AD THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1253. 



Howbeitj at the time of our returne, Baatu commanded 

 him to remove himselfe from that place, and to inhabite 

 upon the East side of Volga : for hee was unwilling that 

 the Saracens messengers should passe by the saide Berta, 

 because he sawe it was not for his profite. For the space 

 of foure dayes while we remained in the court of Sartach, 

 we had not any victuals at all allowed us, but once onely 

 a litle Cosmos. And in our journey betweene him and 

 his father, wee traveiled in great feare. For certaine 

 Russians, Hungarians, and Alanians being servants unto 

 the Tartars (of whom they have great multitudes among 

 them) assemble themselves twentie or thirtie in a com- 

 panie, and so secretly in the night conveying themselves 

 from home, they take bowes and arrowes with them, 

 and whomesoever they finde in the night season, they 

 put him to death, hiding themselves in the day time. 

 And having tired their horses, they goe in the night 

 unto a company of other horses feeding in some pas- 

 ture, and change them for newe, taking with them 

 also one or two horses besides, to eate them when 

 they stand in neede. Our guide therefore was sore 

 afraide, least we should have met with such com- 

 panions. In this journey wee had died for famine, had 

 we not caried some of our bisket with us. At length 

 we came unto the mighty river of Etilia, or Volga. 

 For it is foure times greater, then the river of Sein, and 

 of a wonderfull depth : and issuing forth of Bulgaria the 

 greater, it runneth into a certaine lake or sea, which of 

 late they cal the Hircan sea, according to the name of 

 a certain citie in Persia, standing upon the shore thereof. 

 Howbeit Isidore calleth it the Caspian sea. For 

 it hath the Caspian mountaines and the land of 

 Persia situate on the South side thereof: and the moun- 

 taines of Musihet, that is to say, of the people called 

 Assassini towards the East, which mountaines are con- 

 joyned unto the Caspian mountaines : but on the North 

 side thereof lieth the same desert, wherein the Tartars doe 

 now inhabite. Howbeit heretofore there dwelt certaine 



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