The decades of the newe worlde or west India conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the west ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. ... Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden.

¶ More directly from Moscouia. to Cathay.

THe great and large prouince of Permia,* 1.1 is dy∣stante from Moscouia two hundreth and fyftie or (as sum say) three hundreth leaques directly betwene the East and North: And hath a citie of the same name by the ryuer Uischora which runneth .x. leaques beneth Kamam. The ior∣ney by lande can scarcely bee trauayled thyther but in wynter by reason of many ryuers, marysshes,* 1.2 and fennes. But in som∣mer, this iorney is dispatched with more facilitie in boates or smaule shippes by Uuolochda, Ustiug, and the ryuer Uit∣zechda

which runneth into Dwina .xii. leaques from Ustiug.* 1.3* 1.4 But they that go from Permia to Ustiug, muste sayle vp the ryuer Uischora ageinst the course of the streame: and passing ouer certeyne ryuers, sumtymes also conueyinge theyr boates into other ryuers by lande, they come at the length to Ustiug three hundreth leaques distant frome the citie of Permia. There is smaule vse of breade in this prouince. For theyr yearely tribute,* 1.5 they pay to the prynce furres & horses.* 1.6 They haue a priuate language, and letters of theyr owne, whiche one Steuen a bysshop (who confirmed them yet waueryng in the fayth) dyd inuente. For before beinge yet infantes in the fayth of Chryste, they slewe and fleyde an other bysshop that was appoynted to instructe them. This Steuen afterwarde when Demetrius the sonne of Iohn reigned, was taken for a saynte amonge the Ruthens. Of these people there yet re∣mayne many Idolatours here and there in the woods, whom the moonkes and heremites that go thyther,* 1.7 doo not cease to conuert from theyr vayne errour. In the wynter they iorney in Artach as they doo in many places of Russia. Artach, are certeyne longe patentes of woodde of almost syxe handfuls in length,* 1.8 whiche they make faste to theyr fiete with latchettes, & therwith performe theyr iorneys with great celeritie.* 1.9 They vse for this purpose greate dogges in the steade of other bea∣stes, with the which they cary theyr farthels on sleades, as other doo with hartes in other places, as we wyll further de¦clare hereafter. They say that that prouince toward the East confineth with the prouince cauled Tumen, perteynynge to the Tartars.

The situation of the prouince of Iugaria,* 1.10 is apparente by that which we haue sayde before. The Moscouites caule it Iuhra with an aspiration: and caule the people Iuhrici. This is that Iugaria from whense the Hungarians came in tyme paste,* 1.11 possessed Pannonia,* 1.12 and vnder the conduct of At∣tila,* 1.13 subdued many prouinces of Europe: wherin the Mosco¦uites doo greatly glory, that a nation subiecte to them, inua∣ded and wasted a great parte of Europe. Georgius Paruns a greeke borne, and a man of reputation with the Prince of Moscouia, wyllynge to ascribe to the ryght of his prince the great dukedome of Lithuania, and the kyngedome of Polo∣nie with certeyne other dominions, toulde me that the Iuha∣rici

or Iuhgary, beinge subiectes to the great duke of Mosco¦uia, came furth of theyr owne countrey, and fyrste inhabited the regions abowt the fennes of Meoris, and then Pannonie which was afterwarde cauled Hungarie,* 1.14 by the ryuer of Da¦nubius: Also that in fine they possessed the region of Mora∣uia so named of the ryuer: and lykewyse Pollonie,* 1.15 so cauled of Polle, which signifieth a playne. Furthermore that Bu∣da was so cauled after the name of the brother of Attila.* 1.16 They say also that the Iuhgari vse the same tounge that doo the Hungarians. The which whether it be trew or not, I do not knowe. For althowgh I haue made diligent inquisition to knowe the truth hereof, yet coulde I fynde no man of that region with whom my seruaunt beinge expert in the Hunga∣rian tounge myght speake. They also pay furres for theyr tributes to the prince of Moscouia.* 1.17 And albeit that pearles and precious stones are brought frome thense to Moscouia,* 1.18 yet are they not gathered in theyr Ocean, but in other places: especially about the coast of the Ocean nere vnto the mouthes of Dwina.

