Certaine instructions delivered in the third voyage, Anno 1556. for Russia
, to every Purser and the rest of the servants, taken for the voyage, which may serve as good and necessary directions, to all other like adven turers.
I FIRST you shall before the ship doth begin to lade, goe
aboord, and shall there take, and write one inventorie,
by the advise of the Master, or of some other principall
officer there aboord, of all the tackle, apparell, cables,
ankers, ordinance, chambers, shot, powder, artillerie, and
of all other necessaries whatsoever doth belong to the
sayd ship: and the same justly taken, you shall write in
a booke, making the sayd Master, or such officer privie
of that which you haveso written, so that the same may
not be denied, when they shall call accompt thereof: that
done, you shall write a copie of the same with your owne
hand, which you shall deliver before the shippe shall
depart, for the voyage to the companies booke keeper
here to be kept to their behalfe, to the ende that they
may be justly answered the same, when time shall require:
and this order to be scene and kept every voyage orderly,
by the Pursers of the companies owne ship, in any wise.
2 Also when the shippe beginneth to lade, you shall
be ready a boord with your booke, to enter such goods
as shall be brought aboord, to be laden for the company,
packed, or unpacked, taking the markes and numbers
of every packe, fardell, trusse, or packet, corovoya, chest,
fatte, butte, pipe, puncheon, whole barrell, halfe barrell,
firken, or other caske, maunde, or basket, or any other
thing, which may, or shall be packed by any other manner
of waies or devise. And first, all such packes, or trusses,
&c. as shal be brought aboord to be laden, not marked
by the companies marke, you shall doe the best to let
that the same be not laden, and to enquire diligently to
know the owners thereof, if you can, and what commoditie the same is, that is so brought aboord to be
laden: if you can not know the owners of such goods,
learne what you can thereof, as well making a note in
your booke, as also to send or bring word thereof to the
Agent, and to some one of the foure Marchants with
him adjoined so speedily as you can, if it be here laden
or to be laden in this river, being not marked with the
companies marke, as is aforesaid: and when the sayd
shippe hath received in all that the companies Agent
will have laden, you shal make a just copie of that which
is laden, reciting the parcels, the markes and numbers
of every thing plainely, which you shall likewise deliver
to the sayd bookekeeper to the use aforesayd.
3 Also when the ship is ready to depart, you shall
come for your cockets and letters to the Agent, and
shall shew him all such letters as you have received of
any person or persons privately or openly, to be delivered
to any person or persons in Russia
or elsewhere, and
also to declare if you know any other that shall passe
in the ship either master or mariner that hath received
any letters to be privily delivered to any there, directed
from any person or persons, other then from the Agent
here to the Agent there: which letters so by you received,
you shall not carie with you, without you be licenced
so to doe by the Agent here, and some of the foure
merchants, as is aforesayd: and such others as do passe,
having received any privie letters to be delivered, you
shal all that in you lieth, let the deliverie of them at your
arriving in Russia
: and also if you have or do receive,
or shal know any other that doth or hath received any
goods or ready money to be imployed in Russia
, or to
bee delivered there to any person or persons from any
person or persons, other then such as bee the companies
goods, and that under their marke, you shall before the
ship doeth depart, declare the same truely to the sayd
Agent, and to some of the other merchants to him
adjoyned, as it is before declared.
4 Also when the shippe is ready to depart, and hath
the master and the whole company aboord, you shall
diligently foresee and take heede, that there passe not
any privie person or persons, other then such as be
authorized to passe in the said ship, without the licence
and warrant of one of the Governours and of the
assistants, for the same his passage, to be first shewed.
And if there be any such person or persons that is to
passe and will passe without shewing the same warrant,
you shall let the passage of any such to the uttermost
of your power: And for that there may no such privie
person passe under the cloke and colour of some mariner,
you shall upon the weying of your ships anker, call the
master and the mariners within boord by their names
and that by your bookes, to the ende that you may see
that you have neither more nor lesse, but just the number
for the voyage.
5 Also you must have in remembrance, that if it shall
chance the shippe to bee put into anie harbour in this
coast by contrary windes or otherwise in making the
voyage, to send word thereof from time to time as the
case shall require, by your letters in this maner. To
master I. B. Agent for the company of the New trades in
S. in London: If you doe hier any to bring your letters,
write that which he must have for the portage. And for
your better knowledge and learning, you shall do very
well to keepe a dayly note of the voyage both outwards
and homewards.
