Or thereabouts. The best yeeld of tallow is in the parts
and territories of Smolensko, Yaruslaue, Ouglits, Nouogrod, and Vologda,
Otfer, and Gorodetskey.
[Sidenote: 5. Hide.] An other principall commoditie is their Losh and Cow
hide. Their Losh or Buffe hide is very faire and large. Their bull and cowe
hide (for oxen they make none, neither yet weather) is of a small sise.
There hath bene transported by merchants strangers some yeres 100000.
hides. Now it is decreased to 30000. or thereabouts. Besides great store of
goates skinnes, whereof great numbers are shipped out of the countrey. The
largest kinde of Losh or Buffe breedeth about Rostoue, Wichida, Nouogrod,
Morum, and Perm. The lesser sort within the kingdome of Cazan.
[Sidenote: 6. Trane oyle.] Another very great and principall commoditie is
their Trane oyle, drawen out of the Seal fish. Where it will not be
impertinent to shewe the maner of their hunting the Seal, which they make
this oyle of: which is in this sort. [Sidenote: The maner of hunting the
Seale fish.] Towards the ende of Sommer (before the frost beginne) they goe
downe with their boates into the bay of S. Nicholas, to a cape called
Cusconesse or Foxnose, where they leaue their boats till the next spring
tide. When the Sunne waxeth warme toward the spring, and yet the yce not
melted within the Bay, they returne thither againe. Then drawing their
boates ouer the sea yce, they vse them for houses to rest and lodge in.
There are commonly about 17. or 18. fleete of them, of great large boates,
which diuide themselues into diuers companies, fiue or sixe boats in a
consort.
They that first finde the haunt, fire a beacon, which they carry with them
for the nonce. Which being espied by the other companies, by such among
them as are appointed of purpose, they come altogether and compasse the
Seales round about in a ring, that lie sunning themselues together vpon the
yce, commonly foure or fiue thousand in a shoale, and so they inuade them
euery man with his club in his hand. If they hit them on the nose they are
soone killed. If on the sides or backe they beare out the blow, and many
times so catch and holde downe the clubbe with their teeth by maine force,
that the partie is forced to call for helpe to his fellowes.
The maner of the Seals is when they see themselues beset, to gather all
close together in a throng or plumpe, to sway downe the yce, and to breake
it (if they can) which so bendeth the yce that many times it taketh the sea
water vpon it, and maketh the hunters to wade a foote or more deepe. After
the slaughter when they haue killed what they can, they fall to sharing
euery boate his part in equall portions:
