The fift voiage into Persia made by M. Thomas Banister,
and master Geofrey Ducket, Agents for the Moscovie
companie, begun from England in the yeere 1568. and
continuing to the yeere 1574. following. Written by
P. I. from the mouth of M. Lionel Plumtree.
UPON the 3. day of July 1568. they embarked themselves
at Yeraslave, being accompanied with Lionel Plumtree,
and some 12. English men more, in a Barke called the
Thomas Bonaventure of the burden of 70. tunnes, taking
also along with them of Russes to the number of 40. for
their use and imploiments. It fell out in the way, before
they came to Astracan by 40. miles, that the Nagaian
Tartars, being a kind of thievish and cruel people, made
an assault upon them with 18. boates of theirs, each of
them being armed, some with swords, some with speares,
and some others with bowes and arrowes, and the whole
number of them they discovered to be about 300. men.
They for their parts, although they could have wished a
quiet voyage and journey without blowes and violence,
yet not willing to be spoiled with such Barbarians as they
were, began to defend themselves against their assault,
by meanes whereof a very terrible & fierce fight folowed
and continued hot & sharpe for two houres, wherein our
men so wel plaied their parts with their calivers, that they
forced the Tartars to flee with the losse of 120. of them,
as they were afterwards enformed by a Russe
prisoner,
which escaped from the Nagaians, and came to them to
Astracan, at which towne they arrived the 20. of August.
In this
towne of Astracan they were somwhat hindered
of their journey, and staied the space of sixe weekes by
reason of a great army of 70000. Turkes and Tartars
which came thither upon the instigation of the great
Turke, hoping either to have surprised it suddenly or by
continuance of siege to win the same. But in the end by
reason that the winter approched, as also, because they
had received newes of a great expedition, which the
Emperour of Russia was in providing for the defence of
the said place, they were constrained to raise their siege,
& to leave the town as they found it.
Upon their departure our men had opportunitie to proceed on their voyage, and using the occasion, they left
Astracan, and came to Bilbil towards the end of October:
from whence they went to Shavaran, where (as they
lodged in their tentes) they were greatly molested with
strange troopes of sholcaves or foxes, which were so
busie with them that they tooke their meate and victuals
out of their lodgings, and devoured to the bare bones in
one night a mighty wilde Bore that was sent unto them
for a present from the governour of the countrey.
Having staied here some three or foure daies in providing of cariages and other necessaries for their journey,
they departed thence and came to Shamaky, which is
foure dayes journey from the aforesayd Shavaran. In
this towne of Shamaky their whole company spent out the
Winter, and from thence in April folowing they tooke
their journey towards Ardouil a place of great account
and much esteemed, by reason of the sepulchres of the
Emperours of Persia, which for the most part lie there
buried, and so is growen to bee a place of their superstitious devotion. In this towne of Ardouil they sojourned
the space of 5. or 6. moneths, finding some traffique and
sales, but to no purpose, the towne being more inhabited
and frequented with gentlemen and noblemen then
merchants.
The difference of religion bred great broiles in this
towne whiles they remained there: for the brother sought
the destruction of the brother, and the neerest kinsmen
rose up one against another, insomuch that one of their
company Lionel Plumtree hath seene in one day sometimes 14. slaine in a garboile. And he being further
desirous to see their maner of fight, or rather somewhat
more curious to behold, then mistrustful of their blowes,
was like to have borne a share in their bloodie tragedie,
being twise wounded with their shot and arrowes,
although not to the death.
At this towne the Shaw Thamas sent a messenger for
our men to come to his presence at Casbin, to whom
Thomas Banister failed not to goe, although master
Ducket lay very sicke at
Ardouil, and in such case that
they almost despaired of his recoverie. Hee being come
to the Shaugh was received and entertained of him with
great favour and speciall countenance, and had the most
part of all his requests granted him, this onely excepted,
that whereas he entreated a priviledge or sufferance to
transport and cary through his dominions certaine horses
into India, the Shaugh seemed loth to yeeld thereunto,
and yet did not altogether denie it, but referred it to some
further time. As for the point of traffique, he could not
make that motion or request that was not so soone
granted as it was preferred: and the Shaugh himselfe
bought there of him many karsies, and made him as good
paiment as any man could wish, and oftentimes would
send his mony for the wares before the wares were
delivered, that he might be the surer of this honourable
intended dealing.
