CHAP. LXXXV. Of Astracan and the Trade thereof.
* 1.1ASTRACAN is in Tartaria Asiatica, as I shall shew hereafter, seated in the Embo∣shure of the River Volga, having 70 months, and receives the Trade of all the Caspian-Sea, into which the said River entreth; it hath a very great confluence of Merchants, who by the benefit of that Sea have here a very great Trade, Volga bringing it all the Commodities of Muscovia, Russia, and Tartaria; and this Sea the commodities of Persia, Arabia and other Provinces abutting thereupon; it is situate in an Island of 12 leagues compass, defended by a wooden Castle and earthen Walls, taken by the Muscovites in Anno 1552. from the Tartarians: it is all Winter shut up by the immeasurable cold, and all Traffick over and upon this great stream is performed on dry foot.
The Coins here current, by reason of my ignorance I must refer to the better experienced.
* 1.2Their weights are here two, a gross for gross Commodities, and a sotile for fine Commodi∣ties; the gross Cattar hath been observed to have in England yielded 268 l. the small Cantar hath made English 103 l. now in both these Cantars there is accounted 20 Rotolo's to a Lib, and 5 Libs to a Cantar, and 12 Tochats to a Rotolo; which by the ingenious may easily be re∣duced to the sotile English pound, therefore I pass it over, and come in the next place to the measuras.
* 1.3The common measure is a Pico, and the 100 thereof hath made by observation in Venetia 126 Braces of Cloth measure, which is in England about (—) inches.
* 1.4Corn and all other grain is sold by a measure called the Chistetto, which in Venetia comes to make 8½ Staios.
Wine and liquid Commodities is sold by the Butt; which is 46 Mistaties, and which also ren∣ders in Venetia 3¼ Bigonso.
* 1.5In Tartaria Asiatica there are few Cities; for the Inhabitants by borders or tribes travel with their substance from one place to another; yet in this Tract is found Casan, and Astra∣can afore-named, which is a very great Town of Commerce, considering these Regions, com∣modiously seated, (as I said before) on the mouth of the River Volga, by which there is a pas∣sage sound from the Caspian-Sea in some seasons of the year up to Mosco, and by which way (as I noted in the trade of Persia) some Merchants of Christendom more than once intended to transport the silks, and other the riches of Persia to Muscovia, and so to Europe; but the design proved dangerous and chargeable, by reason of such potent Princes that border upon that River; and by reason that the same must pass against the current stream, which in Winter is not found passable by reason of the Frost, by which and other discouragements the design was given over and fell to nothing.
* 1.6In Tartaria Antiqua, I find not any thing worthy of note, nor yet City of import, the In∣habitants living like Vagabonds; * 1.7only it affordeth Rhubarb, which is so excellent in Physick by its proper nature, that the whole World is beholding to these Barbarians for the same as a Cure for many Diseases.