A.D. 

 1558. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



There is a certaine trade of merchandise there used, 

 but as yet so small and beggerly, that it is not woorth 

 the making mention, and yet there come merchants 

 thither from divers places. The chiefest commodities 

 that the Russes bring thither are redde hides, redde 

 sheepes skinnes, woodden vessels, bridles, and saddles, 

 knives, and other trifles, with corne, bacon, and other 

 victuals. The Tartars bring thither divers kindes of 

 wares made of cotten wooll, with divers kindes of 

 wrought silkes : and they that come out of Persia, 

 namely from Shamacki doe bring sowing silke, which 

 is the coursest that they use in Russeland, Crasko, divers 

 kinds of pide silkes for girdles, shirts of male, bowes, 

 swords, and such like things : and some yeeres corne, 

 and wallnuts, but all such things in such small quantitie, 

 the merchants being so beggerly and poore that bring 

 the same, that it is not worth the writing, neither is 

 there any hope of trade in all those parts woorth the 

 folowing. 

 The length of This foresaid Island of Astracan is in length twelve 

 ^jJjU^Hf leagues, and in bredth three, & lieth East and West in 

 the latitude of fortie seven degrees, nine minutes : we 

 taried there until the sixt day of August, and having 

 bought and provided a boate in company with certaine 

 Tartars and Persians, we laded our goods and imbarked 

 our selves, and the same day departed I, with the said 

 two Johnsons having the whole charge of the Navigation 

 downe the sayd river Volga, being very crooked, and 

 full of flats toward the mouth thereof. We entred 

 into the Caspian sea the tenth day of August at the 

 Easterly side of the sayd river, being twentie leagues 

 from Astracan aforesayd, in the latitude of fortie six 

 degrees, twentie seven minutes. 



Volga hath seventie mouthes or fals into the sea : 

 and we having a large wind, kept the Northeast shore, 

 and the eleventh day we sailed seven leagues East- 

 northeast, and came unto an Island having an high 

 hill therein, called Accurgar, a good marke in the sea. 



456 



Astracan. 



They enter 

 into the Cas 

 plan sea. 



