Of Moscovie, which is also called Russia
.
MOSCOVIE, which hath the name also of Russia
the white,
is a very large and spacious Countrey, every way bounded
with divers nations. Towards the South and the East,
it is compassed with Tartaria: the Northren side of it
stretcheth to the
Scytian Ocean: upon the West part
border the Lappians, a rude and savage nation, living
in woods, whose language is not knowen to any other
people: next unto these, more towards the South, is
Swecia, then Finlandia
, then Livonia
, and last of all
Lituania
. This Countrey of Moscovie, hath also very
many and great rivers in it, and is marish ground in
many places: and as for the rivers, the greatest and most
famous amongst all the rest, is that, which the Russes
in their owne tongue call Volga
, but others know it by
the name of Rha. Next unto it in fame is Tanais
, which
they call Don, and the third Boristhenes which at this
day they call Neper. Two of these, to wit, Rha, and
Boristhenes yssuing both out of one fountaine, runne
very farre through the land: Rha receiving many other
pleasant rivers into it, & running from the very head
or spring of it towards the East, after many crooked
turnings and windings, dischargeth it selfe, and all the
other waters and rivers that fall into it by divers passages
into the
Caspian Sea. Tanais
springing from a fountaine
of great name in those partes, and growing great neere
to his head, spreds it selfe at length very largely, and
makes a great lake: and then growing narrowe againe,
doth so runne for certaine miles, untill it fall into another
lake, which they call Ivan: and therehence fetching a
very crooked course, comes very neere to the river Volga
:
but disdaining as it were the company of any other river,
doth there turne it selfe againe from Volga
, and runnes
toward the South, and fals at last into the
Lake of Moeotis.
Boristhenes, which comes from the same head that Rha
doth, (as wee sayde before) carieth both it selfe, and
other waters that are neere unto it, towards the South,
not refusing the mixture of other small rivers: and
running by many great and large Countreys fals at last
into Pontus Euxinus. Besides these rivers, are also in
Moscovie certaine lakes, and pooles, the lakes breede fish
by the celestiall influence: and amongst them all, the
chiefest and most principall is called Bealozera, which
is very famous by reason of a very strong towre built
in it, wherein the kings of Moscovie reserve and repose
their treasure in all time of warre and danger.
Touching the Riphean mountaines, whereupon the snow
lieth continually, and where hence in times past it was
thought that Tanais
the river did spring, and that the
rest of the wonders of nature, which the Grecians fained
and invented of olde, were there to be seene: our men
which lately came from thence, neither sawe them, nor
yet have brought home any perfect relation of them,
although they remained there for the space of three
moneths, and had gotten in that time some intelligence
of the language of Moscovie. The whole Countrey is
plaine and champion, and few hils in it: and towards
the North it hath very large & spacious woods, wherein
is great store of Firre trees, a wood very necessarie, and
fit for the building of houses: there are also wilde beastes
bred in those woods, as Buffes, Beares, and blacke
Wolves, and another kinde of beast unknowen to us,
but called by them Rossomakka: and the nature of the
same is very rare and wonderfull: for when it is great
with yong, and ready to bring foorth, it seeketh out some
narrow place betweene two stakes, and so going through
them, presseth it selfe, and by that meanes is eased of
her burden, which otherwise could not be done. They
hunt their buffes for the most part a horsebacke, but their
Beares a foot, with woodden forkes. The north parts
of the Countrey are reported to be so cold, that the very
ice or water which distilleth out of the moist wood which
they lay upon the fire is presently congealed and frozen:
the diversitie growing suddenly to be so great, that in
one and the selfe same fiebrand, a man shall see both
fire and ice. When the winter doth once begin there it
doth still more & more increase by a perpetuitie of cold:
neither doth that colde slake, untill the force of the Sunne
beames doth dissolve the cold, and make glad the earth,
returning to it againe. Our mariners which we left in
the ship in the meane time to keepe it, in their going
up onely from their cabbins to the hatches, had their
breath oftentimes so suddenly taken away, that they
eftsoones fell downe as men very neere dead, so great
is the sharpenesse of that colde climate: but as for the
South parts of the Countrey, they are somewhat more
temperate.
