upn the Euxine and Cafpian 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 => Co that now it is time to (peak concerning the Cajpian 

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

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

 South. 



Ajlracan is placed on â rifmg ground, not far from the mouth of the Volga, from 

 which it is not diftant above 50 miles -, it is in an Ifland on theGmrt Nagoy lide, 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, furnilhed with ttbre of great Ordnance, 

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

 and the Fields round about for above a mile. The Tartar's Town is adjuyning, placed 

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

 many branches \ fo that the Town is incompafied 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 Mufi 

 covites. , Its utmoft Source is faid to be at the foot of a great Tree, whence it runs un- 

 to Jeriflave 1 000 miles i whence it proceeds to Neifna 500 miles, and thence unto 

 Caff an 300 miles from Caff an to Samara 5 CO =, to Saratoft 350 miles i to Saraicbena 

 350, and thence unto jfiracan 500 miles i from whence it is, as we fakl 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 

 Sturgeon, Bellouke, Sevcrukg, Sbelren, Sterlekç, Som^ Saffan, Suke, Soudake, Konnee, Sablec^ 

 Leffee, IVohla, Tarane, and many others both great and fmall, which I cannot readily 

 call unto remembrance, notwithftanding that 1 dwelt there ten years. The Volga en- 

 ters the Cajpian Sea by 22 mouths, and upon each of them is an OughjUkg or Fifh-wear, 

 for to take Sturgeon, every one of which Ougbj'uk^s is called by the name of the Wa- 

 ter, as Soellova, Vertullee, Boff'erigee and Rufforva upon the main Wolga. Cokchu, Bee- 

 r«//ee, Evranfuke, Manfor, Argeeffan, Keeffan, Canmfjhuke, Naorcara, luffockly, Collobcry, 

 Mall a Collobery, Tamanfukç, Eiricbjha, Surkg, Libefjha, Buff an, Carabuffan, Bealla J Vol I of. 

 kee. In all which Ougbfukgs or Wears, they take no Fifh betides Sturgeon. They arc- 

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

 der Water, and a pleiting made of Rods, fomewhat refembling Qlïer, after the man- 

 ner of our Matts, which are faftned to the Poles, and hinder the Fifh from parting up 

 the River. . And Houfes are built near the Wears for the Convenience of the Filhers, 

 40,- 50, more or lefs, according unto thegreatnefs of the Water, or refortof Fifh, 

 and twice every day, ufually in the morning and evening, they fet about their Fifhery. 

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

 and do ordinarily take 400 every day in the fmaller, and <5co in the larger Streams. 

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

 of Afiracan, where a whole fair Sturgeon may be bought for ten pence Englifh -, and 

 when the great Caravan comes from Rujpa, it takes off moft of their Fifh, which is 

 conveyed into divers parts of Mufcovy, but chiefly unto the great City of Mo/co. They 

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

 on the Little Nagoy fide, great Salt-pits, which yield an immenfc 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 Seraichena, 500 miles from Afirachan, difmifles a great 

 Branch named ASabon, which palling through the Defarts of the Great Nagoy through 

 Buffane,entas 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 Little and Great Nagoy, paffes under the Town of Ajhacban, whence it proceeds 

 unto Ruflowa, on the South-weft fide of Crofna Boggar, then falls into the Cajpian. 

 , And the diftance between the Eaft-fide of the Volga near Ajtracban, and the River A8a- 

 hn 2 is about 20 miles, which is moftly Water and Wands* 



And 



