Day at three of the clocke
aftenoone, where they shewed the Emperors letters to passe free without
paying any custome, and taried there about three houres to prouide
necessaries, and then departing, arriued at Cazan (or neere the same towne)
on the 22. of September at fiue of the clocke afternoone, where (through
contrary windes, and for prouiding new cassaks in the places of some that
there went from them) they remained till the 26. day, at what time they
departed thence about two of the clocke after noone, and arriued at
Tetushagorod, which is on the Crim side of Volga, and in latitude 55.
degrees 22. minutes, the 28. day at ten in the forenoone, where they
ankered, and remained about 3. houres, and departing thence came to Oueak,
which is on the Crim side (on the Westerne side of Volga) the fift of
October about fiue of the clocke in the morning. [Sidenote: Great store of
Licoris.] This is accounted halfe the way between Cazan and Astracan: and
heere there groweth great store of Licoris: the soile is very fruitfull;
they found there apple trees, and cherrie trees. The latitude of Oueak is
51. degrees 30. minutes. At this place had bene a very faire stone castle
called by the name Oueak, and adioining to the same was a towne called by
the Russes, Sodom: this towne and part of the castle (by report of the
Russes) was swalowed into the earth by the iustice of God, for the
wickednesse of the people that inhabited the same. There remaineth at this
day to be seen a part of the ruines of the castle, and certaine tombs,
wherein as it seemeth haue bin laid noble personages: for vpon a tombe
stone might be perceiued the forme of a horse and a man sitting on it with
a bow in his hand, and arrowes girt to his side: there was a piece of a
scutchion also vpon one of the stones, which had characters grauen on it,
whereof some part had beene consumed with the weather, and the rest left
vnperfect: by the forme of them that remained, we iudged them to be
characters of Armenia: and other characters were grauen also vpon another
tombe stone. [Sidenote: Perauolok.] Nowe they departed from Oueak the said
fift of October at fiue of the clocke after noone, and came to Perauolok
the 10. day about eleuen or twelue of the clocke that night, making, no
abode at that place, but passed alongst by it. This worde Perauolok in the
Russe tongue doeth signifie a narrow straight or necke of land betweene two
waters, and it is so called by them, because from the riuer Volga, at that
place, to the riuer Don or Tanais, is counted thirty versts, or as much as
a man may well trauell on foote in one day. And seuen versts beneath, vpon
an Island called Tsaritsna the Emperour of Russe hath fiftie gunners all
the summer time to keepe watch, called by the Tartar name Carawool. Between
this place and Astracan are fiue other Carawools or watches.
1 The first is named Kameni Carawool, and is distant from Perauolok 120
versts.
2 The second named Stupino Carowool, distant from the first 50 versts.
3 The third called Polooy Carowool, is 120 versts distant from the second.
4 The fourth named Keezeyur Carawool, is 50 versts distant from the third.
5 The fift named Ichkebre, is 30 versts distant from the fourth, and from
Ichkebre to Astracan is 30 versts.
[Sidenote: Astracan.] The 16 of October they arriued at Astracan, with
their three stroogs in saftie about nine of the clock in the morning, where
they found the ship prouided for the Persia voyage in good order and
readinesse. [Sidenote: Peter Garrard.] The 17 day the foure principal
factors of the company, Arthur Edwards, William Turnbull, Matthew Talbois,
and Peter Garrard, were inuited to dine with the chiefe diake or secretary
of Astracan (Vasili Pheodorouich Shelepin) who declared vnto them the
troubles that were in Media and Persia: and how the Turke with helpe of the
Crims had conquered, and did possesse the greatest part of Media: also he
laid before them that Winter was at hand, and if they should put out with
their ship to the sea, they should bee constrained to take what hazards
might happen them by wintring in the parts of Media, or els where, for
backe againe to that place there was no hope for them to returne: whereupon
the said factors determined to stay there all Winter to learne farther of
the state of those countreis.
[Sidenote: Ice at Astracan for foure moneths.] The 19 of Nouember the winde
being Northerly, there was a great frost, and much ice in the riuer: the
next day being the 20 of Nouember the ice stood in the riuer, and so
continued vntill Easter day.
The 22 December departed this life Iohn Moore the gunner of the ship.
[Sidenote: Anno 1580.] Thursday the 7 of Ianuary betweene 8. and 9. of the
clocke at night there appeared a crosse proceeding from the moone, with two
galles at the South and North end thereof.
The 6. of Ianuary being Twelfe day (which they call Chreshenia) the Russes
of Astracan brake a hole in the ice vpon the riuer Volga, and hallowed the
water with great solemnity according to the maner of their countrey, at
which time all the souldiers of the towne shot off their smal pieces vpon
the ice, and likewise to gratifie the captaine of the castel being a Duke,
whose name is Pheodor Michalouich Troiocouria, who stood hard by the ship,
beholding them as they were on the riuer, was shot off all the ordinance of
our ship being 15.
