sea, and discouered all the regions
thereabout adiacent, as Chircassi, Comul, Shascal, Shiruim, with many
others.
I haue trauelled 40 daies iourney beyond the said sea, towards the Oriental
India, and Cathaia, through diuers deserts and wildernesses, and passed
through 5 kingdomes of the Tartars, and all the land of Turkeman and
Zagatay, and so to the great citie of Boghar in Bactria; not without great
perils and dangers sundry times.
After all this, in An. 1562, I passed againe ouer the Caspian sea another
way, and landed in Armenia, at a citie called Derbent, built by Alexander
the great, and from thence trauelled through Media, Parthia, Hircania, into
Persia to the court of the great Sophie called Shaw Tamasso, vnto whom I
deliuered letters from the Queenes Maiestie, and remained in his court 8
moneths, and returning homeward, passed through diuers other countries.
Finally I made two voyages more after that out of England into Russia, the
one in the yeere 1566, and the other in the yeere 1571. And thus being
weary and growing old, I am content to take my rest in mine owne house,
chiefly comforting my selfe, in that my seruice hath been honourably
accepted and rewarded of her maiestie and the rest by whom I haue bene
imploied.
* * * * *
A letter of Iames Alday to the Worshipfull M. Michael Lock, Agent in London
for the Moscouie company, touching a trade to be established in Lappia,
written 1575.
I haue in remembrance (worshipful Sir) the talke we had when I was with
you, as touching the trade in Lappia:
