Many times (when the
Winter is very hard and extreeme) the beares and woolfes issue by troopes
out of the woods driuen by hunger, and enter the villages, tearing and
rauening all they can finde: so that the inhabitants are faine to flie for
safegard of their liues. And yet in the Sommer time you shal see such a new
hiew and face of a Countrey, the woods (for the most part which are all of
firre and birch) so fresh and so sweete, the pastures and medowes so greene
and well growen, (and that vpon the sudden) such varietie of flowers, such
noyse of birdes (specially of Nightingales, that seeme to be more lowde and
of a more variable note then in other Countreys) that a man shall not
lightly trauell in a more pleasant Countrey.
And this fresh and speedy growth of the spring there seemeth to proceede
from the benefite of the snow: which all the Winter time being spread ouer
the whole Countrey as a white robe, and keeping it warme from the rigour of
the frost, in the Spring time (when the Sunne waxeth wanme, and dissolueth
it into water) doeth so throughly drench and soake the ground, that is
somewhat of a sleight and sandie mould, and then shineth so hotely vpon it
againe, that it draweth the hearbes and plants foorth in great plentie and
varietie, in a very short time. As the Winter exceedeth in colde, so the
Sommer inclineth to ouer much heat, specially in the moneths of Iune, Iuly
and August, being much warmer then the Sommer aire in England.
The countrey throughout is very well watered with springs, riuers, and
Ozeraes, or lakes. Wherein the prouidence of God is to be noted, for that
much of the Countrey being so farre inland, as that some part lieth a
thousand miles and more euery way from any sea, yet it is serued with faire
Riuers, and that in very great number, that emptying themselues one into
another, runne all into the Sea. Their lakes are many and large, some of
60. 80. 100. and 200. miles long with breadth proportionate.
[Sidenote: The chiefe Riuers of Russia.] The chiefe Riuers are these,
First, Volgha, that hath his head or spring at the route of an Aldertree,
about 200. verst aboue Yaruslaue, and groweth so bigge by the encrease of
other Riuers by that time it commeth thither, that it is broad an English
mile and more, and so runneth into the Caspian sea, about 2800. verst or
miles of length.
The next is Boristhenes (now called Neper) that diuideth the Countrey from
Lituania, and falleth into the Euxin sea.
The third Tanais or Don, (the ancient bounder betwixt Europe and Asia) that
taketh his head out of Rezan Ozera, and so running through the Countrey of
the Chrim Tartar, falleth into the great Sea, lake, or meare, (called
Maeotis) by the citie of Azou. By this Riuer (as the Russe reporteth), you
may passe from their Citie Mosco to Constantinople, and so into all those
parts of the world by water, drawing your boate (as their maner is) ouer a
little Isthmus or narrowe slip of land, a few versts ouerthwart. Which was
proued not long since by an Ambassadour sent to Constantinople, who passed
the riuer of Moscua, and so into another called Ocka, whence hee drew his
boat ouer into Tanais, and thence passed the whole way by water.
The fourth is called Duyna, many hundred miles long, that falleth Northward
into the bay of S. Nicholas, and hath great Alabaster rockes on the bankes
towards the sea side.
The fifth Duna, that emptieth into the Baltick sea by the towne Riga.
The sixt Onega, that falleth into the Bay at Solouetsko 90. verst from the
port of S. Nicholas. This riuer below the towne Cargapolia, meeteth with
the Riuer Volock, that falleth into the Finland Sea by the towne Yama. So
that from the port of S. Nicholas into the Finland sea, and so into the
Sound, you may passe all by water, as hath bene tried by the Russe.
The seuenth Suchana, that floweth into Duyna, and so into the North Sea.
The eight Ocka, that fetcheth his head from the borders of the Chrim, and
streameth into Volgha.
The ninth Moscua, that runneth thorough the Citie Mosco, and giueth it the
name.
There is Wichida also a very large and long riuer that riseth out of
Permia, and falleth into Volgha. All these are riuers of very large
streames, the least to be compared to the Thames in bignesse, and in length
farre more, besides diuers other. The Pole at Mosco is 55. degrees 10.
minutes. At the port of S. Nicholas towards the North 63. degrees and 50.
minutes.
The natiue commodities of the Countrey.
[Sidenote: The fruits and graine of Russia.] For kindes of fruites, they
haue Apples, peares plummes, cherries, red and blacke, (but the blacke
wilde) a deene like a muske millian, but more sweete and pleasant,
cucumbers and goords (which they call Arbouse) rasps, strawberies, and
hurtilberies, with many other beries in great quantitie in euery wood and
hedge. Their kindes of graine are wheat, rie, barley, oates, pease,
buckway, psnytha, that in taste is somewhat like to rice. Of all these
graines the Countrey yeeldeth very sufficient with an ouerplus quantitie,
so that wheate is solde sometime for two alteens or ten pence starling the
Chetfird, which maketh almost three English bushels.
Their rie is sowed before the Winter, all their other graine in the Spring
time, and for the most part in May. The Permians and some other that dwell
farre North, and in desert places, are serued from the parts that lye more
Southward, and are forced to make, bread sometimes of a kinde of roote
(called Vaghnoy) and of the middle rine of the firre tree.
