Chap. III. 
to be no Method fo proper, as giving the Travels of a 
Perfon who had paffed through thefe Countries with a 
publick Charafber, who furvey’d them at Leifure, had 
very extraordinary Opportunities of examining every 
Thing that was curious and worthy of Notice, and who 
afterwards compofed his Work for the Informadon 
and Satisfaftion of the Czar Peter the Greats of glorious 
Memory, to whom it was dedicated, and who was fo„ 
well pleafed therewith, that he teftified his Refpeft for 
the Author, by honouring him with the Office of a Privy 
Councellor. It is however requifite to obferve, that in 
1699, there was printed at Amjt'erdam an Account of 
this Embally, and the Travels of the Ambaffaaor, by 
one Mr. Adam Brandy who accompanied him in his 
Journey as one of his Domefticks j but whether it hap- 
pened through Want of Care in keeping an exaft Jour- 
nal, from a natural Incapacity in the Author, or from 
his entring into too great Liberties, grounded upon the 
Licence that Travellers take, more efpecially luch as 
pafs through unknown Countries, or from whatever 
Caufe it fell out, fo it was, that this Relation contained 
a Multitude of Things equally inconfiftent with Proba- 
bility and Truth ; notwithftanding which, it gained 
Credit for a Time, and paffed current for a true Rela- 
tion of this celebrated Embaffy. But when our Au- 
thor’s own Work appeared, the Folly and Weaknefs 
of this furreptitious Account became manifeft to the 
whole World, and Brand"& Romance has been ever fince 
as much decried as the following Performance has been 
univerfally efteemed. There is no Need of faying any 
Thing more, either by way of Introduiffion or Recom- 
mendation of a Piece that has been long in Poffeffion 
of the higheft Charadler from the propereft Judges. 
All therefore that we ffiall add is, that the Reader has 
it here entire in the Author’s own Words, compared 
with the laft and belt Edition of the Original. 
,2. The moft illuftrious Czars, John and Peter Alexo- 
witz^ having refolved to fend a fplendid Embaffy to 
the Great Bogdaichan^ or Sovereign of the famous 
Kingdom of Kitai, by Europeans commonly called 
China ; this obliged me with a favourable Opportunity 
of travelling through Part of the famous, but hitherto 
unknown Siberian and Kitaian Countries, and informing 
myfelf by credible Witneffes of the Remainder of thoie 
Lands, as well as obtaining certain Knowledge of feve- 
ral Things with vffiich the World hath not been hi- 
therto truly acquainted. For by God’s paternal Provi- 
dence, and the particular Favour of their Czariffi Ma- 
jefties, I obtained the great Honour of being difpatched 
their Envoy to the Chinefe or Kitaian Court, furniffied 
with fufficient Credentials and other Neceffaries. 
The Preparation of my Retinue and Equipage took 
me up fo much Time, that I did not fet out before the 
14th of March^ 1692, when I went from Mofcow in a 
Slead. The Beginning of my Journey proved very 
uneafy, by the violent Rain which accompanied us 
from Mofcow to Vollogda^ and occafioned fuch an Inun- 
dation, that our Sleads almoft fwam over the remain- 
ing Ice of the Rivulets and Brooks, and deep Roads. 
However, by the Divine Affiftance, though not without 
Difficulty, we reached the City of Vollogda^ where I 
refted three Days in Expedation of better Weather, 
which happened according tomy Wifhes-, for within 
two Days it froze fo hard, and fnowed fo violently, 
that all the Water was froze up in four and twenty 
Hours ; fo that we could eafily pafs all the Rivulets 
and Ditches in our Sleads, without any Apprehenfion 
of Danger. The 22d of the fame Month, I fet for- 
wards from Vollogda to Suchina, where I arrived on the 
23d, and without flopping advanced to the City of 
Great UJiiga, where the Rivers Suchina and Irga unite, 
and thereby compofe the famous River Dwina ; the 
Name of which imports a double River. 