One thing somewhat strange I thought good in this
place to remember, that whereas hee purposed to send
a great summe of money to Mecca
in Arabia
, for an
offering to Mahomet their prophet, hee would not send
any money or coyne of his owne, but sent to the English
merchants to exchange his coyne for theirs, according to
the value of it, yeelding this reason for the same, that the
money of the merchants was gotten by good meanes, and
with good consciences, and was therefore woorthie to be
made for an oblation to their holy prophet, but his owne
money was rather gotten by fraud, oppression and
unhonest meanes, and therefore was not fit to serve for
so holie a use.
After sixe moneths spent in Casbin the sayde Thomas
Banister departed towards the great citie of Tauris
, where
being arrived, he found M. Ducket well recovered of his
sicknesse, whom he had left ill at
Ardouil.
At this Citie the foresayd Master Ducket made sales
of the English commodities, remaining there to that
purpose the space of two yeeres and a halfe. And besides
other kindes of merchandises of that countrey, he bought
great store of gals which grow in great abundance at a
place within one dayes journey of the aforesayd Tauris
.
After this Thomas Banister departed from Tauris
, and
went to Shamaky to give order .for the transporting of
those commodities which were bought for England. And
having dispatched them away, he went there hence to
Arrash, a towne foure dayes journey with camels from
Shamaky for the buying of rawe silke. But there by
reason of the unwholesomnesse of the aire, and corruption of the waters in the hote time of the yeere, he with
Lawrence Chapman and some other English men unhappily
died: which being knowen of M. Ducket, he immediatly
came from Tauris
to Arrash, to take possession of the
goods, for otherwise by the custome of the countrey, if
there had bene no merchant or other friend of his to enter
upon that which he left, all had fallen into the Shaughs
hands, which goods notwithstanding could not bee
recovered from the officers which had seized and sealed
up the same, untill M. Ducket had bene in person with the
Shaugh, and had procured his order for the deliverie
thereof.
Lionel Plumtree, in the meane time that M. Ducket
was at Casbin in sute for goods, upon the perswasion
of certaine Bogharians, made provision for a journey to
Cathaia, with cariages and commodities, and having all
things ready, departed secretly with a Caravan: but being
gone forwards on his way sixe days journy, some fifty
horsemen by the procurement of Humfry Greensell (who
afterwards being at Ormus in the East Indies, was there
cruelly burnt in the Inquisition by the Portingals) were
sent after him in poste from Soltan Erasbec, the Shaughs
lieutenant, to fetch him backe againe, not suffering him
to passe on so perillous and dangerous a journey for feare
of divers inconveniences that might follow.
After this M. Ducket returned from Casbin to Shamaky
againe, and immediately made preparation for a journey
to Cassan, being about foure dayes journey from
Shamaky, and caried with him foure mules laden with
mony.
In the way of his travel he passed through Persepolis,
sometime the roiall seate of the Emperors of Persia, but
now altogether ruined and defaced, whereof remaine to
be seene at this day two gates onely that are distant
one from the other the space of 12. miles, and some
few pinnacles in the mountains and conveiances for fresh
water.
The foresaid Cassan is a towne that consisteth altogether
of merchandise, and the best trade of all the land is there,
being greatly frequented by the merchants of India.
Here our men bought great store of al maner of
wrought silkes, and some spices, and good store of Turkie
stones.
The towne is much to be commended for the civil and
good government that is there used. An idle person is
not suffred to live amongst them.
The child that is but five yeeres old is set to some
labour. No ill rule, disorder or riote by gaming or otherwise, is there permitted. Playing at Dice or Cards is by
the law present death.
At this Cashan they remained about the space of tenne
weekes, and then came downe againe to Shamaky, and
after some time spent in divers places of the countrey for
buying of rawe silke and other commodities, they came at
last to Shavaran againe, where their ship was in harbour,
and then they shipt all their goods and embarked themselves also, setting sayle the eight day of May, in the
yeere 1573. intending to fetch Astracan. By reason of
the varietie of the windes and dangerous flats of the
Caspian sea, they beat it up and downe some 20. dayes.
