Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
- Page 48 of 133 - First - Home
And After They Had So Ouerrunne The Countrey, They Came To Shamaky,
Where The Said Basha Lieutenant Generall Of The Great Turke Was Settled,
And Besieged It:
Whereupon the Basha seeing hee could not long indure to
withstande them, fled thence to Derbent where he now remaineth.
[Sidenote: Derbent built by Alexander the great.] Derbent is a strong
Castle which was built by Alexander the great, the situation whereof is
such that the Persians being without ordinance, are not able to winne it
but by famine. When the Turkes were fled from Shamaky, the Persians entred
the same and spoyled it, leauing therein neither liuing creature nor any
commoditie, and so returned backe into Persia, and setled themselues about
Teueris, where there grewe some question among them for the kingdome.
Afterwards the Persians hauing intelligence of an armie from the Turke
comming into Media, gathered themselues together in a great armie and
encountring the said Turkes, set vpon them on the sudden, and vanquished
them, putting them all to the sword. This ouerthrow of the Turkes grieued
the Basha of Derbent, and made him to haue the more care for his own
safetie. Moreouer, newes was brought vnto him that the Kisel Bashaes, (that
is to say the nobles and Gentlemen of Persia) were minded to set vpon him,
and that neere vnto Bachu there lay an army ready to besiege it. Whereupon
the Basha oftentimes would ride about the Castle of Derbent viewing the
same, and the springs that did come to it, and where he saw any cause of
reformation it was amended.
[Sidenote: The latitude of Derbent 41. deg. 52. min. The variation of the
compasse.] The latitude of Derbent (by diuers obseruations exactly there
made) is 41. deg 52. min. The variation of the Compasse at that place about
11. degrees from North to West. From Derbent to Bildih by land 46. leagues.
From Shamaky to Bachu about 10. leagues which may be 30. miles. From Bachu
to Bildih fiue or sixe leagues by land, but by water about 12. leagues.
From the Castle Derbent Eastwards, there reach two stone wals to the border
of the Caspian sea, which is distant one English mile. Those walls are 9.
foote thicke, and 28. or 30. foote high, and the space betweene them is
160. Geometricall paces, that is 800. foot. There are yet to be perceiued
of the ruine of those wals, which do now extend, into the sea about halfe a
mile: also from the castle Westward into the land, they did perceiue the
ruines of a stone wall to extend, which wal, as it is reported, did passe
from thence to Pontus Euxinus, and was built by Alexander the great when
the Castle Derbent was made.
The 5 of October about noone the winde Northnortheast they wayed ancre, and
set saile from Derbent, being alongst the coast to the Southwards to seeke
their men: but as they had sailed about foure leagues the winde scanted
Easterly, so that they were forced to ancre in three fathom water.
The 6 day they wayed ancre, and bare further off into the sea, where they
ancred in seuen fathom water, the ship being very leake, and so rotten
abaft the maine mast, that a man with his nailes might scrape thorow her
side.
The 7 day about 7 of the clocke in the morning, they set saile, the winde
Southwest. They considered the time of the yere was far spent, the ship
weake, leake and rotten, and therefore determining not to tarry any longer
for Wincoll and his fellowes, but to leaue them behinde, bent themselues
directly towards Astracan: and sailing Northnortheast vntill midnight about
16 leagues, the winde then came to the Northnorthwest, and blew much, a
very storme, which caused them to take in their sailes, sauing the fore
corse, with which they were forced to steere before the sea, South by West,
and Southsouthwest. And on the 8 day about two of the clocke in the morning
their great boat sunke at the ships sterne, which they were forced to cut
from the ship to their great griefe and discomfort: for in her they hoped
to saue their liues if the ship should haue miscaried. [Sidenote: Nezauoo.]
About 10 of the clocke before noone they had sight of the land about 5
leagues to the South of Derbent, and bare longst the coast to the
Southeastwards vnto Nezauoo, where they came at ancre in three fathoms, and
black oze, good ancre holde, whereof they were glad, as also that the winde
was shifted to the Northwest, and but a meane gale. Wincoll and the rest of
his fellowes being in the Armenian village, which is about 18 versts to the
Westwards of Nezauoo, the place where against they rode at ancre, saw the
ship as she passed by that place, and sent a man in the night following
alongst the coast after her, who came against the ship where she rode, and
with a firebrand in the top of a tree made signes, which was perceiued by
them in the shippe, whereupon they hoisted out their skiffe, and sent her
ashore to learne what was meant by the fire: which returned a letter from
Wincoll, wherein he wrote that they were with such goods as they had at the
Armenian village, and prayed that there they might with the same goods be
taken into the ships. The 9 day it was litle winde, they wayed and bare a
little farther off into the sea towards the said village, and ancred. The
10 day they sent their skiffe to the Armenian village to fetch those men
and the goods they had, with order that if the winde serued, that they
could not returne to fetch the ship, they of the ship promised to come for
them, against the said village. This day it was calme.
The 11 day the winde Northwest they rode still. The 12 day the winde
Southeast they wayed ancre, and bare against and nere to the Armenian
village where they ancred, and then the skiffe came aboord and tolde them
that our people at shore were like to be spoiled of the Tartars, were it
not that the gunners defended them:
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 48 of 133
Words from 48525 to 49573
of 136233