upn the Euxine and Gafpian Seas. 



1 1 1 



miles. Thus much I know of the Blacky Sea, which I have three times coafted by Sea, 

 and traced above half by Land s lo that now it is time to fpeak concerning the Cafpian 

 Sea, and (hew all the Kingdoms and Countreys which lie upon it, beginning at Afira- 

 can, and proceeding thence Eaft wards, until I return unto the fame City from the 

 South. 



Afiracan is placed on a riling ground, -not far from the mouth of the Volga, from 

 which it is not diftant above 50 miles ■■> it is in an Ifland on the Great Nagoy fide, made 

 by the River Volga, and a branch thereof, having the Cajpian Sea on the South. The 

 Town or City is fecured by a ftrong Caftle, furniftied with itore of great Ordnance, 

 and in the midft of the Caftle is a Roskade, which commands both Caftle, Town, 

 and the Fields round about for above a mile. • The "Tartar sTovm is adjoyning, placed 

 near unto Cutuma, which is a River naturally derived from the Volga, or one of its 

 many branches \ fo that the Town is incompafled with Waters, having the main bo-^ 

 dy of the Volga on the Weft, and Cutuma on the Eaft. Now if you would know 

 whence the Volga comes, I will acquaint you with what I have learned from the Muf- 

 coi'ites. It's utmoft Source is faid to be at the foot of a great Tree, whence it runs un- 

 to Jertflave 1000 miles - , whence it proceeds to Neifna 500 miles, and thence unto 

 Caftan 300 miles > from Caftan to Samara 5 CO ', to fyratoft^o miles \ to Saraicbena 

 350, and thence unto Afiracan $00 miles v from whence it is, as we faid before, unto 

 the Cajpian Sea 50 miles •> in all 3 5 50 miles. 



The Volga is a wonderful great River, abounding with divers forts of great Fifh, as 

 Stitrgeon, Bellonfy, Severuk$, Sbelren, Sterlekg, Som, Saftan, Stfke, Soudakg, Konnee, Sablee, 

 Leftee, Wobla, Tarane, and many others both great and fmall, which I cannot readily 

 call unto remembrance, notwithftanding that I dwelt there ten years. The Volga en- 

 ters the Cajpian Sea by 12 mouths, and upon each of them is znOugbfoke br Filh-wear, 

 for to take Sturgeon, every one of which Ougbfitkgs is called by the name of the Wa- 

 ter, as Soellova, Vertullee, tofterigee and Kuflorva upon the main Wolga. Cokclou, Bee- 

 rttllce, Ewafifukg, Manfor, Argeeft'an, Kceftan 3 Camiijjlmkg, Naowara, luftochjy, Collobery, 

 Malla Collobery, Yamanfukg, Eiricbfba, Surly, Libejjba, Buftan, Carabujjan, Bcalla JVollof- 

 kge. In all which Ougbfukes or Wears, they take no Fiih befides Sturgeon. They arc 

 made of Sbigenas, or long Poles made (harp at one end,and beaten into the ground un- 

 der Water, and a pleiting made of Rods, fomewhat refcmbling Oficr, after the man- 

 ner of our Matts, which are faftned to the Poles, and hinder the Filh from palling up 

 the River. And Houfes are built near the Wears J or the C onvenience of the Fiihers, 

 40,50, more or lefs, according unto the greatnefs' of the Water, or retort of Fifh, 

 and twice every day, ufually in the morning and evening, they fct about their Fifhcry. 

 They imploy only long (lender Poles, with an iron Hook or Cruke in the end baited, 

 and do ordinarily take 4.00 every day in the fmaller, and dco in the larger Streams. 

 The Sturgeon they take is all faked, excepting that wherewith they ferve the Town 

 of Ajiracan, where a whole fair Sturgeon may be bought for ten pence Engliih ; and 

 When the great Caravan comes from Rujpa, it takes off molt of their Filh, which is 

 conveyed into divers parts ofMufcovy, but chiefly unto the great City of Mojco. They 

 return alfo with great quantities of Caviar and Salt, there being not far from thlVolga, 

 on the Little Nagoy fide, great Salt-pits, which yield an immenfe quantity of Salt, pre- 

 pared yearly by the heat of the Sun, without any further trouble, than taking it oft' 

 the fuperficies of the Water where it daily kerns. 



The Volga, a little above Seraicbena> 500 miles from Afiracban, difmiffes a great 

 Branch named Aftabon, which patting through the Defartsof the Great Nagoy through 

 Buftanc,ev\tcrs the Cajpian Sea. The remainder of the Volga, after having parted with 

 feveral fmaller Branches, moft of which joyn with the forementioncd River, divides 

 the Littlt and Great Nagoy, paffes under the Town of Afiracban, whence it proceeds 

 "unto Ruflorea, on the South-weft fide of Ctafna Boggar, then falls into the Cajpian. 

 And the diftance between the Eaft-iide of the Volga near Afiracban, and the River A3 a* 

 hon % is iout 20 miles, which is rooftly Water and Iflands. 



And 



