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€6 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
AL pARNED Epifile written 1581 unto the famous Cofmographer M. Gerard Mercator, coms
cerning the Rix er Pechora, Naramfay, Cara reca, the mighty River of Ob, the Place of
Taks Ole ‘uh in Siberia, the great River Ardoh, the Lake of Kittay called of the Borderers
Paraha, the Country op CAE ah Colmak, giving good Light to the Difcovery of the northe
caf? Paffage to Cathay, China, and the aes
(Haxuurt I. 509.)
To the famous and renowned Gerard Mercator, his reverend and fingular friend
at Duifburgh in Cliveland thefe be delivered.
CALLING to remembrance (molt dear friend) what exceeding delight you took at
our being together, in reading the geographical writings of Homer, Strabo, Ariftotle,
Pliny, Dion, and the reft, I rejoiced not a little that I happened upon fuch a meffen-
ger as_the bearer of thefe prefents, (whom I do eipecially recommend unto you) who
arrived lately here at Arufburg upon the river of Ofella. This man’s experience (as I
am of opinion) will greatly avail you to the knowledge of a certain matter which hath
been by you fo vehemently defired, and fo curioufly ‘Jaboured for, and concerning the
which the late cofmographers do hold fuch variety of opinions: namely, of the dif-
covery of the huge promontory of ‘Yabin, and of the famous and rich countries fub-
ject tothe Emperor of Cathay, and that by the N.E. ocean fea. The man is called
Alferius being by birth a Netherlander, who for certain years lived captive in the do-
minions of Ruflia under two famous men Yacovius and Unekius, by whom he was
fent to Antwerp to procure fkilful pilots and mariners, (by propounding liberal re-
wards) to go unto the two famous perfonages aforefaid, which two had fet a Sweden
fhipwright on werk to build two fhips for the fame difcovery upon the river of Dwina,
The paflage unto Cathay by the N. E. (as he declareth the matter, albeit without art,
yet very aptly, as you may well perceive, which I requeft you diligently to confider)
is without doubt very fhort and eafy. This very man himfelf hath travelled to the
river of Ob, both by land, through the countries of the Samoeds, and of Sibier,
_-and alfo by fea, along the coaft of the river Pechora eaftward. Being encouraged by
this his experience he is fully refolved with himfelf to condu& a bark laden with mer-
chandife (the keel whereof he will not have to draw over much water) to the bay of
St. Nicholas in Ruflia, being furnifhed with all things expedient for fuch a difcovery,
and with a new fupply of victuals at his arrival there, and alfo to hire into his company
certain Ruffes beft known unto himfelf, who can perfeétly {peak the Samoeds’ language,
and are acquainted with the river of Ob, as having frequented thofe places year by
pear.
Whereupon about the end of May he is determined to fail from the bay of St.
Nicholas eaftward, by the main of Joughoria, and fo to the eafterly parts of Pechora,
and to theifland which is called Dolgoia. And here alfo he is purpofed to obferve the
latitudes, to furvey and defcribe the country, to found the depth of the fea, and to
note the diftances of places, where, and fo oft, as occafion fhall be offered. And for-
afmuch as the bay of Pechora is a moft convenient place both for harbour and victual,
as well in their going forth as in their return home in regard of ice and tempetft, he is
determined to beftow a day in founding the flats, and in fearching out the beft entrance
for {fh ps: in which place heretofore he found the water to be but five feet deep, howbeit
he doubteth not but that there are deeper channels: and then he intendeth to proceed on
along
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