The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 04Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 04
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
From the riuer of Obi descending toward the left hand, are the people
called Calami, which came thither from Obiowa and Pogosa. Beneath Obi,
about Aurea Anus (that is the golden old wife) are the riuers Sossa,
Berezuua, and Danadim, all which spring out of the mountaines Camen,
Bolschega, Poiassa, and the rockes ioyning to the same. All the nations
that inhabite from these riuers to Aurea Anus, are subiect to the prince of
Moscouia.
Aurea Anus, called in the Moscouites tongue, Slata Baba, is an Idol at the
mouthe of Obi in the prouince of Obdora, standing on the furthest banke
toward the sea. Along by the bankes of Obi, and the riuers neare there
about, are here and there many castles and fortresses: all the lordes
whereof are subiect to the prince of Moscouia, as they say. They say also,
or rather fable, that the idol called Aurea anus, is an image like vnto an
old wife, hauing a child in her lap, and that there is now seene another
infant, which they say to be her nephew: Also that there are certaine
instruments that make a continuall sound like the noyse of Trumpets, the
which, if it so be, I thinke it to be by reason of the winde, blowing
continually into the holow places of those instruments.
The riuer Cossin falleth out of the mountaines of Lucomoria: In the mouth
of this is a castle, whither from the springs of the great riuer Cossin, is
two moneths viage. [Sidenote: Tachnin a great riuer. People of monstrous
shape. A fish like a man. Plinie writeth of the like fish.] Furthermore,
from the springs of the same riuer, the riuer Cassima hath his originall,
which running through Lucomoria, falleth into the great riuer Tachnin,
beyond the which (as is said) dwell men of prodigious shape, of whom some
are ouergrowen with haire like wilde beastes, other haue heads like dogges,
and their faces in their breasts, without neckes, and with long hands also,
and without feete. There is likewise in the riuer Tachnin a certaine fish,
with head, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feete, and other members vtterly of
humane shape, and yet, without any voyce, and pleasant to be eaten, as are
other fishes.
[Sidenote: The end of the iournall.] All that I haue hitherto rehearsed, I
haue translated out of the saide iourney which was deliuered me in the
Moscouites tongue: In the which, perhaps some things may seeme fabulous,
and in maner incredible, as of the double men, and the dead reuiuing, the
Aurea Anus also, and the monstrous shapes of men, with the fish of humane
fourme: whereof although I haue made diligent inquisition, yet could I know
nothing certaine of any that had seene the same with their eyes:
neuerthelesse, to giue farther occasion to other to search the truth of
these things, I haue thought good to make mention hereof.
Noss in the Moscouites tongue signifieth a nose, and therefore they call
all capes or points that reach into the sea by the same name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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