‘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’ [‎173] (222/470)

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C hap . XL The Voyages of whn struys i 7 ,'
*li almojl round, empties it felf into the On each fide this River ^ vc
is a fair andpleafantCountrey fo faras one can view : but we were i6«^-
informed by the Ruffes that it was there very dangerous to travail by
reafon of Robbers, and the vagabond who kept themfelves
in the Woods, whence they fometimes falley out in whole bandstand
furprizePaflengers. The Cofaks alfo haunt the River 3 having Boats
which are made long and fmall, with which they row admirably fwift.
On one fide of the Vjja. are feme Mountains and amongft thofe one of
an incredible heighth called Sariol Kur where they fayan Emperor
of the Tartars with 70 Kings lyburied. when they came up the
with intent to invade Rufsu ; which Mountain being bare and rocky.
they fay that the Soldiers carriedupfo much Earth and Mold as was
fufticient. Some of thofe Mountains are woody and-other fome- bare
ftoneand cliffs.
On the 8 th we failed forward and came to Samara, which is fo called
from a certain River that runs through it where it runs into the
FFolga. TheCityisbuilt four-Square, and moftl^of Wood } only
the Churches and Cloyfters are built of-ftone.
The day following we faw the Moimtain , fo called
from the C»Jah which were there beat by the Army y havin™
fadlymoleftedalltheCountrey ? , under'th&fubjeftionof the C?Mr-,
by a continual Plundering : but having at that time received iiich
an overthrowcould never fince complete fo great a Body, as might b©
any way obnoxious to the Ruffians. Behind Mountains are
very high, but Cofak-hm furpaffes all the- reft for heighth. About the '
going down of the Sun we failed pall the Ifiand Pant^ti-umd thenext
morning found our felves, as far as Sagemsko,
On the M we failed paft the Jfiand Z-agrn , whefe we mst-dlvci-s "•
Fifliers-boats and fupplied our felves with freih Fifli. Here we had
news that a great number of Cofac-ReheiL Were entred the liland
toggere , atthe mouth ohhe-fTolg*, on the Sea, and annoyed
the River.
On the 12 we failed by feveral Iflands, namely SafiioTv, Offtno
namago Koltof , and others not inhabited.
The next day we faw the Mountain 3 which in their Lan
guage is as much as to fay , a Snake, or Dragon, having it's name
as Iconjeclurefrom its linulitudeof a Snake, rifing up into hillocks
Y3 and