Retoʳning backe to the Tana, I do passe the ryver wheare Alama was, as I haue saied before, and so discurre by the sea of Tabacche, on the right hande, going fooʳthe even to the Isle of Capha, wheare is a straict of the lande that knitteth the Ile wᵗʰ the mayne lande, liek vnto that of Morea, which is called Zuchala. There are verie great salt springes, that of itself being dried woll become ꝓficte salte. Costeng this ilande, first on the sea Tabacche is the cuntrey named Cumania, of the people Cumani. After that is the hedde of the isle wheare Capha standeth, in the same place wheare Gazzaria hath been. And yet to this daie the Pico, that is to saie, the yarde wherewᵗʰ they measure at Tana, and in all those ꝑties is called Pico de Gazzaria. The champaigne of this Ile of Capha is vnder the Tartariens domynion, who haue a Lorde called Vlubi, sonne of Azicharei. They are a good nombre of people hable at a neede to make iij or iiijᵐᵗ horses; they haue twoo places walled, but not stronge, thone whereof is called Sorgathi, which they also called Incremin, that signifieth a forteresse; and thother Cherchiarde, which signifieth xl placs. In this ilande, first at the mowthe of the sea Tabacche, is a place called Cherz, which we call Bosphoro Cimerio; next to that is Capha, Saldaia, Grasui, Cymbalo, Sarsona, and Calamita. All at this present vnder the great Turke, of the which I neede to saie no more, bicause they are knowen well enough. And yet me thinketh it necessarie to declare the losse of Capha, as I learned it of one Antony da Guasco, a Genowaie, who was present there, and fledde by sea into Giorgiana, and from thense into Persia, the same tyme that I happened to be there, to thentent it may be knowen aftre what maner this place is fallen into the Turks hands. In that tyme there was a Tartarien Lorde in the Champaigne named Emimachbi, who had yerely of them of Capha a certein tribute as the custome of the cuntrey there is. Betweene him and them of Capha there happened variaunce, insomuch that the Consule of Capha, being a Genowaie, determined to sende vnto thempoʳ of Tartarie for some one of the bloudde of this Eminachbi, by whose favoʳ he thought it possible to expell Eminachbi out of his astate. And having therevpon sent a shippe vnto Tana wᵗʰ an ambassadoʳ, this ambassadoʳ went into the Lordo and there obteigned of thempoʳ one of the bloudde of this Eminachby, named Menglieri, promiseng to conduct him to Capha, and that if the towne wolde not accept this appointement than to sende Menglieri backe again. Eminachbi, mistrusteng this matter, sent an ambassadoʳ vnto Ottomanno, promiseng him that if he wolde sende an armie by sea to assaulte the towne he would assault it by lande, and so shulde Capha be the Turkes. Ottomanno being desirouse thereof sent his armie, and in shorte space gate the towne, in the which Menglieri was taken, and sent to Ottoman̄o, who kept him in prison many yeres. Not longe after Eminachbi, through the Turks yll conversac̃on, repenting him of giveng the towne to Ottomanno, prohibited the passaige of all vittailles into the towne, by reason whereof they had so great skarsetie of corne and fleshe that they rekened themselfs in maner besieged. Wherevpon the Turke was ꝓsuaded that if he sent Menglieri to Capha, keeping him wᵗhin the towne in curteise warde, the towne shulde haue plentie: for Menglieri was welbeloued of the people wᵗhout. And so Ottomanno did; so that, as soone as it was knowen that he was arrived, incontinently the towne had plentie of all things, for he was also beloued of the townesmen. This man thus remaineng in curteise warde went wheare he wolde wᵗhin the towne; and one daie amongest other, there happened a game of shooting for a prise. The maner wheʳof is, they honge on certein polles sett vp like a galowes, a boll of sylver tied only wᵗʰ a fyne threede. Those nowe that shall shoote for the prise shoote thereat wᵗʰ forked arrowes and arr on horsebaike, and first must gallopp vnder the gallowes, so that being in his full carier passed a certein space, he turneth his bodie and shooteth backewarde, the horse galoping still awaywarde, and he that after this sorte cutteth the threede wynneth the game. Menglieri, findeng occasion vpon this to escape, appointed an c horsemen (wᵗʰ whom he had intelligence before) to hide themselfs the same daie in a litell valey not ferre from the towne, and fayneng to renne for the game he made awaie to his companie; wherevpon the force of all the whole iland folowed him: by reason whereof, he being waxed stronge, went to Surgathi, a towne vi miles from Capha, and took it, and so having slayne Eminachbi, made himself Lorde of all those places. The yere folowing he determined to go towards Citerchan,[18] a place xvi ioʳneys distant from Capha, vnder the domynion of one Mordassa[19] Can, who in that tyme was wᵗʰ his Lordo vpon the ryver of Ledil. He fought wᵗʰ him, tooke him and tooke his people from him: a great parte whereof he sent into the Ile of Capha, and so aboade the wynter on that ryver. At which tyme, by chaunce, there was an other Tartarien Lorde lodged a fewe ioʳneys of, who, hearing that he wyntered there, whan the ryver was frozen came on him soddainely, assaulted him, and discompfited him, and so recovered Mordassa that had been kept prisoner. Menglieri being thus discompfited, retoʳned vnto Capha in yll ordre. And Mordassa, wᵗʰ his Lordo, came the next springe even to Capha, and made certein roades to the dammaige of the ilande. But, seing he coulde not haue the towne yelden vnto him, he toʳned backe. Nevertheles, I was enformed that he was making of a newe armye to com̄e againe into the ilande and to chace Menglieri awaie, as it proved after in dede; but hereof sprange a false rumoʳ, through thignorance of them that vnderstande not whereof the warre amongest these Lordes proceadeth, not knowing what difference is betwene the great Can and Mordassa Can. For they, hearing that Mordassa Can made a newe armie to retoʳne vnto the ilande, bruted that the great Can shulde come by Capha, awaie against Ottomanno, purposeng by the waie of Moncastro to entre into Valachia, into Hungarie; and so, wheareas Ottomanno was behinde the ilande of Capha, which standeth on the sea Maggiore is Gothia, and aftre that Alania, which goeth by the ilande towardes Moncastro, as I have saied before.
