Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
39 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
upon the weft part border the Lappians, a rude and favage nation, living in woods,
whole language is not known to any other people: next unto thefe, more towards the
fouth is Swecia, then Finlandia, then Livonia, and laft of all Lituania. This country
of Mofcovy hath alfo very many and great rivers in it, and is marifh ground in many
places: and as for the rivers, the greateft and moft famous amongft all the reft, is that,
which the Ruffes in their own 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 Borifthenes
which at this day they call Neper. Two of thefe, to wit, Rha and Borifthenes iffuing
both out of one fountain, run very far through the land: Rha receiving many other
pleafant rivers into it, and running from the very head or ipring of it, towards the eaft,
after many crooked turnings and windings, difchargeth itfelf, and all the other waters
and rivers that fall into it by divers paflages into the Cafpian Sea. ‘Tanais {pringing
froma fountain of great name in thofe parts, and growing great near to his head,
{preads itfeif at length very largely, and makes a great lake: and then growing narrow
again, doth fo run for certain miles, until it falleth into another lake, which they call
Juan: and therehence fetching a very crooked courfe, comes very near to the river
Volga: but difdaining as it were the company of any other river, doth there turn
itfelf again from Volga, and runs towards the fouth, and falls at laft into the lake of
Meotis. Borifthenes, which comes from the fame head that Rha doth, (as we faid be-
fore) carrieth both itfelf, and other waters that are near unto it, towards the South,
not refufing the mixture of other fmall rivers: and running by many great and large
countries falls at laft into Pontus Euxinus. Befides thefe rivers, are alfo in Mofcovy
certain lakes and pools, the lakes breed fifh by the celeftial influence: and amongtt
them all, the chiefeft and moft principal is called Bealozera, which is very famous by
reafon of a very flrong town built in it, wherein the kings of Mofcovy referve and
repofe their treafure in all time of war and danger.
Touching the Rhiphean mountains, whereupon the fnow lieth continually, and
where hence in times paft it was thought that Tanais the river did {pring, and that the
reft of the wonders of nature, which the Grecians feigned and invented of old, were
there to be feen: our men which lately came from thence, neither faw them nor yet
have brought home any perfeét relation of them, although they remained there for
the fpace of three months, and had gotten in that time fome intelligence of the language
of Mofcovy. ‘Phe whole country is plain and champion, and few hills init: and
towards the north hath very large and fpacious woods, wherein is. great ftore of fir
trees, a wood very neceflary, and fit for the building of houfes: there are alfo wild
beafts bred in thofe woods, as buffes, bears, and black wolves, and another kind of
beaft unknown to us, but called by them Roffomakka; and the nature of the fame is
very rare and wonderful: for when it is great with young, and ready to bring forth, it
feeketh out fome narrow place between two ftakes, and fo going through them, preffeth
itfelf, and by that means is eafed of her burden, which otherwife could not be done.
They hunt their buffes for the moft part a horfeback, but their bears a foot, with
wooden forks. The north parts of the country are reported to be fo cold, that the
very ice or water which diftilleth out of the moift wood which they lay upon the fire,
is prefently congealed and frozen: the diverfity groweth fuddenly to be fo great, that
in one and the felf fame firebrand, aman fhall fee both fire and ice. When the winter
doth once begin there, it doth ftill more and more increafe by a perpetuity of cold:
neither doth that cold flack, until the force of the fun beams doth diffolve the cold, and
iake glad the earth, returning to it again. Our mariners which we left in the fhip in
the
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
