ANTHONY JENKINSON a.d. 



1558. 



neither faire nor strong : The towne is also walled 



about with earth : the buildings and houses (except it 



be the captaines lodging, and certaine other gentlemens) 



most base and simple. The Island is most destitute 



and barren of wood and pasture, and the 'ground will 



beare no corne : the aire is there most infected, by reason 



(as I suppose) of much fish, and specially Sturgion, by Store ofStur- 



which onely the inhabitants live, having great scarsitie ^ tonSm 



of flesh and bread. They hang up their fish in their 



streets and houses to dry for their provision, which 



causeth such abundance of flies to increase there, as the 



like was never seene in any land, to their great plague. 



And at my being at the sayd Astracan, there was a great 



famine and plague among the people, and specially among 



the Tartars called Nagayans, who the same time came 



thither in great numbers to render themselves to the 



Russes their enemies, & to seeke succour at their hands, 



their countrey being destroyed, as I said before : but 



they were but ill entertained or relieved, for there died a 



great number of them for hunger, which lay all the 



Island through in heapes dead, and like to beasts un- 



buried, very pitifull to behold : many of them were 



also sold by the Russes, and the rest were banished 



from the Island. At that time it had bene an easie 



thing to have converted that wicked Nation to the 



Christian faith, if the Russes themselves had bene good 



Christians : but how should they shew compassion unto 



other Nations, when they are not merciful! unto their 



owne ? At my being there I could have bought many 



goodly Tartars children, if I would have had a thousand, 



of their owne fathers and mothers, to say, a boy or a 



wench for a loafe of bread woorth sixe pence in England, 



but we had more need of victuals at that time then 



of any such merchandise. This Astracan is the furthest 



hold that this Emperour of Russia hath conquered of 



the Tartars towards the Caspian sea, which he keepeth 



very strong, sending thither every yere provision of men, 



and victuals, and timber to build the castle. 



455 



