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TO the Lord Emperour and great Duke; The golden King receiued your Letter. In for∣mer times (Lord) it came to my hearing, that your Princely good Ambassadours, did seeke a way or passage to come to me, since which time it is now thirteene yeeres, but then the peo∣ple
of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Tub••nt••▪ Ma••tàra, & black Kolmaks did not suffer your Princely good Ambassadors to come to me,* 1.1 but did rob and spoile them. Now since ten of your Maiesties people are come to me, and I haue sent to you Ichkmen Kichenga, to do obeysance vnto your Maiesty, and see your Princely eyes, wh••n your Maiestie vouchsafed to doe their obeysance and see your Princely eyes.* 1.2 And to me you sent of your Grace three Cups of Siluer, a Bow, a Sword, two Gun••es▪ and two Garment Clothes, all which your Princely fauours I haue receiued, and what shall bee behou••••full for your Majesty from hence▪ I will furnish you withall: As also I am to request your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in respect the Ambassadours doe passe betweene vs very miserably, and poore, by reason•• h••re are now some small warres betwixt vs and the blacke K••l••••acks, and there are but small 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Tobolsko Castle, and in the Castles of Tomin, Dark••, and from the Barban people. Now if so be your Majestie will fauour me, and defend me with these people from Karakula; and [ 10] will bee plea••ed to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on warre on your owne side, and I on mine, that matter will bee done betweene vs and all good matters, continue betwixt vs. And so by your Princely fauour, Ambassadors may continually passe betweene vs. Iuan Tarchan Varchies and Andrei Tarchan Var∣chies, did conduct two of your Maiesties Messengers into the Dominions of Catay, according to your Majesties commandement, and they are returned to me againe out of Catay. Also (Lord) there is come vnto me the Tarchan of Labaia, and I haue sent vnto you with my Presents the said Tarchan Labar and Ri••ibacshy An••haij▪* 1.3 and with them ten men, and two men of Sirgos; in their Letter is written that there is sent vnto your Maiestie three Leopards with their clawes, an Irbish with his clawes, three Lizernes with their clawes, a red and a yellow Damaske vpon a gold ground, a piece of Veluet, and an ambling Horse. And I am humbly to request your [ 20] Majestie, if it bee your Majesties fauour to grace mee for your owne honour with a garment of cloth of Gold, and of diuers colours, fiue Garments of fine Cloth, a Head-piece, a shirt of Male, a Sword, a Bow, twentie Gunnes, a Flaggon of Gold, a Kettle of Siluer, and fiue sorts of Preci∣ous Stones, of each one, a Tennet, a Dwarfe, and Workmen to make Guns and Powder, and two thousand pence. Your Maiesties name is growne renowmed and famous euery where, therefore I doe reuerence vnto your Majestie, because many Kings of many Countreyes haue spread abroad the fame of your Majesties name euery where. And I request that Ambassadours may speedily passe betwixt vs, and now if it be your Maiesties fauour, I desire you to dispatch these my Am∣bassadours with speed to me backe againe.
* 1.4Anno 7128. the three and twentieth of September in the Emperours Dominions at Soldota, [ 30] a Cazacke of Siberia, called Euashko Pettlin, did report, beeing examined of his Trauels. The last yeere past 7127. hee said that the Boiaren and Voyauod Knez Euan Simonowich Koorockin, sent him from the Castle of Tomo, and his f••llow•• Andrashko, to conduct the Kings Altines Am∣bassadours, as also to inquire or search the Kingdomes of Catay. They went from the Castle of Tomo, about the ninth of May, and trauelled from Tomo to Kirgis, with much expedition tenne dayes, and in Kirgis is a Duke subiect to the Emperours Maiestie, his name is Nemi, who gaue them victuals and post. Through this Land of Kirgis they werre halfe a day, and came to the Dominion of Mutalla, to the Altine King, who gaue them prouisions and post, and dispatched them thence: so they passed through his Land fiue weekes to the Country of Sheremugaly; where raigneth a Queene called Manchika, who caused to haue prouision and post giuen them. In this [ 40] Countrey of Sheromogula they trauelled foure dayes,* 1.5 and came into the Dominions of Catay; called Crim, where is a wall made of stone fifteene fathomes high, alongst the side of which wall they went ten dayes, where they saw pettie Townes and Villages belonging to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Queene Manchika; but in those ten dayes they saw no people vpon the wall at all. At the end of these ten dayes,* 1.6 they came to the gate, wherein lye very great Peeces of Ordnance, shooting shot as bigge as a mans head, and in the said gate standeth in watch three thousand men, and they come with their Merchandizes to traffique at the gate. The Altine men also come to the gate, with their Horses to sell to the Catay men; but are not permitted to come within the walls, except very few at once. Thus their whole trauell from Tomo Castle to this gate, was twelue weekes, besides some dayes that they stood still,* 1.7 and from the gate to the great Empire of Catay tenne [ 50] dayes, and came to the Citie or Castle of Catay about the beginning of September, and were lodged in the great Embassadors house: and hauing beene there in Catay foure dayes, there vsed to come vnto them a Secretary with two hundred men vpon Asses very well apparelled, and did entertayne and feast them with Sacke and other Drinkes made of Grapes, and told them that the Emperour, or King Tambur had sent him to aske them wherefore they were come into the Dominions of Catay. Whereupon they answered that our great Lord and Emperour had sent them to discouer the Dominions of Catay, and see the King thereof; but hee answered them a∣gaine, that without presents they could not see the King, and withall gaue them a Letter, which Letter they brought with them to Tolbosko, and from thence is sent to the Emperours Maiestie by them. Out of Catay they went about the twelfth of October, and came to the Castle [ 60] of Tobolsko about Whitsontyde the same yeere 1619.
Easterne Tar∣tar Nations.
Russian Pre∣sents.
Relation of two Russe tra∣uellers of their Voyage to Ca∣tay.
Tomo a new Castle beyond Ob. See sup. pag. 527. Kirgis. Mutalla.
Sheromugola. Q. Manchika.
Wall of Catay. The gate and guard.
See for better vnderstanding hereof, Goes & other Iesuites Relations in the second Booke.