The Vublijher unto the %eader. 



had fecured his own Dominion. After this Succefs he did for divers years attend 

 other Conquefts,and having fubdued a great part of India, all Perfia, Media, Armenia, 

 AJfyria, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and Syria, he refolved to requite the Invafiohof Tbu- 

 damijb: whereupon having drawn together an Army of 50ocoomen, he marched 

 through Media Atropatia, then and ftill called Sbervan; paffed the Port* Caucafi*, 

 whiduthe Perfians name Verbent ■■> thence through Vabeftan, and the great Défait be- 

 tween that and Aftracan (then named Gitturchan) and having wafted all that fpacious 

 Countrey on the Weft-fide of the Volga, depopulated and difmantled divers fair Ci- 

 ties (the ruines of feveral being yet vlfible to thofe who Navigate the Volga, as 

 we are informed by Olearim ) he paffed the Volga , and on the Eaft-fide encoun- 

 tred TbitUamifcb , who had collected à mighty Force, having belides His own Hords, 

 the aflîftance of the Tartars of Cajfan, lumen, Kalmukç, and Dabcjtan : and his Army 

 by this àccêflïôri was more numerous than that of his Enemy. The Battel was long 

 doubtful, and exceeding all that happened in that Age for carnage and cruelty, both 

 Parties being full of hatred unto their Adverfaries i and knowing that this Fight 

 would lofe or gain them a mighty Empire. They fought three days with little in- 

 termiffion, and it could not be difcerned which had the advantage. But that which 

 is thought chiefly to have occafioned Tamerlane's Victory, was the departure of a great 

 Tribe from Tbudamifcb, whofe Prince Efiave pretended he had received feme great 

 injury or affront, but 'twas indeed thought he was corrupted : For retreating unto 

 Amuratb the Turk/lb Emperour, he after the fame manner betrayed Bajazet, who 

 fooh after fucceeded => revolting at the beginning of the fight unto Tamerlane. TbuQa- 

 mij'cb being defeated, with great difficulty made his cfcape, leaving his Countrey ex- 

 pofed unto the fury of the Zagat -ai ans, whom fo great a flaughter of their own 

 Friends had highly exafperated. They fpared nothing that was capable of being 

 Ipoiled -, demolithed Serai, together with Seraicbick^ upon the Jaick^, and Gitturchan, 

 which were the only confiderable Cities on the Eaft-iide of the Volga, and leaving 

 the Countrey a meer Defart, killing, or captivating the Inhabitants, driving away the 

 Cattle, they returned into Perfia with great Booty. This happened in the y pi year 

 oï the Hegira. A. C. 1 388. Serai, and Saraicbicl^ never regained their former fplen- 

 dour -, but (Giturcan now Ajlracan) did by degrees recover, but never arrived to that 

 heighth it attained unto during the Empire of the Cbazari and Zavolgenfian Ta- 

 tars. 



For Jofaphàt Barbaro, and Ambrofio Contarini , who were both AmbaiTadors from 

 the Venetians unto Vfun Cajfan Emperour of Perfia, and well acquainted with thole 

 Parts -, Barbara living fixteen years at the City Tana on the mouth of the River Ta- 

 ■naU, and Contarini being forced in his return from Perfia to refide there fome months: 

 They, I fay, both tell us, That this City before its deftruction by Tamerlane, was a 

 very famous Emporium \ all the Silks, moft of the Spices and other Commodities, 

 which were afterwards brought down to Syria, were then carried by Shipping to 

 Aftracmn f which they botfi name Citracban) and thence by Land in a few days to Ta- 

 na, whether the Venetians fènt every year fixteen great Gallies. But after its fubver- 

 fion by Tamerlane, this Commerce eeafed, and the Gallies received their Lading in 

 Syria, and at Alexandria of JEgypt. In the time of the forementioned Writers, 

 which was from the year 1436, when Barbaro firft went to Tana, until his return out 

 of Perfia in 1488. And Contarini, who returned not long before him, Citracban was 

 a mean Town, confifting chiefly of Tartarian Huts, and encompaffed with a pitiful 

 mud-Wall, a place of no confiderable Trafrkk, only the Mufcovites fetched thence 

 Filh and Salt. But Juan Vajplon>icb having reduced it in the year 1554 under his 

 Dominion, it hath been by fucceedingEmperours both fortified and enlarged : I mail 

 fay no more concerning it, Olearius a moft diligent and judicious Writer, having left 

 us fo particular a Defcription thereof. I lhall only add , That I fuppofe the caufe of 

 4b different names, as Gitttrchan, Citracban , and Aftrachan, were occafioned by the 

 Princes, who fuccelTively pra-fided, as is very obvious to any who are acquainted with 

 the Cuftomes of the Arabians, Perfians, Turks, and other Eaftern People. 



But to return unto our Zavolgentian Tartars , fo called by the Neighbouring 

 Slavonic^ Nations, becaulè the Seat of their Empire,-and. their chiefeft places of Re- 

 fidence were on , or near the Volga (which River did alfo almoft equally divide 

 their Territory ) Za being only an Expletive Particle, as I eould manifeft by In- 

 duction 



