The New atlas, or, Travels and voyages in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, thro' the most renowned parts of the world ... performed by an English gentleman, in nine years travel and voyages, more exact than ever.

CHAP. XIX. Travels through Tartary to Muscovy, and what is observable on the way in those vast desert Countries; the Nature of the Peo∣ple; their manner of living, with a parti∣cular Discription of Astrakan, and the Sturgeon fighting in the River Volga.

HAving visited China, and learned what I thought convenient, for it is not good to be too Inquisitive, for fear of being taken as a Spy. I began to be weary of the Fatigue, and of so long an absence from my Native Country, wherefore I re∣solved to take the first opportunity to return home, and it was not long e're Fortune befriended me to pass by Land; (for the way by the Caspian Sea is ve∣ry dangerous, for that little Sea, or rather great Lake, is full of Flats and Shallows, very tempeste∣ous in most Seasons, and has a great number of Rocks

in it, with dangerous Eddies, or Whirl-pools, by reason about 100 large Rivers discharge themselves violently into it;) for there was a Caravan going from Pekim to Bokara, and in it I entered my self with all Necessaries for my Journey, and in 15 days the Weather being very fair, and our Stages large, we reached Soezi, the last Town of China, with∣out the great Wall; and here I stored my self with abundance of good Ruburb that grows in their Gardens, which stood me in much stead when I came into the cold Countries; and from hence we journeyed mostly North-west, and the principal Towns in our way, was Baretola, Kechemire, Kibo∣al, Samark, and some others, which by reason of my Indisposition on the Road, I shall not undertake to describe. Let it suffice then, that the Tartars in∣habit mostly this vast Track of Land; in some places very Mountainous, in others, vast Deserts and Forrest, the ground Sandy and Stony for the most part, and all along I could see Snow. On the tops of the high Mountains, though in the begin∣ning of Summer, the People are Rude and Simple, most of them living by feeding Cattle, which they drive from one place to another, carrying their Wives, Children, and all they have along with them; pitching Tents in their Encampments, espe∣cially where they find pleasant Springs, and stay there till the Grass is Eat up, and then they re∣move: The Tartars are a very numerous People, and spread a vast track of Land in Asia and Europe, and Principally they are thus divided, viz. The Precopenses, Asialica, Antiqua and Cathur from their Principal Provinces, which may be termed, though there are other numerous little Divisions too many here to mention; and though they are a cruel kind of People, our Caravan met with no on-set by the way, though we see numerous Hoards of them on either hand. As we see their Houses are mean and inconsiderable, and their Diet mostly raw Flesh in many places, and above all, they are great lovers of the Fat of Bears, yet they give not their Minds

so much to Robberies as the Arabs, or other untra∣ctable Nations, because few of them know the use of it, or at least have no great esteem for Money; some are Idolars, and some Mahometans.

This Track abounds in Furs, and there are some Mines of Gold and Silver found in many parts, but they little regard Diging it; and so barbarous are they, that many of them dress their Children at great Feasts, to entertain their Guess, as the choicest of Dainties; nor do they refrain from Feastings on their Dead: There are a great many strong Stags and Harts I saw in my Passage, which they use to Ride, carry Burthens, and draw their Waggons, or Sledges. Mulbury-Trees grow in some places a∣long the Roads, especially bordering on China, which are laden in their proper Seasons with Silk∣worms that produce much Silk, but they little re∣gard it, it being mostly gathered by the Banians, who live scattered among them, who send it to Per∣sia and other Countries, and have rich Merchandize in return; for here the coldness of the Country obliges them mostly to habit themselves in Furs, and thick course Cloathings. They trade much in White and Black Fox Sables, Hart and Fawn Skins; they have vast Forrests of Black Wood, wherein many huge Bears lurk to surprize Travellers, which made us keep close together when we passed such places, and have our Eyes about us, as well as our Fire-arms in readiness; and so keeping the Road, though not without many turnings, and ruged ways, when we had passed Samark, and it brought us to Bockar, where I staid some time to refresh me, for I had been ill of a Flux by the way, which still held me so, that I took no great pleasure to make any cu∣rious remarks here, and had I done it, as I was in∣formed, there is nothing worthy of Note in the Town, the Houses being plain and low Built, the Streets crooked, and no Antiquities memorable. Here the Moscovites and Yousbecs Tartar are driving a considerable Trade together in Furs, and other Commodities.

Having here pretty well recovered, by the assi∣stance of a German Physician, I found in this place, I thought, a convenient opportunity to pass to Astra∣kan, which in a few days, I had, passing part of the way in Sledges, drawn by Harts, that run with them very swiftly; and an other part, by taking Horse, there being a kind of a little Caravan, made up by the meeting of divers Travellers. The Mus∣covites use Sledges, that in the Winter they slide swiftly over the Snow and Frozen Rivers, having Beds in them, and covered over with Tilts like Waggons, so that they are a warm Convenience; notwithstanding in Winter, Travellers have been Frozen to Death in them.

Astrakan is Seated on the Great and Famous Ri∣ver Volga, which at 70 Mouths, or Channels, dis∣charges its Water into the Caspian Sea, and so forcibly, that it keeps it stream unmixed with the Salt-water for many Leagues. In this River, the Muscovites have a great Fishery for Sturgeon, which they catch in abundance very large, so that the Eggs sometimes found in one of them, may weigh 100 Weight: As for the Flesh, they pickle up and send it into di∣vers parts of Europe, some they press to make Oyl, and the Eggs they salt to make Ragous to serve them instead of Butter, which in Lent is denied them, and this is the Cavere so much used in many Countries. In the Summer, there are so many Muskela's, or Sting Gnats, about this River, that Passengers are miserably Stung and Blistered by them, though they wrap themselves up, and defend them all they can.

We were forced to stay before this City, till we obtained leave of the Governor for admittance; which after a little attendance, was granted: It is Seated in 48 Degrees North Latitude, in an Island of the Volga, 13 Leagues from the Mouth of the River, and appartains to the Great Czar of Muscovy. It is encompassed with a double Wall, without any o∣ther Fortification, except some few Towers, half Musket Shot one from an other. The Great Guns

planted there are fine pieces, and about 80 in num∣ber, it stands low on gravelly Ground, so that the heat is excessive in Summer, and the People are constrained to Bath themselves in cool Water in Troffs placed in Vaults; yet the Soil produces good Fruit of sundry kinds, they have store of excellent Mellions, especially the Karpous, or Water Mel∣lions, their Rhinds Green, but of a Rosey Red with∣in, of a pleasant tast, cooling and delicate to quench Thirst. There are divers sorts of Grapes, of which they make a kind of pleasant Wine, but it soon Sowers: All this while, no private Person dares touch a Grape till the Governour has made choice of them, and other Fruits, for the Czar's Table. There are divers Nations inhabiting here, drawn by the Convenieney of Trade, and the sweetness of the Air. The Armenians entirely possess one Suburb, and the Nogais Tartars an other, which resemble a City, being Fortified with Wooden Ramports, and the Deputy Governour Commands there; within the Enclosure stands a pretty convenient Mosque, but the Houses for the most part are made of Bull∣rushes, of which there are about 2000. They keep a Market in the Morning in their Quarter, and the Mascovites keep theirs in the Evening, in the middle of their City; yet this City is often insulted by the Calmuc Tartars, which constrains the Inhabi∣tants for their better Repose, to send them Presents, which the Tartars call a Tribute of Bread, Fish, Flesh, and other Provisions, and they drive a Trade with them for Furs and Horses, of which they bring great plenty; besides the Muscovites are many times obliged to them, for their assisting them with Men in the time of their Wars.