Certaine notes gathered by Richard Johnson (which was at Boghar with M. Anthony Jenkinson) of the reports of Russes and other strangers, of the wayes of Russia
to Cathaya, and of divers and strange people.
The first note given by one named Sarnichoke a Tartarian subject to the Prince of Boghar, which are also Tartars bordering upon Kizilbash or Persia, declaring the way from Astracan, being the furthest part of Russia
, to Cathaya as foloweth.
FIRST from Astracan to Serachick by land, travailing by
leysure as Merchants use with wares, is 10. dayes
journey.
From Serachick to a towne named Urgenshe, 15. dayes.
From Urgenshe to Boghar, 15. dayes.
From Boghar to Cascar, 30. dayes.
From Cascar to Cathaya, 30. dayes journey.
By the same partie a note of another way more sure to
traveile, as he reporteth.
FROM Astracan to Turkemen by the
Caspian sea, 10. dayes
with barkes.
From Turkemen by lande specially with Camels, bearing
the weight of 15. poodes for their common burthens, is
10. dayes to Urgenshe.
From Urgenshe to Boghar, 15. dayes.
Note. At this Citie of Boghar is the marte or meeting
place betweene the Turkes and nations of those parts and
the Cathayans.
Also the toll there is the 40. part to be payed of
Merchandizes or goods.
From thence to Cascar is one moneths journey, and
from Cascar (being the frontier of the great Can, having
many townes and fortes by the way) is also a moneths
travel for merchants by land to Cathay.
Further, as he hath heard (not having bene in those
parts himselfe) ships may saile from the dominions of
Cathaia unto India. But of other waies, or how the seas
lie by any coast hee knoweth not.
The instruction of another Tartarian merchant dwelling in the citie of Boghar, as he hath learned by other his countreymen which have bene there.
FIRST from Astracan by sea to Serachick is 15 daies:
affirming also that a man may travell the other way before
written by Turkemen.
From Serachick to Urgence is 15 dayes.
From Urgence to Boghar also 15 dayes.
Note. These last 30 daies journey is without habitation
of houses: therefore travellers lodge in their owne tents,
cariyng with them to eate, their severall provisions: and
for drinesse there bee many wels of faire water at equall
baiting places not farre distant dayly to be had.
From Boghar to Taskent easie travelling with goods, is
14 dayes by land.
From Taskent to Occient 7 dayes.
From Occient to Cascar 20 daies. This Cascar is the
head towne or citie of another prince, lying betweene
Boghar and Cathaia, called Reshit can.
From Cascar to Sowchick 30 daies journey, which Sow
chick is the first border of Cathay.
From Sowchick to Camchick 5 daies journey, and from
Camchick to Cathay is 2 moneths journey, all the way
being inhabited, temperate, & wel replenished with innumerable fruits, & the chiefe citie in that whole land is
called Cambalu, which is yet 10 daies journey from
Cathay.
Beyond this land of Cathay, which they praise to be
civill & unspeakeably rich, is the countrey named in the
Tartarian tongue Cara-calmack inhabited with blacke
people: but in Cathay, the most part therof stretching to
the sunne rising, are people white and of faire complexion.
Their religion also, as the Tartars report, is christian, or
after the maner of Christians, and their language peculiar,
differing from the Tartarian tongue.
There are no great and furious Beares in travelling
through the waies aforesaid, but wolves white and blacke.
And because that woods are not of such quantitie there,
as in these parts of Russia
, but in maner rather scant then
plentiful, as is reported, the Beares breed not that way,
but some other beasts (as namely one in Russe
called
Barse) are in those coasts. This Barse appeareth by a
skinne of one seene here to sell, to be nere so great as a
big lion spotted very faire and therefore we here take it
to be a Leopard or Tiger.
