The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
It may please your worships to vnderstand, that in the yere 1563. I was
appointed by M. Antho. Ienkinson, and M. Thomas Glouer your Agent in
Russia, to goe for Persia in your worships affaires, one Thomas Alcock
hauing the charge of the voyage committed to him, and I one of your
worships seruants being ioyned with him in your busines, hauing with vs, as
they said 1500. rubbles. [Sidenote: A rubble is a marke English.] And if it
shall please you I cannot tell certainly what summe of money we had then of
the Emperors: for I received none, nor disbursed any of it in wares for the
voyage. Also, God I take to record, I could not tell what stocke your
worships had there, for the bookes were kept so priuily that a man could
neuer see them. The 10. of May anno 1563, we departed from a towne called
Yeraslaue vpon our voyage toward Persia. The 24. of Iuly we arriued at
Astracan: and the second of August wee departed from Astracan, and the 4.
of the same moneth we came to the Caspian sea, and the 11. day of the said
moneth we arriued at our port in Media: and the 21. of the said August wee
arriued at Shammaki, whereas the king Obdolocan lay in the fielde. We were
wel entertained of heathen people, for the thirde day after our arriuall at
Shammaki we were called before the king: we gaue him a present, and he
entertained vs very well.
At our comming to the Court wee were commaunded to come before the king,
who sate in his tent vpon the ground with his legs a crosse, and all his
dukes round about his tent, the ground being couered with carpets: wee were
commaunded to sit downe, the King appointing euery man his place to sit.
And the king commaunded the Emperour of Russelands Merchants to rise vp,
and to giue vs the vpper hande. [Sidenote: Casbin.] The 20. of October
Thomas Alcock departed from Shammaki towards Casbin, leauing mee at
Shammaki to recouer such debts as the dukes of Shammaki ought for wares
which thay tooke of him at his going to Casbin. In the time I lay there I
could recouer but little. [Sidenote: Leuuacta.] And at Thomas Alcocks
comming from Casbin, who arriued at a towne called Leuuacta, whereas the
king Obdolocan lay, a day and a halfes iourney from the towne whereas I
lay, I hearing of his arriuing there, departed from Shammaki, finding him
there in safetie with all such goods as he had with him. During his abode
there for seuen dayes he made suite to the king for such money as the dukes
ought him. But the king was displeased for that the Emperour of Russelands
merchants had slaine a Boserman at his going to Casbin. [Sidenote: A
Boserman is a Renegado.] Thomas Alcocke seeing the King would shewe vs no
fauour, and also hearing from Shammaki, that the Russes sent their goods to
the sea side, for that they feared that the king of Persia should haue
knowledge of the death of the Boserman, willed mee to depart to Shammaki
with all such goods as he had brought with him from Casbin, I leauing him
at the Court.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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