6 And principally see that you forget not dayly in all
the voiage both morning and evening, to call the company
within boord to prayer, in which doing you shall please
God, and the voiage will have the better successe thereby,
and the company prosper the better.
7 Also in calme weather and at other times when you
shall fortune to come to anker in the seas during the
voyage, you shall for the companies profite, and for the
good husbanding of the victuals aboord, call upon the
Boateswaine and other of the company to use such hookes
and other engines as they have aboord to take fish with,
that such fish so taken may bee eaten for the cause
aforesayd : and if there bee no such engines aboord, then
to provide some before you goe from hence.
8 And when God shall send you in safetie into the
Bay of S. Nicholas at an anker, you shall goe a shore
with the first boate that shall depart from the ship, taking
with you such letters as you have to deliver to the Agent
there: and if he be not there at your comming a land,
then send the companies letters to Colmogro to him by
some sure mariner or otherwise, as the master and you
shall thinke best, but goe not your selfe at any hand,
nor yet from aboord the ship, unlesse it bee a shore to
treate with the Agent for the lading of the ship that
you be appointed in, which you shall applie diligently
to have done so speedily as may be. And for the discharging of the goods therein in the Bay, to be carried
from thence, see that you doe looke well to the unlading
thereof, that there be none other goods sent a shore then
the companies, and according to the notes entred in your
booke as is aforesaid: if there be, inquire diligently for
whom they bee, and what goods they be, noting who is
the receiver of the sayd goods, in such sort that the
company may have the true knowledge thereof at your
comming home.
9 Also there a shore, and likewise aboord, you shall
spie and search as secretly as you may, to learne and
know what bargaining, buying and selling there is with
the master and the mariners of the shippe and the Russes,
or with the companies servants there: and that which
you shall perceive and learne, you shall keepe a note
thereof in your booke secretly to your selfe, which you
shall open and disclose at your comming home to the
governours and assistants, in such sorte as the trueth
of their secret trades and occupyings may be revealed
and knowen. You shal need alwayes to have Argos
eyes,
to spie their secret packing and conveyance, aswell on
land as aboord the shippe, of and for such furres and
other commodities, as yeerely they doe use to buy, packe
and convey hither. If you will bee vigilant and secrete
in this article, you cannot misse to spie their privie
packing one with another, either on shore or aboord the
shippe: worke herein wisely, and you shall deserve great
thanks of the whole company.
10 Also at the lading againe of the shippe, you shall
continue and abide abord, to the ende that you may note
and write in your booke all such goods and marchandises
as shall be brought and laden, which you shall orderly
note in all sortes as heretofore, as in the second article
partly it is touched: and in any wise put the Master
and the company in remembrance, to looke and foresee
substantially to the roomaging of the shippe, by faire
meanes or threats, as you shall see and thinke will serve
for the best.
11 Thus when the shippe is full laden againe, and all
things aboord in good order, and that you doe fortune
to goe a shore to the Agent for your letters, and dispatch
away: you shall demand whether all the goods be laden
that were brought thither, and to know the trueth therof,
you shal repaire to the companies storehouse there at
S. Nicholas, to see if there be any goods left in the sayd
storehouse: if there be, you shal demand why they be
not laden, and note what kinde of goods they be that
be so left: and seeing any of the shippes there not fully
laden, you shall put the Agent in remembrance to lade
those goods so left, if any such be to be laden, as is
aforesayd. And thus God sending you a faire wind, to
make speede and away.
12 Finally, when God shall send you to arrive againe
upon this coast in safetie, either at
Harewich, or elsewhere, goe not you aland, if you may possiblie, to the
ende that when you be gone a shore, there may no
goods be sent privily ashore to be solde, or else to be
solde aboord the ship in your absence, but keepe you
still aboord, if you can by any meanes, for the causes
aforesaid, and write the company a letter from the shippe
of your good arrivall, which you may convey to them
by land by some boy or mariner of the shippe, or otherwise as you shall thinke best: and likewise when God
shall send you and the shippe into the river here, doe
not in any wise depart out of the shippe that you be in,
until the company doe send some other aboord the shippe,
in your steede and place, to keepe the shippe in your
absence.