Note that 20 daies journey from Cathay is a countrey
named Angrim, where liveth the beast that beareth the
best Muske, & the principall therof is cut out of the knee
of the male. The people are taunie, & for that the men
are not bearded nor differ in complexion from women, they
have certaine tokens of iron, that is to say: the men weare
the sunne round like a bosse upon their shoulders, and
women on their privie parts. Their feeding is raw flesh
in the same land, and in another called Titay: the Duke
there is called Can. They worship the fire, and it is 34
dayes journey from great Cathay, and in the way lyeth
the beautifull people, eating with knives of golde, and are
called Comorom, and the land of small people is neerer the
Mosko then Cathay.
The instructions of one of Permia, who reporteth he had bene at Cathay the way before written, and also another way neere the sea coast, as foloweth, which note was sent out of Russia
from Giles Holmes.
FIRST from the province of Dwina is knowen the way to
Pechora, and from Pechora traveiling with Olens or harts,
is sixe dayes journey by land, and in the Sommer as much
by water to the river of Ob.
The Ob is a river full of flats, the mouth of it is 70.
Russe
miles over. And from thence three dayes journey
on the right hand is a place called Chorno-lese, to say in
English, blacke woods, and from thence neere hand is
a people called Pechey-cony, wearing their haire by his
description after the Irish fashion.
From Pechey-cony to Joult Calmachey three dayes
journey, & from thence to Chorno Callachay three dayes
tending to the Southeast.
These two people are of the Tartarian faith, and tributaries to the great Can.
Here follow certaine countreys of the Samoeds which dwell upon the river Ob, and upon the sea coasts beyond the same, taken out of the Russe
tongue word by word, and travailed by a Russe
borne in Colmogro, whose name was Pheodor Towtigin, who by report, was slaine in his second voyage in one of the said countreys.
UPON the East part beyond the countrey of Ugori, the
river Ob is the most Westermost part thereof. Upon the
sea coast dwell Samoeds, and their countrey is called
Molgomsey, whose meate is flesh of Olens, or Harts, and
Fish, and doe eate one another sometimes among themselves. And if any Marchants come unto them, then they
kill one of their children for their sakes to feast them
withall. And if a Marchant chance to die with them, they
burie him not, but eate him, and so doe they eate them of
their owne countrey likewise. They be evill of sight, and
have small noses, but they be swift and shoote very well,
and they travaile on Harts and on dogges, and their
apparell is Sables and Harts skinnes. They have no
Marchandise but Sables onely.
2 Item, on the same coast or quarter beyond those
people, and by the sea side also doth dwell another kinde
of Samoeds in like maner, having another language. One
moneth in the yeere they live in the sea, and doe not come
or dwell on the dry land for that moneth.
3 Item beyond these people, on the sea coast, there is
another kinde of Samoeds, their meate is flesh and fish,
and their merchandise are Sables, white and blacke Foxes
(which the Russes call Pselts) and Harts skinnes, and
Fawnes skinnes.
The relation of Chaggi Memet a Persian Marchant, to Baptista Ramusius, and other notable citizens of Venice
, touching the way from Tauris
the chiefe citie of Persia, to Campion a citie of Cathay over land: in which voyage he himselfe had passed before with the Caravans.
| FROM Tauris
to Soltania. | 6 | dayes journey. |
| From Soltania to Casbin. | 4 |
| From Casbin to Veremi. | 6 |
| From Veremi to Eri. | 15 |
| From Eri to Boghara. | 20 |
| From Boghara to Samarchand. | 5 |
| From Samarchand to Cascar. | 25
|
| From Cascar to Acsu. | 20 |
| From Acsu to Cuchi. | 20 |
| From Cuchi to Chialis. | 10 |
| From Chialis to Turfon. | 10 |
| From Turfon to Camul. | 13 |
| From Camul to Succuir. | 15 |
| From Succuir to Gauta. | 5 |
| From Gauta to Campion. | 6 |
Which Campion is a citie of the Empire of Cathay in the
province of Tangut, from whence the greatest quantitie of
Rubarbe commeth.
