E. Ysb RANTS I D E s’j Travels 
pao 
took them forFriendsand Acquaintance from the neigh- 
bouring Villages, met together to divert themfelves ; but 
the Robbers fet the South Part of the City on Fire, and 
falling upon the Inhabitants of the North Quarter, cut all 
of them to pieces that came in their Way, and at laft 
went to the PFaiwod*s Apartment, which they plundered, 
and committed all Manner of Infolencies and Outrages 
on his Servants ; after which carrying off whatever they 
pleafed, they returned to their Boats and failed down 
the Kama. But diligent Search being made after thefe 
Birds of Prey, they were found to be a Rabble of run- 
away Servants got together, fomc of which were at 
lad taken, tortured, and punilhed according to their 
Crimes. I caufed Wood for Firing to be brought 
to warm me, and kept ftill upon my Guard, appointing 
ftrong Watch by Water and by Land. 
After my Veffel was, equipped, and the Kama free of 
Ice, on the 23d of Jpril we fet forwards, and fafely ar- 
rived on the 27th in the City of Solikamskoi^ from 
whence I fhould have gone over the Mountains of JVer- 
chaturia., which is only prailicable in Winter ; the 
Multitude of the Moraffes, and Deepnefs of the Roads, 
rendring that Way utterly impaffable in Summer ; for 
which Reafon all Officers, as well as Merchants, are 
obliged to lie dill the whole Summer in Solikamskoi^ till 
they meet with hard Winter Roads. It is true indeed, 
that it is poffible to fail round thefe Hills ; but for cer- 
tain Reafons that Paffage is abfolutely forbidden, nei- 
ther Commanders nor Merchants being allowed to go 
that Way. Notwithdanding which, the Governor of 
Solikamskoi knowing that my Embaffy would admit of 
no Delay, ordered me to be fupplied with as many 
fmall Barks as were requifite to pafs the River Suzawaia. 
Solikamskoi is a very fine large and rich City, where 
feveral very confiderable Merchants refide. Here are 
alfo many Salt-works or Pits, and very near fifty Saline 
Springs, from twenty-five to thirty-five Ells deep, out 
of which great Quantities of Salt are taken and boiled, 
and thence fhipped off in great Tide-ffiips built for 
that Purpofe i each of which will eafily dow from One 
hundred to one hundred and twenty, thoufand Poeds., 
that is, from one thoufand fix hundred to two thoufand 
Tun ; mann’d with about feven or eight hundred Sailors 
and Labourers, and furnifhed with Kitchins, Bagnio’s, 
and all Sorts of Conveniencies. Thefe Veffels are from 
thirty-five to forty Ells long, and carry a Mad 5 to 
which is fixed a Sail of thirty Fathom broad, which 
they make ufe of to fail up the River when the Wind 
js good ; but when they go down, they only row, and 
that chiefly to keep the Ship’s Head right, which the 
Rudder alone is not drong enough to do. They are 
flat bottomed, and have no Nails, or other Iron-work 
in them, but are made entirely of Wood. They float 
along the Kama with the Tide, till it falls into the fa- 
mous River Wolga.^ where they are forced to be towed 
up againd the Tide, or fail up if the Wind be favour- 
able ; but the Salt is unladen from Kafan to Nifna on 
the Wolga^ and at feveral convenient Places. 
The 14th of May I fet forwards from Solikamskoi by 
Water, and paffed on the U/olkat, a fmall River about 
Half a Mile from the City, again into the Kama : On 
which River we drove entirely out of Europe into Afta. 
So on Wbitfunday I went on Shoar, and upon a high 
and beautiful green Hill eat my lad Dinner in that 
Part of the World on the Grafs. And after I had 
drank a Glafs of Wine, as a Farewell i;o dear Europe^ 
I immediately returned on Board, in order to proceed 
on our Voyage along the River. 