The Courfe of the Suchina is almoft full North, thro* 
a fertile Country, and its Banks on each Side are ador- 
ned with well inhabited Villages, befides Totma^ an 
indifferent City, fituated on its left Shoar ; and feveral 
Travellers annually pafs this River, going from Vollogda 
to Archangel^ in fmall Ships well laden, as long as the 
River is open : But the Scream running in a ftony 
919 
Channel, thofe Ships which pafs it muft be provided 
with good Plank at both Ends, by reafon of the hidden 
Rocks, and the Rapidity of the Stream, which would 
otherwife fink them to the Bottom. At the Mouth 
of this River is fituated the City of Great Ufiiga^ 
where I was obliged to flay about twenty four Hours. 
Leaving that Place, I came the 29th of March to 
Solowitzjogda, a very large City, inhabited by many 
confiderable Merchants and curious Artificers, efpeci- 
ally in Silver, Copper, and Bone. Here are alio a 
great many Salt-pits that yield vaft Quantities of Salt, 
which are tranfported to Vollogda^ and ail over the ad- 
jacent Countries. 
I fet out from this Place on the firft of April, and the 
fame Day reached the Province ot Sirene ox PVolloJt 
Usgy \ the Inhabitants of which fpeak a Language that 
has not the leaft Affinity with the Mufcovite, but is 
fomewhat like the barbarous German Livonian Lan- 
guage i for fome of my Retinue who underftood that, 
could underftand a great Part of the Speech of thefe 
People. They are of the Greek Church and fubjecl; to 
his Czariffi Majefty, to whom they pay their Tribute ;■ 
though they are not under the Jurifdidtion ot any Vice- 
roy or Waywode, but chufe their own Judges amongft 
themfelves, and important Caufes which cannot be de- 
cided before them, are removed to the Foreign Pofolf- 
che Qx Minifters Court at Mojeow to be determined. 
The Stature and Habit of both the Men and Women 
are not very different from thofe of the RuJJian Pea- 
fan ts ; all which confidered, I cannot but think that 
thefe People might anciently tranfplant themfelves hither 
from the Borders of Livonia or Coral. I asked fome of 
them out of Curiofity, concerning their Original ; but 
they were not able to give me any Account, whether 
their Anceftors came thither out of foreign Countries, 
or not j nor could they give any Reafon why their 
Language has no Affinity with the RuJJian. They 
generally live by Agriculture, except that Part of them 
which are employed in the Manufa61;ure of Grey Furs, 
near the River Zizol. They inhabit a confiderable 
Trafl of Land, which extends to the City of Kaigorod., 
and is about feventy Sumktfs long, each Sumka being a 
large German Mile. Thefe People do not live in Cities 
or Towns, but for the moft Part in fmall Villages built 
in the large Woods, and their Houfes are like thole of 
the Rujfians. 
This Country terminating in a great Foreft, we 
were again infefted with a violent Rain, and fuch a 
Thaw, as in the Space of one Night fwelled the Waters 
to that Degree, that I could not pals them without great 
Difficulty. In this uneafy Condition I remained four 
Days, during which Time I was obliged to ftruggle 
with all the incident Inconveniencies j our Sleads fwam 
continually, and the Rivulets and Brooks on each Side 
of the Woods poured in upon us, fo that, as though we 
had been in a Sea, we could neither proceed forwards, 
nor return backwards : Nor would the Ice of the great 
Rivers bear any., longer ; notwithftanding which, by 
the Help of Bridges and other proper Means, at laft, 
on the 6th of April I reached Kaigorod, an indifterent 
large but very ftrong City on the River Kama. 
3. From thence I defigned to have fet forwards im- 
mediately to Solikamskoi, the chief City of Great Permia^ 
in order to profecute my Journey to Siberia over the 
Mountains of JVerchaturia ; but the Thaw at the End 
of Winter continuing, forced me to alter my Refolu- 
tion, and ftay there feveral Weeks, till the opening of 
the River Kama favoured my Departure by Water 5 
during which Time I made all neceflary Preparations 
for my Journey. Another Thing which occafioned my 
Stay, was the great Damage that the City of Kaigorod 
had fuffered lately by Robbers. 
This Misfortune, which fell upon the Comman- 
dant of the Place who had that Poft when I was 
there, happened in the following Manner ; On a 
Sunday about Noon, feveral well mann’d Barks, with 
flying Colours, Drums and Hautboys, came failing on 
the River Kama to the City *, the Men leaped on 
Shore, v^hilft the innocent Inhabitants fufpedled no 
Harm , in Time of Peace, and in a quiet Country, but 
look 
from Mufeovy to China. 
