‘The perillous and most unhappy voyages of John Struys, through Italy, Greece, Lifeland, Moscovia, Tartary, Media, Persia, East-India, Japan, and other places in Europe, Africa and Asia. Containing, I. Most accurate remarks and observations of the distinct qualities, religion, politie, customs, laws and properties of the inhabitants: II. A due description of the several cities, towns, forts and places of trust, as to their site and strength, fortifications by nature, or art, &c. with other things worthy of note: and III. An exact memorial of the most disastrous calamities which befell the author in those parts (viz) by ship-wrack, robberies, slavery, hunger, tortures, with other incommodities and hardships’ [‎167] (216/470)

^ Chap. X. The Voyages of lohn Struys. 1^-7
On the 6 th our Shallop wasfent up to to.acquaint the Deputy
with our Arrival. 1669.'
On the 8 th the Deputy of Cafan , together with the Metropolitan
came aboard, where they feemed to receive great fadsfaction , ha
ving never feen the like before. The Common people came likewife
flocking in great multitudes to fee a floating Caftle j and notwith-
ftanding all the aw of the Deputy and Provincial, we had much
ado to keep them off, for they Itrove to come aboard.
Cafan is a great City , and reafonably ftrong , but it's Walls and Df / ?r; -
Towers of Wood, as almoft all the Rujiun Towns are. The Cittadel caflt^
is walled with ftone , and well provided of Ammunition and Men.
The Town is fituated upon a Hill, but in a Champan Countrey.
The Cittadel is encompaffed with the , which renders the
Water within inexhauftible in time of Siege. The Traffic of this
Place is very confiderable , regarding the Countrey it lies in. It is
frequented by the Crim-Tartars, who bring thither all manner of Mer-
chandife their Land afFoards, and not only the vendible Produfts of
the Earth and Cattle , but as orderly their own Children , which
they fell at a low rate j a Boy or a Girl of 16 years of age , for the
valueof 20 Crowns a piece. The City Cafan is equally inhabited by
Rujftans and Tartars and governed by a Deputy , as we have already
faid, but the Cittadel kept folely by Ruffes where no is to
come upon pain of Death. There is befides the Deputy (who is only
as Prefident and fupremc in Civil Matters ) an extraordinary Ffaj-
Tvode , who is always as Superintendant in time of War , having the
fole Direction of Martial Affairs.
^The Countrey of which has been formerly a Kingdom , is
ofa very wide extent j bounded on the North with on the
Eafl; with Nagaya , and on the South with the River Wolga.. This
Countrey was formerly very populous and able to bring a great Army
to field, as in recorded oftheir famous Expeditions againft the Rujfes-,
but fince depopulated, made waft and fubdued, by lyano^itz,
who overcame thefe Cafm-Tarta.rs in a very bloody Battail, and after
that fo notable a Conqueftfet a Vice-Roy. This Vice-Roy , although
a Cafan-Tartar , was always more loyal to the Czar , than favourable
to his own Countreymen ; which occafioned great murmurings and
jealoufy, among the Cafmeen , that at laft they called in the