Taried three weeks, not being
suffered to depart before the Emperour had word of our comming, who sent to
meet vs a gentleman of his house, to conuey vs, and to see vs furnished of
victuals, and all things needfull, vpon his owne charge.
The allowance of meat and drinke was for euery day two rubbles, besides the
charge of boats by water, and foure score post horses by land, with aboue
100 carts to cary my wines, and other cariage.
Colmogro is a great towne builded all of wood, not walled, but scattered
house from house. The people are rude in maners, and in apparell homely,
sauing vpon their festiuall, and marriage dayes.
The people of this town finding commodity by the English mens traffike with
them are much at their commandement, giuen much to drunkenesse, and all
other kind of abominable vices.
[Sidenote: An English house with lands at Colmogro.] In this towne the
English men haue lands of their owne, giuen them by the Emperour, and faire
houses, with offices for their commodity, very many.
Of other townes vntill I come to Vologda, I write not, because they are
much like to this, and the inhabitants not differing from them.
I was fiue whole weeks vpon the riuer of Dwina till I came to Vologda,
being drawen with men against the streame, for other passage there is none.
Vologda standeth vpon the riuer of Vologda, which commeth into Dwina. The
towne is great and long, built all of wood, as all their townes are.
In this towne the Emperour hath built a castle inuironed with a wall of
stone, and bricke, the walles faire and hie, round about. Here (as in all
other their townes) are many Churches; some built of bricke, the rest of
wood, many Monks and Nunnes in it: a towne also of great traffike, and many
rich merchants there dwelling.
From hence we passed by land towards Mosco in poste, being 500 versts
great, which are equall with our miles. In their townes we baited or lay,
being post townes.
[Sidenote: The description of the inland of Moscouie.] The countrey is very
faire, plaine and pleasant, well inhabited, corne, pasture, medowes enough,
riuers, and woods, faire and goodly.
At Yeraslaue we passed the riuer of Volga, more than a mile ouer. This
riuer taketh his beginning at Beal Ozera, and descendeth into Mare Caspium,
portable thorow of very great vessels with flat bottomes, which farre passe
any that our countrey vseth.
To saile by this riuer into Mare Caspium the English company caused a barke
to be built of 27 tunns, which there was neuer seene before: This barke
built and ready rigged to the sea with her whole furniture cost not the
company aboue one hundreth marks there.
