Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	fish_n	great_a	sea_n	3,519	5	6.8793	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52872	A New and exact description of Moscovy (1.) containing its state antient and modern, situation, extent, latitude, division into provinces, rivers, soile, sterility, and fertility, with the commoditys, and observations on the extreamitys of weather hot and cold, (2.) of the citys and towns, fortification and manner of building ... (3.) of their religion, marriages, ... (4.) of the government ... (5.) their military affairs ... (6.) the revenues of the czar ... (7.) the succession of the royal house of Muscovy ... : the whole containing all that is necessary to be known concerning that vast empire.		1698 (1698)	Wing N541; ESTC R38883	23,009	33

about 4260 Verst a Verst being something more than 3 quarters of an English Mile and Northward beyond Cola are other Territories but the Extream Cold is there very Oppressive so that they are not much Fertil when their Coat of Snow is dissolv'd by the Sun in the Four Hot Summer Months The Breadth from that part which lyeth the farthest West from the Narve side to the part of Siberia Eastward is in a manner equal to the Length Moscovy is Water'd by many large Rivers most of them when the Weather is open being Navigable some by lesser and some by larger Vessels that procure a considerable Trade but in the Ridged Season they are frozen over so that Sleads and Carriages pass on them from place to place they abound in Fish and the Volga is famous for the great quantity of Sturgeon taken in it It is about 2800 Verst in length an English Mile in most places over and empties its Waters into the Caspian Sea running by Astracan and other Towns of Note to which it brings a considerable Trade The other Rivers of Note are the Boristhenes that divideth the Country from Lithuania and falleth into the Euxine Sea The Tanais or Don the Antient boundary between Europe and Asia falling into the great Lake of Moeotis by the City of Azou Duyna falling unto the Bay of St. Nicholas Northward and to be brief a great many more as Moscow running thorough the City of that Name and about ten others very large besides smaller Streams the least for length and breadth comparable to the River of Thames and from these proceed many Branches so that take the Country in general it is as well Watered as can be desired and accomodated with several good Ports and Havens The Soile of this Spacious Country cannot be reasonably expected no more than others Fertil in all places alike and in some parts particularly by reason of its Northern Situation lying from 33 to 69 degrees and some Minutes North Latititude Yet is it wonderful to see how God has ordered things here to the Advantage and for the Subsistance of the Inhabitants The Earth for the most part is of a slight Sandy Mould but not alike for producing such things as spring up Northwards towards St. Nicholas and Cola and North-East towards Siberia there is an indifferent Sterility the Country there being full of Desarts and vast Forrests by reason of the extreamety of the Climate in the colder Season but from the Volga which lyes almost 1700 verst from the Port of St. Nicholas down towards Moscow and so the Southern parts that border on the Crimee that contains near the like space the Country is very Fruitful in the proper Season yeilding Pasture Corn Flowers pleasant Fruits and Woods in great plenty and so it is between Rezan and Novogrod that lyes South-East from Moscow and other parts as between Moscow and Smolensko that lyes South-West towards Littuania insomuch that one would wonder to see the great alteration between Winter and Summer in Moscovy In the former the whole Country is cover'd by a continual falling Snow that is sometimes a yard or two in deepness in the Southern parts but more excessive in the North and the Cold is so extream that the Rivers and other Waters are Frozen to a vast thickness and this usually continues for five Months viz. from the beginning of November till towards the end of March at what time the Suns warm beams returning the Snow begins to melt away which makes the face of the Country look very frightful and the Ways on the Thaw for a time unpracticable But then as it were on a suddain the face of Nature is chang'd for though a little before Water thrown up in the Air would descend in Ice drops and any Mettal grasped fast in ones hand stick to the Skin and make it blister if taken abroad and many People venturing too far were frozen to death in the Streets and on their Jorneys in the Sleads Now the Woods that are mostly of Birch and Firr give a pleasing sight the Meddows and Pastures look green and grow apace variety of Flowers appear in the Fields and the Birds make a pleasing Harmony the Nightingals there in abundance have a clearer Note than with us and this suddain growth of things proceeds from the Benefit of the Snow which lying so long keeps off the Rigour of the Frost and disolving so thoroughly drenches and soaks the Earth that the Sun coming hot as it were on a suddain into a cold Climate the Plants and Herbs c. find such a Norishment that they sooner shoot forth than in warmer Countrys and indeed considering the past cold the heat is greater than usually with us in June July and August which produces store of Aples Pears Plums Cherrys Black and Red a Fruit like a Musk-Mellion but more pleasant in tast Cucumbers Gowrds Rasps Strawberrys Hurtle-berrys and many other Berrys also Wheat Rye Barley Pease Buskway Psnytha tasting somewhat like Rice and sometimes they have such plenty that Wheat is sold