4. Having thus entered the Aftatick River Suzawaia., 
we found it far lefs agreeable than the beautiful Kama ; 
which is a fine River, abounding with all Sorts of Fiffi, 
and from Solikamskoi to this Place adorned with very fine 
large Villages and Towns, feveral very expenfive Salt- 
works, fertile Corn Grounds, fruitful Lands, fpacious 
Fields beautified with all Sorts of Flowers, Woods, 
all wonderfully pleafant. But though the Banks of the 
Zawaja, which falls Wedward into the Kama, are not 
lefs beautiful and fruitful i yet we found our paffing 
this River very tedious ; for by the high Water we 
made but a very fmall Progrefs in feveral Days, being 
Book III. 
obliged to be towed along with a Line 5 however, at 
lad, after twelve Days, and tirefome tugging againd 
the Stream, we came to, and touched at a pleafant 
Shoar on the 25th of May, amongd the fird Siberian 
Tartars, called Wogulski. I miud acknowledge, that 
the well peopled Countries on the Sides of this River, de- 
ferve to be reckoned amongd the mod charming in 
the World. And when in the Mornings or Evenings I 
depped on Shoar to divert myfelf, and went within Land 
towards the Hills, I every where found the mod beau- 
tiful Flowers and Plants, which emitted a mod agree- 
able fragrant Scent, and ail Sorts .of Wild Beads run- 
ning about in great Multitudes. But the Wogulskian 
Tartars, to which this River led us, are dupid Hea- 
thens, which induced me to pry more narrowly into 
their Religion, Manner of Living, and other Circum- 
dances ; and for this End I went on Shoar, and lodged 
a Night amongd them. 
They are naturally robud, and have remarkably large 
Heads. Their whole Worfhip confids in making an 
Offering once a Year ; when they go in Crouds into the 
Woods, and kill one of each Species of Beads, of all 
which they prefer the Horfe and T yger as bed ; they 
flea off the Skins, hang up the Carcafs on a Tree, and 
fall prodrate to the Earth, and in their Way pray to 
it ; after which they eat the Fiefli together, and return 
Home •, which done, they are free from the Trouble of 
praying for that Year. What need of Praying any 
oftner than once a Year, fay they ? They are not able 
to give the lead Account of the Original or Import of 
their Faith, but only that their Forefathers did fo, and 
they think good to follow their Example. 
I asked them concerning their Knowledge of God ; 
Whether they did not believe that there was a God and 
Lord in Heaven above, that had created, preferved and 
governed all Things, and gave Rain and fair Weather ? 
To which they replied •, We may very well believe that, 
for we fee, that the Sun and Moon, thofe two bright 
Lights which we wordiip, and the Stars alfo, are in 
Heaven, and there is one which rules them. They 
would not in the lead hear of, the Devil, becaufe he 
never appeared, or revealed himfelf to them. They 
acknowledge a Refurredlion of the Dead, but are igno- 
rant what Sort of Rewards to expedt, whether corporal 
or not. When any of them die, they bury the Carcafs 
without any Grave-done *, and be it Man or Woman, 
all his or her bed Apparel and Ornaments, befides fome 
Money, according to the Ability of the Deceafed, are 
buried with the Corps ; to the End that he may have 
fome Cloaths on, and fomething to fpend at the Time 
of the Refurredfion. They cry over the dead Corps in 
a difmal Manner, and the Husband is obliged to con- 
tinue a Widower a Year after the Death of his Wife. 
If a Dog dies, that in Hunting or any other Way has 
been ferviceable to them, they eredl in Honour of him, 
a fmall wooden Hut, on four Props of Earth ; in 
which they lay the dead Dog, and fuffer him to con- 
tinue there as long as the Hut lads. They take as 
many Wives as they can keep, and when any of thefe 
is pregnant, and near her Delivery, die is obliged to 
retire into a Hut in a Wood, eredfed for that Purpofe, 
where flie is delivered s and the Husband and die are 
not permitted to come near each other for the Space 
of two Months after. 
5. When a Man defires to marry, he is obliged to 
buy the Bride of her Father. They have very few Mar- 
riage Ceremonies befides treating the neared Relations ; 
after which the Bridegroom goes to Bed to the Bride. 
They have no Prieds, nor marry any nearer than the 
fourth Degree of Confanguinity. Amongd other Dif- 
courfe I admoniffied them, that it was Time to acknown 
ledge Chrid the Saviour of the whole World, and turn 
to him *, which would fecure their temporal and eternal 
Welfare. To this they anfwered ; As for what con- 
cerns Temporals, we daily fee vad Numbers of Poor 
Ruffians, that can hardly get a Piece of dry Bread, and 
neverthelefs fome of them believe in Chrid ; and as 
for the eternal Things they left them to themfelves ; 
and at the fame Time declared, that they would live 
and die in the Opinion of their Forefathers, whether 
X 
