AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1253- 



inhabite upon the sea shore thereof, it is called Cassaria, 

 that is to say Caesaria. And there are certaine head lands 

 stretching foorth into the sea towards Synopolis. Also, 

 there are 300. miles of distance betweene Synopolis and 

 Cassaria. Insomuch that the distance from those points 

 or places to Constantinople, in length and breadth is about 

 700. miles : and 700. miles also from thence to the East, 

 namely to the countrey of Hiberia which is a province of 



Gasaria. Georgia. At the province of Gasaria or Cassaria we 

 arrived, which province is, in a maner, three square, 

 having a citie on the West part thereof called Kersova, 

 wherein S. Clement suffered martyrdome. And sayling 

 before the said citie, we sawe an island, in which a Church 

 is sayd to be built by the hands of angels. But about the 

 midst of the said province toward the South, as it were, 

 upon a sharpe angle or point, standeth a citie called 



Soidaia. Soldaia directly over against Synopolis. And there doe 

 all the Turkie merchants, which traffique into the North 

 countries, in their journey outward, arrive, and as they 

 returne homeward also from Russia, and the said 

 Northerne regions, into Turkie. The foresaid merchants 

 transport thither ermines and gray furres, with other rich 

 and costly skinnes. Others carrie cloathes made of cotton 

 or bombast, and silke, and divers kindes of spices. But 

 upon the East part of the said province standeth a citie 



The citie of called Matriga, where the river Tanais dischargeth his 



Matriga. streames into the sea of Pontus, the mouth wherof is 

 twelve miles in breadth. For this river, before it entreth 

 into the sea of Pontus, maketh a little sea, which hath in 

 breadth and length seven hundreth miles, & it is in no 

 place thereof above sixe paces deepe, whereupon great 

 vessels cannot sayle over it. Howbeit the merchants of 



WMatriga. Constantinople, arriving at the foresayd citie of II Materta, 

 send their barkes unto the river of Tanais to buy dried 

 fishes. Sturgeons, Thosses, Barbils, and an infinite number 

 of other fishes. The foresayd province of Cassaria is 

 compassed in with the sea on three sides thereof : namely 

 on the West side, where Kersova the citie of Saint 



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