And the 28. day riding at anker upon the flats, certaine
Russe Cassaks, which are outlawes or banished men,
having intelligence of their being there, and of the great
wealth that they had with them, came to them with
divers boates under the colour of friendship, and entred
their ship, but immediately they tooke their hatchets &
slew divers of the Russes that were of the ship upon the
hatches: Whereupon master Ducket, Lionell Plumtree,
William Smith, the master, a man of singular valure, and
Amos Riall being under the Spar-decke, did so well
behave themselves, that they skowred the hatches, and
slew 14. of the Cassaks gunners, and hurt and wounded
about 30. more, being of them al in number 150. at the
least, armed with calivers and other weapons fit for so
villanous a purpose.
M. Ducket notwithstanding and the rest aforesaid
received divers wounds from the enemie, and were so
hurt, and withall so oppressed with the multitude and
force of them, that they were at last constrained to make
an agreement with the Cassaks by rendring the ship
into their hands, having received first their othes sworne
by their crucifixes, not to do any further harme to their
persons.
Thus the shippe being taken, and all the English
grievously hurt, the Cassaks immediately discharged the
ship of them, putting them all into the ship boate with
two or three Persian targets full of horse flesh and
swines flesh, without further victuals or reliefe: they
being in that case, made the best hast they could to
get to Astracan: and being come to the towne, master
Ducket made great sute to the captaine to have men and
boates set out for the rescuing and recovering of the ship
if it were possible: who immediately sent out his sonne
with fortie boates and five hundred men to pursue the
Pirats, and by good hap came to the place where they rid
at anker with the ship, but by reason of their foolishnes in
striking up their drums before they were come neere them,
the Cassaks discovering the boats, cut their gables and
put out to sea, whereupon the boats not being able to
folow them, returned againe to Astracan. After which,
60. boats more were sent out to pursue them againe the
second time: & that second army came to a place where
they found many of those Cassaks and slew them, and
found out the places where they had hid certaine parcels
of their goods in the earth in the chests of the ship: all
which they recovered againe for the English merchants,
to the value of 5000. li. of 30. or 40. thousand pound,
but all the rest the Cassaks in the ship had caried
away.
In the same place they found further divers of the
Cassaks which the Englishmen had slaine, buried in the
earth, and wrapt some in fortie or fifty yards of Sattin
and Taffataes, and some in Turkie carpets cut & spoiled
by those villanous Pirats, of whom afterwards as many
as could be taken by the Persians who entirely loved the
English merchants, were put to most cruell torments in
all places according to their deserts.
But our men being thus spoyled of their goods, and
wounded in their bodies, remained about two moneths
at Astracan for their better recoverie: & having gotten
some reasonable strength, they then provided boates and
went up the
river of Volga to Cazan, with such goods as
they had recovered from the Cassaks. From Cazan they
went towards Yeraslave, but in the way the ice intercepted them about the beginning of October, where
suddenly in the night they were taken with a cruell and
vehement frost, and therewithall the waters so congeled,
that their boates were crushed and cut in sunder with the
ice, whereby they sustained both a further danger of life
and losse of goods: but as much as they could preserve
with much adoe, they conveyed over land in sleds to
Vologda, and from thence sent much of it to Saint
Nicholas to be laden in the ships for England.
But Master Ducket, Lionel Plumtree and Amos Riall
went with some parcels to the Mosko, and there sold
certaine quantities of it to the Emperour, who pitying the
mightie losse that they had sustained by his owne
rebellious people and subjects, bought himselfe as much
as hee liked, and payed present money for the same. So
that Winter being spent out in Mosko, and such wares
provided by them as served for England, they departed
to Saint Nicholas, and there embarked in the moneth
of August: and having endured a very terrible passage
in nine weekes and three dayes, with some hardnesse of
victuals, contrary and furious windes, and other sea
accidents, they arrived at London in the moneth of
October, one thousand five hundred seventie and foure,
and so made an ende of an unfortunate voyage: which
if it had pleased God to prosper, that all things had come
home as safely as they were carefully provided, and
painfully laboured for, it had proved the richest voiage
and most profitable returne of commoditie, that had ever
bene undertaken by English merchants, who, notwithstanding all misfortunes, lost nothing of their principall
adventure, but onely the interest and gaine that might
have risen by the use of their stocke in the meane time.
