The water is very salt. Howbeit, the
quantitie of water that falleth out of the great riuer of Volga maketh the
water fresh at the least twentie leagues into the sea. The Caspian sea is
marueilous full of fish, but no kind of monstrous fish, as farre as I could
vnderstand, yet hath it sundry sortes of fishes which are not in these
parts of the world.
The mutton there is good, and the sheepe great, hauing very great rumpes
with much fat vpon them.
Rice and mutton Is their chiefe victual.
* * * * *
The copy of a letter sent to the Emperour of Moscouie, by Christopher
Hodsdon and William Burrough, Anno 1570.
MOst mightie Empefour, &c. Whereas Sir William Garrard and his felowship
the company of English merchants, this last Winter sent hither to the Narue
three ships laden with merchandise, which was left here, and with it
Christopher Hodsdon one of the sayd felowship, and their chiefe doer in
this place, who when hee came first hither, and vntil such time as hee had
dispatched those ships from hence, was in hope of goods to lade twelue or
thirteene sails of good ships, against this shipping, wherefore he wrote
vnto the sayd Sir William Garrard and his companie to send hither this
spring the sayd number of thirteene ships.
