'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎106] (655/1024)

io6 ' A Defcripion of the Comtreys which border
. —— —— * —4
That the Snow which falls abundantly in and begins to bediflolved about the
latter endi April, and do mighily increafethe Waters of the Volga^ come not unto
Ajlracban until Midfummcr, when it fo railes the Volga^ that overflowing the Banks,
it covers with his Waters all the Zllands near Aflracban ; fo that from the Link Nagoy]
tin AVtabon in the Great Nagoy, all the Coutries feerns, excepting a Hillock or two*
one continued Lake., or a great Gulf of the Sea. Wherefote they who go in the
Spring from Arftacban to fetch Wood, having cut it, make great Floats, which are
lifted up when the River overflows, and guided each by a few Men, until they are
brought unto Afiracban, or thofe Other places for which they are defigned.
The moft remarkable Towns and Habitations upon the Volga, between Seraicbena
and Adracban, (which are 500 miles diftant from each other) are Camena, Rotygom,
Ofjhenofba, Chornoyar, Bor iffe, Offatalka 3 Foollotvoy , Collmakof Same, Cojfoyar, Crofnoyar,
Najfonoyar, Satone, Tanatavy, Vaneelofka, Ferre Ouffbabg , Eillanfiekf , Eistyborro, Cruhfa,
Buff an, Balfheeke, Tbollotongorod, Volga a, Goradocba, ( which Was old Aflracban J Sharing,
Bogar, which is near Aftracbfi, belides many other Places, with whofe Names I have
not charged my memory. We will now pais over the Volga through Aifrachan into
the Great Nfgoy*
The Grek Nagoy may be properly enough divided into /Hands and Continent; the
former are made by the Volga, and ieveral Rivers which fall out of it, varioufly mix’d
with each other,and are all at length emptied into the Caffian Sea* Thofe Rivers or
Brances have their feveral Names; thofe which I remember are Cuttoma, Boulda, Mal-
la, Gucllufa, Creevoantya, Bufane, Attabon and Bereft. The Kingdom of the Great Na
goy is all plain and defert 5 1200 miles in length between Ajlracban and Semara ; 506
miles in breadth from the faid Ajlracban unto the River of the Teiky or Jaick There
is no wood in all this Countrey, except what grows near the Rivers. It hath no
Towns or fixed Habitation^, though it had formerly divers, and fome among them
very confiderablc, as Czarofsgorod, or Czarofs Foliate, in Englifh, the Emperours
Town, which formerly mull needs have been as its name imports,an Imperial or Ca
pital City. I have often viewed it with admiration, and connot compute it to have
been lefsdun 10 miles in Circuit 5 / have told fourfeore great eminent Buildings,
which muff have been either Mofcbees, Fallaces, or Caravanjmes, and Tome of them
6 miles diffant from the other. The Mufcovites are of divers Opinions concerning its
Deflation: Some fay it was ruined by the Coffacky ; but the Crjfackj, who are rea
dy enough to brag of Atchievements, know nothing thereof, only that they have 1
often difpofleffed the Ruffes, when they endeavoured to rebuild part of it. For in
deed the fituation is very excellent,having the Volga on one fide,and the Attabon on the
other:The Countrey very beautiful, healthful and fertile; and yet notwithftahding
all thefe encouragements, it is not yet inhabited, not by the Ruffes becaufe it (landing
on the main Land, they would be continually expoied unto the Inroads of theT^r-
tars ; nor by the bccaufe its nearnefs unto the Rivers, would render them ob
noxious to the Ruffes, every time the great Caravan pafles that way, which is at leafl
twice each year. Yet the Mufcovites do frequently fetch Brick and Stones from tlrs
ruined City, wherewith they have built a great part of Aflracban, and the neighbour-
in Forts or Towns, where fitch lolid Materials are imployed. But befides this Serai,
( for fo the Tartars call any fix’d Habitation ) there were in ancient times five or fix
more down along the Rivers fide,in each of which formerly dwelt a Chan-, but Time
and Wars have almofl: intirely ruined them. There is alfo another Sm**' upon the
River Twk named Seraichika, where is faid formerly to have been theRdidence of a
great Myrfa or Chan ; but ’tis now quite ruinated.
The farters who inhabit the Great Nagoy, both Men and Women, are very proper,
at leaftofmuch taller Stature than many other Tartars, but have ill-favoured Counte
nances, broad Faces, flat little Noies, (mail Eyes funk in their Heads, all which are
common to moft of the Eaflern Tartars. But the Tartars of Grim are more comely,
which,! fuppofe,may partely proceed from their Wives,who are many of them Cap
tive Circaff ans, Ruffes, Poles, Hmgars, and of divers other Nations. T^ie Nagoy Lar-
tars are allb Black or rather Tav/ny; which I Conjecture is not fo much natural, as
proceeding