LETTER TO THE AGENTS ad. 



1557- 

 to our most advantage either for ready money, time or 

 barter : having consideration that you doe make good 

 debts, and give such time, if you give any, as you may 

 employ and returne the same against the next voyage ; 

 and also foreseeing that you barter to a profit, and for 

 such wares as be here most vendible, as wexe, tallowe, 

 traine oyle, hempe and flaxe. Of furres we desire no 

 great plentie, because they be dead wares. And as for 

 Felts, we will in no wise you send any. And whereas 

 you have provided tarre, and as we suppose, some 

 hempe ready bought, our advise is, that in no wise you 

 send any of them hither unwrought, because our fraight 

 is 4.H. a tunne or little lesse : which is so deare, as it 

 would not beare the charges : and therefore we have 

 sent you 7. ropemakers, as by the copies of their 7 '.Rope makers 

 covenants here inclosed shall appeare. Whom we wil fjf tnt0 



, ., , 1X ,.. . .. r Russia. 



you set to worke with al expedition in making or 



cables & ropes of al sorts, from the smallest rope to 



xii. inches : And that such tarre and hempe as is already 



brought to the water side, they may there make it out, 



and after that you settle their worke in Vologhda or 



Colmogro as you shall thinke good, where their stufFe 



may be neerest to them : at which place and places you 



doe assigne them a principall overseer aswell to see the 



deliverie of the stuffe unwrought, as also to take 



charge of the stuffe wrought, & to foresee that neither 



the yarne be burnt in tarring, nor the hempe rotted in 



the watering ; and also to furnish them so with 



labourers, workemen and stuffe, as hereafter when 



these workmen shall come away, we be not destitute of 



good workmen, and that these may dispatch as much 



as possibly they may, doing it substancially : for we 



esteeme it a principal commoditie, and that the Counsel Cables and 



of England doth well allowe. Let all diligence be Ropes a prin- 

 -, Y .1 c 1 -l • cipau commo- 



used, that at the returne of these shippes we may see f itig 



samples of all ropes & cables if it be possible, and so 



after to continue in worke, that we may have good store 



against the next yeere. Therefore they have neede to 



381 



