RICHARD CHANCELOR a.d. 



1553- 

 very strong towre built in it, wherein the kings of Mos- 

 covie reserve and repose their treasure in all time of 

 warre and danger. 



Touching the Riphean mountaines, whereupon the 

 snow lieth continually, and where hence in times past it 

 was thought that Tanais the river did spring, and that the 

 rest of the wonders of nature, which the Grecians fained 

 and invented of olde, were there to be seene : our men 

 which lately came from thence, neither sawe them, nor 

 yet have brought home any perfect relation of them, 

 although they remained there for the space of three 

 moneths, and had gotten in that time some intelligence 

 of the language of Moscovie. The whole Countrey is 

 plaine and champion, and few hils in it : and towards the 

 North it hath very large & spacious woods, wherein is 

 great store of Firre trees, a wood very necessarie, and fit 

 for the building of houses : there are also wilde beastes 

 bred in those woods, as Buffes, Beares, and blacke 

 Wolves, and another kinde of beast unknowen to us, but 

 called by them Rossomakka : and the nature of the same is 

 very rare and wonderfull : for when it is great with yong, 

 and ready to bring foorth, it seeketh out some narrow 

 place betweene two stakes, and so going through them, 

 presseth it selfe, and by that meanes is eased of her 

 burden, which otherwise could not be done. They hunt 

 their buffes for the most part a horsebacke, but their 

 Beares a foot, with woodden forkes. The north parts of 

 the Countrey are reported to be so cold, that the very ice 

 or water which distilleth out of the moist wood which 

 they lay upon the fire is presently congealed and frozen : 

 the diversitie growing suddenly to be so great, that in one 

 and the selfe same firebrand, a man shall see both fire and 

 ice. When the winter doth once begin there it doth still 

 more & more increase by a perpetuitie of cold : neither 

 doth that colde slake, untill the force of the Sunne 

 beames doth dissolve the cold, and make glad the earth, 

 returning to it againe. Our mariners which we left in 

 the ship in the meane time to keepe it, in their going up 



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