ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1558. 



degrees 47. minutes. Upon all this shore groweth 

 Lkoris in abundance of Licoris, whose root runneth within the 

 great plentie. g rounc [ like a vine. 



Thus going forward the sixt day of July we came 

 to a place called Perovolog, so named because in times 

 past the Tartars caried their boates from Volga unto the 

 river Tanais, otherwise called Don, by land, when they 

 would robbe such as passed downe the said Volga to 

 Astracan, and also such as passed downe by the river 

 Tanais, to Asou, Caffa, or any other towne situated 

 upon Mare Euxinum, into which sea Tanais falleth, 

 who hath his springs in the countrey of Rezan, out 

 of a plaine ground. It is at this streight of Perovolog 

 from the one river to the other two leagues by land, 

 and is a dangerous place for theeves and robbers, but 

 now it is not so evill as it hath bene, by reason of the 

 Emperour of Russia his conquests. 



Departing from Perovolog, having the wildernesse 

 on both sides, wee sawe a great heard of Nagayans, 

 pasturing, as is abovesaid, by estimation above a thousand 

 [I. 326.] Camels drawing of cartes with houses upon them like 

 tents, of a strange fashion, seeming to bee a farre off 

 a towne : that Hord was belonging to a great Murse 

 called Smille, the greatest prince in all Nagay, who hath 

 slaine and driven away all the rest, not sparing his 

 owne brethren and children, and having peace with this 

 Emperour of Russia he hath what he needeth, and 

 ruleth alone : so that now the Russes live in peace with 

 the Nagayans, who were wont to have mortall warres 

 together. 



The 14. day of July passing by an old castle, which 

 was Old Astracan, and leaving it upon our right hand, 

 we arrived at New Astracan, which this Emperour of 

 Russia conquered sixe yeeres past, in the yeere 1552. 

 Astracan. It is from the Mosco unto Astracan sixe hundreth 

 leagues, or thereabout. The towne of Astracan is 

 situated in an Island upon a hill side, having a castle 

 within the same, walled about with earth and timber, 



454 



