380 Note of a pilgrimage undertaken [Awa. 



led in kibitkas, or carriages drawn by one horse. We staid four months 

 at Ka2an, during which was the month of Ramazan ; we lived with 

 a Nogai Tartar. We resolved to go by water thence to Astrakhan, 

 (the journey by land takes forty days.) At about one hour's distance 

 from Kazan, we came to a large river*, and we embarked with 

 several other merchants, Tartars, and Russians, on board a large boat 

 about the size of a patela ; the owner of the boat was a Russian. About 

 half way to Astrakhan, on the right bank of the river, our boat came to 

 anchor off a large town named Sarat, where we staid six days : this town 

 is smaller and more modern than Kazan. We then embarked, and 

 arrived at Astrakhan in about forty-four days after leaving Kazan. 

 We were stopped at the gates by the guard ; after examining our pass- 

 port, they let us pass ; they were dressed like your people, except that 

 their clothes were black (meaning dark -green). We staid one month with 

 a Nogai there, as it was winter, and the country difficult to travel, owing 

 to the snow and ice. After this, we hired kibitkas, and in twenty days 

 arrived at a town where the Sultan of the Nogais resides. We cannot 

 correctly recollect the name of the place, but it was something like 

 Evel. Three days journey from thence, we met with a river or branch 

 of the sea, where was a Russian fort, with a small detachment of mili- 

 tary; our passport was again looked at. We then crossed over and came 

 to a desert of One day's journey in the carriages aforesaid; after which, 

 we reached a village of the Cherkes (Circassians) : they gave us a guide 

 who brought us to a Mohammedan village, whence we went with a 

 caravan to Hunufa (Hanapa). We had now entered the Roman (Turk- 

 ish) territories. After a stay of ten days at that place, we took ship, 

 and arrived safely at Rum (Constantinople) ; here we hired a house for 

 three or four rupees per month, staid in that city four months, and passed 

 over in a boat to Eskudari. We here purchased horses, and proceeded 

 on horseback through many villages and towns until after forty or fifty 

 days, we arrived at Sham (Damascus). We hired a house in this city, 

 where we staid some time. We wished to visit Jerusalem, but the coun- 

 try was in such a disturbed state, that we could not go for fear of the 

 plundering Arabs. We then travelled to a town called Ghaza, and 

 thence to Elarish, whence we went in twenty-five days to Cairo, the 

 capital of Egypt; here we hired a house and remained three months. 

 We then left for Suez, which port we reached on camels in four days; 

 here we embarked on board a vessel, and arrived at Judda in seventeen 

 days. We put on the dress of pilgrims on board ship four days before 

 we arrived at Judda. We reached Mecca in two days on camels; arrived 

 there in the month of Ramzan. We hired a house there at four dollars 



* The Volga. 



