before they begin to cast out their Nets. And oftentimes toward the later part of the Summer, they haue such store, that they are sold ordinarily for foure-pence a Fish, and sometimes for a penie a Fish of their money. Yea, in a plentifull yeere, I haue beene told, one may buy whole draughts of Salmons for a very small summe of money. The Salmons heere are fat: three Fishes weighing commonly a Powd and no more. The best sort of the people of Pechora, vse to preserue a great quantitie of their Salmon with a little salt. For they salt eightie, or one hundred Fishes with a Powd of Salt: and many times in plentiful yeres, much Fish is cast away for want of salt; which they are loath to bestow when Salt is deare.
This Salmon is carryed by the Pechora men to Mezen in Sleds, drawne with Reyne Deere. But if they be minded to carrie the said Fish from Mezen to Colmogro, then they carrie the same [ 10] from thence with Sleds drawne with Horses.
Also many men of Colmogro, Pinega, and Mezen, buy Salmons at Pechora, and carrie it in the Winter time to Mezen, to which place they pay from Pechora for the hyer of a Sled and a Reyne Deere, ordinarily ten Altines, being twelue dayes journey: and from Mezen to Colmogro, being sixe dayes journey, they pay foure-pence a Powd at the most. The Deere that trauell from Pe∣chora to Mezen, will not draw aboue seuen Powd weight. This way is trauelled euery Winter twice. The first is sixe or eight weekes before Christmasse. And the second time is two or three weekes before Shrouetide: which bee the times that they very diligently obserue to sell the Sal∣mon in. Most part of the men of Pechora, haue euery one his owne Deere to trauell with. And some particular men of the better sort haue twentie or thirtie Deere, which they let out to hyer [ 20] in the Winter time; and in the Summer time they put them foorth to the Samoyeds to keepe. Also when the Winter way is set and beaten, many Merchants and others come out of Russia to buy Sables, Beuers, Beuers wombes, Squirrels, blacke, white and dunne Foxes, of which in the Winter time is store, brought thither by the Samoieds round about those parts: which Trading is in the Winter time and not else. The chiefest Russe Merchants or Furriers that vse these parts, I haue beene told, are the Obleazoues, the Shepetkins, and the Yeadomskoies. The Com∣modities carryed by them, are red, and yellow Cloathes; but chiefly Russe money, with which they buy Commodities there of the Russes, as well as that which they buy of the Samoieds in barter.
The Commodities carryed from Volochda, O••stiug, Colmogro, Pinega, and Mezen, to Pechora [ 30] and Mongozei, are Meale, Bacon, Butter, Ote-meale, Tolockno, and Salt, with some small quan∣titie of Yeasts and tanned Leather, with some Cloath, and other of our Commodities. These Commodities at Mongozei are sold at great rates. But at Pechora, Commodities are sold some∣times deare and sometimes cheape, in respect of profit. For if the Fleet, being at least thirtie Boates that set out euery Summer for Mongozey, laden with these Prouisions and Commodities aforesaid, bee crossed with contrarie windes; and that by the latenesse of the yeere they cannot reach to Mongozey, but are constrayned to leaue the same and come for Pechora, (as this yeere 1611. they were:) Then commonly Meale, Bacon, and such like Commodities with them are not deare. For by report a little quantitie of Meale doth serue all those parts. For the greater part of them liue of fresh Fish sod and dryed in stead of Bread, of which Fish they haue plentie. [ 40] Likewise, there vseth not to goe from Colmogro with these Prouisions, aboue two Boates in a Summer directly to the Towne of Pechora: especially since the Towne was burnt, and that there was no Gouernour in the same.
Also by the Mongozey men it did appeare, that there was no likelihood for them to vtter that quantitie of Commodities at Pechora, at any rate. For if there had, there would not haue resolued to lay vp their goods in Ware-houses till the next Spring, and then to proceed for Mongozey.
Further from the Towne of Pechora, is a place called by the Russes, Oust Zilma. This is, by the description giuen vnto me in distance from Pechora, as Oustiug is from Colmogro: and is like∣wise to bee trauelled by water against the streame: And in Winter time it is to bee trauelled in Sleds drawne with Reyne Deere. In this place of Oust Zilma, is great store of Squirrels, Beuers, [ 50] and Beuers wombes, Foxe skinnes white and dunne, and other Furres, but chiefly Squirrels, of which is great store by all mens report, that I haue talked withall. So that hauing a man in the Winter time at this place, a good quantitie of Squirrels and other Furres, may bee prouided at a reasonable rate. Moreouer, heere are to be bought Losh-hydes, and Deere-skinnes, which in the Winter time are brought to this Towne of Oust Zilma from Perm, which is not farre from thence. But to buy Losh-hydes and Deere-skinnes, the best course is to goe from Oust Zilma to Perm, and to buy them there, where one should bee sure to haue Choise, and at a farre better rate. Also those that vse to come out of Russia in the Winter time to Perm, to buy these foresaid Hydes; toward the later part of Winter carrie all these Hydes by Sleds, some two or three dayes [ 60] Iourney from Perm to the side of a certayne Riuer, neere vnto which is a small Towne or Vil∣lage; where as soone as the Ice is gone, they haue small Dorshenicks and Floates, on which they lade their Hydes, and being out of this Riuer, they enter into Duyna, and transport them to Colmogro and Archangell.
Likewise being at Pechora, Oust Zilma, or any of those parts, there is in the Winter time to