'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎189] (210/448)

Hjrcania. Derbent.
Men, who as Fiftier-men would launch fome leagues into the Sea without apprehenfion
of danger. But at Ferrahaut and other : Sea Towns we faw great Vetfels with mails
and fails, flat-bottom'd, unlefs they were fuch as traded from port to port, keeping in
light of Land, having little knowledge of the Compafs, or other help for Navigation
lave what the Pole-ftar and other Ardick Conftellations adminiftred. The greateft of
thofe VeiTels I faw exceeded not 30 Tun •, in which they neverthelefs adventure to crofs
to Aftracan or Citra-Kann^ as they call it, a noted Town and Ifle in 47 degrees North la
titude : the Ifle is 12 miles long and 3 broad. The Town is feated upon a rifing ground,
about which is a Line for defence, and upon the works fome pieces of Cannon mounted;
the Houfes are not many nor well built, but fufficiently peopled. And albeit the foil
be barren and the air bad, yet fuch is the attrad of gain, that it is much reforted to
by Merchants of feveral Countreys who trade hither for Furs of Foxes,Sables,Woolverin
Ermyn, Lufern, Miniver, Beaver, Otter, Squirrel and the like, which Kitflia and the
Dominions under the Mufcovite and Tartar abound with, as alfoforFilh, and more efpe-
cially for Caveare,which being fauc't with fallet-oyl, vinegar and pepper is held a dainty,
and Potargo, and principally for fait which they extrad from fait water, and vend in
great quantity, to the increafe of the Duke's Cuftoms', whofmcehe wrefted it from the
Negay Tartar in the Year of our Lord 1494. hath ereded a Caftle of good defence
there, as appeared when Johanms Bafilm the Emperour ( about fix years after ) gave
Selymus'the Grand Seignior two memorable defeats, at fiich time as he brought his Armies
hither in behalf of the injur'd Tartar: And the like foon after by his Son Bafiliades\
which good fuccefs gave the Kuffe a peaceful polFeffion and fubjedion.
Six leagues from Afiracan runs the great River Folga* or Wolga as here pronounce^
which fprings out of a Mountain about 100 miles from Teroflave in Rujfm in the latitude
of 60 degr. where after a little fpace the channel is well-nigh expatiated fo broad as the
Thames at London ; and after 2000 miles courfe inlarges more, and near this He in feve
ral great Oftiums difgorges its watery ftomach into the Cajpim Sea. Were the dep?h
of this great River anfwerable to its breadth and length, it would compare with any
other River, and better incourage Navigation*, yea be much more frequented by Euro-
paans than it isin regard it affords a much nearer and eafier paffage into Perfiaandthz
Indies, than we have by the way of Aleyp and Trefizjond, and much more expeditious
than by furrounding Afriqua. For Experience teaches us, that Ihips which fet out from
London which is ufually in Afril, do with a fair gale of wind arrive in two months Ipace
at Saint Nicholas in where the North Pole is elevated 66 degrees 30 minutes *, from
which place we pafs upon the Dvoina by boat to Vologda in 7 days more, and from thence
in 2 days by Sled to upon the River Volga, whence by boat Hkewife we pafs
down to Afiracan in lefs than 30 days , fo as the whole from Saint Nicholas to Aftracan
( moll of the way being by water ) is computed 2600 English miles at the utmoft •, and
from Aftracan to E err ah ant (under the Verfian) or Derbent, the paflage may with a fair
wind in three days or little more be accomplilhed taking great heed as they fail, the
water (by reafon of fhoalds) being very dangerous in fundry places.
D ERBE N T is a Port Town upon the Cafpian ftiore, of great ftrength and no lefs
antiquity: being fuppofed that the foundation thereof was laid by Alexander the Great,
who alfo ereded that great and ftrong Caftle tailed Kaftow adjoyning it; from whence
he drew a running trench as far as Tefys, the greateft part whereof was countermur'd
with a thick wall of ftone, the ruins whereof are yet apparent ^ through which was the
onely way or palfage from Mengrellia and thofe parts, into Media and Hyrcama, called
by Geographers of old, Cancafia vel Iberia porta ; and though helpt by Art, is never
thelefs by Pliny termed Ingens opus Nattpra. So as thence is may be gathered, it was
no lefs defenfive in its natural fcituation. That Hiftorian alfo gives us the dimenfion, 1
Ihi tranfitm patet duntaxat 300 paffm, and worthily reckoned amongft the Wonders of AJia.
Befides that, from the Town unto the Sea (more than a mile) two Walls are raifed, which
be eight foot thick and thirty foot high *, the diftance betwixt the Walls being about
eight hundred foot or eightfeore paces. Moreover the Town it felf for Trade is not
inferiour to any other upon that fea; moft of the noted places thereabouts as alfo from
Trepizond and other Ports upon the Euxine frequently repairing thither for commerce,
which enriches the Town and makes it the more populous. Moreover, as it is a Garri-
fon 'tis made more defenfive byj regular Fortifications, which have been occafionally ad
ded to the old Wall that of it felf is both large and ftrong; altogether of that account
as by a good reporter it is called Vrbs mius Orientis mmitijjima. The circuit of the Wall
is three miles, and affords a profped into the Mare Cafpium.
Derbent
189