INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PURSERS 



A.D. 

 1556. 



Certaine instructions delivered in the third 

 voyage, Anno 1556. for Russia, to every 

 Purser and the rest of the servants, taken for 

 the voyage, which may serve as good and 

 necessary directions, to all other like adven- 

 turers. 



Irst you shall before the ship doth 

 begin to lade, goe aboord, and shall 

 there take, and write one inventorie, 

 by the advise of the Master, or of 

 some other principall officer there 

 aboord, of all the tackle, apparell, 

 cables, ankers, ordinance, chambers, 

 shot, powder, artillerie, and of all other necessaries 

 whatsoever doth belong to the sayd ship : and the 

 same justly taken, you shall write in a booke, making 

 the sayd Master, or such officer privie of that which 

 you haveso written, so that the same may not be 

 denied, when they shall call accompt thereof: that 

 done, you shall write a copie of the same with your 

 owne hand, which you shall deliver before the shippe [I. 273.] 

 shall depart, for the voyage to the companies booke 

 keeper here to be kept to their behalfe, to the ende 

 that they may be justly answered the same, when time 

 shall require : and this order to be seene and kept 

 every voyage orderly, by the Pursers of the companies 

 owne ship, in any wise. 



2 Also when the shippe beginneth to lade, you shall 

 be ready a boord with your booke, to enter such goods 

 as shall be brought aboord, to be laden for the com- 

 pany, packed, or unpacked, taking the markes and 

 numbers of every packe, fardell, trusse, or packet, 

 corovoya, chest, fatte, butte, pipe, puncheon, whole 

 barrell, halfe barrell, rlrken, or other caske, maunde, or 

 basket, or any other thing, which may, or shall be 

 packed by any other manner of waies or devise. And 



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