The prouince of Sibier,* 1.19 confineth with Permia and Uui¦athka: The whiche, whether it haue any castels or cities, I doo not yet certeynly knowe. In this the ryuer Iaick hathe his originall, and fauleth into the Caspian sea. They saye that this region is deser••e bycause it lyeth so neare the Tar∣tars:* 1.20 Or that yf it bee in any parte inhabited, the same to be possessed of the Tartar Schichmamai. Thinhabitantes haue a peculiar language: and haue theyr chiefe gaynes by the furres of marterns, whiche in fayrenes and greatnes, excell all the furres of that kynde that are founde in any other pro∣uinces. Yet coulde I haue no great plentie of them in Mos∣couia at my beinge there. Note that longe after the wri∣tyng of this hystorie, at Rycharde Chaunceler his fyrst being in Mos¦couia, Duke Iohn Uasilivich that nowe raygneth, subdued all the Tartars with theyr regions and prouinces euen vnto the great citie and mart towne of Astrachan & the Caspian ••ea. At the same tyme also, there was in the dukes court an ambassadour that came frome this prouince of Sibier: who declared that his father had byn sent ambassadour to the great Chan of Cathay. And that the great citie of Cambalu where the great Chan kepeth his courte in winter, was in maner destroyed by Necromancie and magicall artes wherin the Cathaynes are very expert as wryteth Marcus Paulus Uenctus. Ther was also at the same tyme thambassadour of the kynge of Per¦sia cauled the great Sophic. This ambassadour was appareled all inscarlet, and spake much to the duke in the behalfe of owre men, of whose kyngdome and trade he was not ignorant.

The people cauled Czeremisse,* 1.21 dwell in the wooddes be∣neth Nouogardia the lower. They haue a peculiar language and are of the secte of Machumet. They were sumtyme sub∣iecte to the kynge of Casan: but the greater part of them are nowe subiecte to the prince of Moscouia. Many of them at my beinge there, were brought to Moscouia, as suspected of rebellion. This nation doth inhabite a large region withowt houses from Uuiathka and Uuolochda,* 1.22 to the ryuer of Kama All the nation aswell women as men, are very swyft of foote, and expert archers: wherin they so delite, that theyr bowes are in maner neuer owt of theyr handes: and gyue theyr chil¦dren no meate vntyl they hyt the marke they shoote at.

Two leaques distante from Nouogardia the lower, were many houses to the similitude of a citie or towne, where they were accustomed to make salte.* 1.23 These a fewe yeares sense be¦inge burnt of the Tartars, were restored by the commaunde∣ment of the prince.

Mordwa, are people inhabytynge by the ryuer of Uolga on the south banke beneth Nouogardia the lower: And are in al thynges like vnto the Czeremisses but that they haue more houses. And here endeth Thempire of the Moscouites.

Note here that Matthias of Michou, in his booke of Sarmatia Asiatica, writeth that the dominion of the duke of Moscouia recheth from the northwest to the southeast fyue hundreth myles of Germa∣nie, which are more then leaques. For they affirme that a Germane myle is more then three Englysshe myles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The prouince of Permia.
• * 1.2

  Marysshes in sommer.
• * 1.3

  Dwina.
• * 1.4

  Ustiug.
• * 1.5

  Tribute.
• * 1.6

  Furres and horses.
• * 1.7

  Monkes and heremites.
• * 1.8

  Patentes.
• * 1.9

  Marcus Pau∣lus wryteth that these dogges are almost as byg as Asses: and that they v••e syxe to one steade.
• * 1.10

  Iugaria.
• * 1.11

  hungaria.
• * 1.12

  Pannonia.
• * 1.13

  Attila.
• * 1.14

  The hygher or superyor Hungarye, is cauled Austri¦a.
• * 1.15

  Polonie.
• * 1.16

  Buda.
• * 1.17

  Furres.
• * 1.18

  Pearles and Precious stones.
• * 1.19

  Sibi••r.
• * 1.20

  Aspreolos, I thynk to be marterns: yet sum think thē to be squerels Ge••nerus wryteth that the kyngs of the Tartars, haue theyre ten••e•• coue∣red withowt wyth the skynnes of lyons: & with∣in▪ with the skynnes of ••s¦bles and Er∣mynes.
• * 1.21

  Czeremisse.
• * 1.22

  h••bitacion withowt hou¦ses.
• * 1.23

  Salte.