The furlane and florentine differ but in phrase of speeche from the Venetian.
The Gothes speake dowche, which I knowe by a dowcheman, my serūnt, that was wᵗʰ me there: for they vnderstode one an other well enough, as we vnderstande a furlane[20] or a florentine.
Of this neighboʳhode of the Gothes and Alani, I suppose the name of Gotitalani to be deryved, for Alani were first in this place. But than came the Gothes and conquered these cuntreys, myngleng their name wᵗʰ the Alani, and so being myngled togither called themselfs Gotitalani, who, in effect, folowe all the Greekish fac̃ons, and so also do the Circassi.
Mare Caspi’u is nowe called Bachu.
And bicause we haue spoken of Tumen and Cithercan, thinking good to write the things there woʳthie of memorie, we saie that going from Tumen east northeast about vij ioʳneys, is the ryver Ledil, whereon standeth Cithercan, which at this p’nt is but a litle towne in maner destroied; albeit, that in tyme passed it hath been great and of great fame. For, before it was destroied by Tamerlano, the spices and silke that passe nowe through Soria came to Cithercan, and from thense to Tana, wheare vj or vij galeys only were wonte to be sent from Venice to fetche those spices and silkes from Tana; so that, at that tyme, neither the Venetians nor yet any other nacion on this side of the sea costes, vsed merchaundise into Soria. The ryver Ledil is great and large, and falleth into the Sea of Bachu about xxvᵗⁱᵉ myles distant from Cithercan, and as well in that ryver as in the sea arr innumerable fisshes taken.
Marchetto is not worthe an Englishe halfepeny.
Stufe is an hote-house.
That sea yeldeth much salte, and yoʷ may saile vp that ryver by ioʳneys almost as ferre as Musco, a towne of Rossia. And they of Musco come yerely wᵗʰ their boates to Cithercan for salte. There arr many ilandes and woodes on this ryver, some of which ilandes conteigne xxx myles in cōpasse. In these woodes arr great trees growing, which, being made holowe, serue for boates of one peece, so bigge that thei woll carie viij or x horses at a tyme and as many men. Passing this ryver and going east northeast towards Musco, keeping the rivers side xv ioʳneys continuallie, arr innumerable people of the Tartariens, but toʳneng plaine northeast yoʷ arryve at the confines of Rossia, at a litle towne called Risan, which appertaigneth to a brother in lawe of John Duke of Rossia, and there they be all Christians aftre the ryte of the Greekes. This countrey is verie fertyle of corne, fleshe, honye, and divers other things: and their drynke is called Bossa,[21] which signifieth ale. There arr also many woodes and villages, and so passing a litle further yoʷ com̄e to a citie called Colona. The one and other of both which townes arr fortified wᵗʰ woodde, whereof also they buylde their houses, bicause there is small quantitie of stone to be founde thereabouts. Three ioʳneys from thense is the said towne of Musco, wheare the forenamed John Duke of Rossia dwelleth, throwgh the middest of which towne renneth the most noble ryver of Musco, and hath certein bridge over it: and, as I believe, the towne tooke his name of the ryver. The castell is on a litell hyll environed about wᵗʰ woodes. The habundance that they haue of corne and fleshe may well be cōmprehended by this, that they sell not their fleshe by weight, but by the eye; and surely they have iiijˡ for a marchetto. Yoʷ shall haue lxx hennes for a ducat, and a goose for iij marchetti. But the colde is so fervent in that cuntrey that the ryvers are frozen. In the wynter arr brought thither hogges, oxen, and other beastes, readie flayne, and sett vpright on foote as harde as stones, and in such nombre that he who wolde bye twoo hundred in a daie may haue them there. But they woll not be cutt, for they arr harde as marble till they be brought into the stufes. As for fruictes, they haue none, saving a fewe apples and nuttes and litle wylde nuttes.
Sani arr sleddes.