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
But nowe they hauing passed the greater part of their iourney, mette at
last with the Sleddeman (of whom I spake before) sent to the king secretly
from the Iustices or gouernours, who by some ill happe had lost his way,
and had gone to the Sea side, which is neere to the Countrey of the Tartars
thinking there to haue found our ship. But hauing long erred and wandered
out of his way, at the last in his direct returne, hee met (as hee was
coming) our Captaine on the way. To whom hee by and by deliuered the
Emperours letters, which were written to him with all courtesie and in the
most louing maner that could be: wherein expresse commandement was giuen,
that post horses should bee gotten for him and the rest of his company
without any money. Which thing was of all the Russes in the rest of their
iourney so willingly done, that they began to quarrell, yea, and to fight
also in striuing and contending which of them should put their post horses
to the sledde: so that after much adoe and great paines taken in this long
and wearie iourney, (for they had trauelled very neere fifteene hundred
miles) Master Chanceler came at last to Mosco the chiefe citie of the
kingdome, and the seate of the king: of which citie, and of the Emperour
himselfe, and of the principall cities of Moscouie, wee will speake
immediately more at large in this discourse.
Of Moscouie, which is also called Russia.
Moscouie, which hath the name also of Russia the white, is a very large and
spacious Countrey, euery way bounded with diuers nations. Towards the South
and the East, it is compassed with Tartaria: the Northren side of it
stretcheth to the Scytian Ocean: vpon the West part border the Lappians, a
rude and sauage nation, liuing in woods, whose language is not knowen to
any other people: next vnto these, more towards the South, is Swecia, then
Finlandia, then Liuonia, and last of all Lituania. This Countrey of
Moscouie, hath also very many and great riuers in it, and is marish ground,
in many places: and as for the riuers, the greatest and most famous
amongst, all the rest, is that, which the Russes in their owne tongue call
Volga, but others know it by the name of Rha. Next vnto it in fame is
Tanais, which they call Don, and the third Boristhenes which at this day
they call Neper. Two of these, to wit, Rha, and Boristhenes yssuing both
out of one fountaine, runne very farre through the land: Rha receiuing many
other pleasant riuers into it, and running from the very head or spring of
it towards the East, after many crooked turnings and windings, dischargeth
it selfe, and all the other waters and riuers that fall into it by diuers
passages into the Caspian Sea. Tanais springing from a fountaine of great
name in those partes, and growing great neere to his head, spreds it selfe
at length very largely, and makes a great lake: and then growing narrowe
againe, doth so runne for certaine miles, vntill it fall into another lake,
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