at two English Pence a Bushel the Rye is sow'd before the Frost all other Grain for the most part the beginning of May but the Northern parts are usually served in a great degree by the Southern with Corn as being more Steril This Country above others is noted for Rich Furs which they get by hunting divers creatures as also Hides Tallow Wax Honey Flax Hemp Tar and other valuable Commoditys CHAP. II. Of the Cities and Towns of Moscovy their Situation Fortification Manner of Building The Discovery of the North-east Passage by the English their Factory Setled at Arch-Angel c. The Populousness of the Country considering the Wasts in it The Danger of Wild Beasts and the Disposition of the Natives OF the Creatures of this Country I shall Treat particularly in due place But now pursuing the Method I propose to lay down The next thing that offers is the Cities Towns and the like that Adorn and Beautify the Country and those of Note are Moscow the Metropolis from which the Country at present seems to take its Name as that City does from the River on whose Bounds it stands It is about 12 Miles in compass and may contain about 41500 Families Convents Churches and Chappels The Houses in general are built with VVood Plaister'd with Mortar and Straw done over with Lime brought from Smolensko c. and then covered over with Boards and Bark of Trees which renders them cooler in Summer and warmer in VVinter but subjects them more to Fire of which they have had many Fatal Experiments for An. 1571. The Tartars Burnt it and in it destroy'd about 80000 Persons Anno 1611. the Polanders Fir'd it Anno 1676. an Accidental Fire happen'd and sunk 5000 Houses in the Conflagration But since care has been taken to Rebuild those Devastations for the most part and at present 't is reckon'd among the Flourishing Cities of Europe and Guards are appointed to

something more in value than an English Peney 10 of them make a Greven 3 Capecks are call d an Altine by which Contracts and Bargains are usually made 33 Altines and one Capeck make a Rubble At Arch-Angel there is an Exchange practic'd and the Price of Russ Mony bears as the scarcety or plenty will allow The Receipts begin in August to return in London about the latter end of December The Weights chiefly in use are the Pood by which all fine Goods are weighed as Beaver Silk Wool c. but for gross Goods they have a Weight call'd the Berzovet accounted 10 Poods or the Russship-Pound computed to be 360 Pound Averdupois so that all Goods bought by this Weight are accounted to be 10 Per cent profit so that many have recon'd Goods so bought to pay the Freight with over-weight and all Goods bought by the Pood to be 10 Per cent less The Measure of length is call'd the Archin and is accounted 28 English Inches so that 100 Archins are supposed to produce Incirca 78 yards of London Measure Oyle mostly Fish-Oyle they sell by the Barrel each Barrel accounted half a Hogshead Concave Measures are little us'd in Trade As for their Furs of which they have many sorts as Bever Otter White Red Black and Dun Fox Sables Martins Minever c. they are usually sold by the Timber Weight or Tale and much coveted by Merchant Strangers who purchase them at dear rates and send them into most Countrys of Europe and Asia and into the other parts of the World They take upon the Coast abundance of Seals which is done in this manner they carry their Boats over the Ice to open Water and finding their haunts where they lye basking on huge Flakes of Ice in a Sunshiney day coming out of the Sea for that purpose they hem them in with their Boats and with great Clubs striking them on the Nose quickly kill them their Skins are good Merchandice and of their Fat they make a sort of Redish Oyle There is another Sea-Creature called a Morse who has Teeth about a foot long by the help of which he clambers up Rocks to seek for Prey and for the sake of his Teeth they take him which exceeds Ivory and are of great esteem among them They have in some parts of the Country White Fox Grey and Red Squirrils a large Water-Rat whose Skin smells naturaly like Muske They have also Wulberins They have likewise a Beast called Losh or Buff whose Skin turns to very good account They have a Fish called Ribzuba whose Teeth are as fine as Ivory and used for heads of Knives Sword-hafts c. Likewise some use the Powder to Antedote Poison as the Vnicorns horne this I hold to be the same with the Morse The word Ribzuba in their Language rather signifieing the Tooth than the Fish for it is caught about Pecliora or Petzora some of them have been found with their Teeth of 2 foot long weighing 11 Pound or more They have in the Woods and Mountains many wild Horses also flying Squirils having Tufts of hair growing to their Shouldiers like Wings which makes them seem to fly when they take vast leaps from one Tree to another their Tails are much broader than others which shakes and spreads as they leap and so facilitates them in their Agillity They have Hares the colour of ours in Summer but in Winter they change their Coats into Milk-white and the Squirils the like from a Redish unto a Grey whereof cometh the Calaber They have store of Deer Roe-Bucks and Goats in some parts Elks on which the Semoids on their borders Ride and cause their Sleads to be drawn by Harts or Ollins large Dogs c. Their Horses and Sheep are but small yet both good in their kind As for Fowl they have great plenty as the Egle-Hawks of several kinds The Swan Wild and Tame the Stork and Crane the Tedder of the colour of a Phesant but much biger living in the Firr-woods of Phesant and Partridge they have great plenty The Owls in Moscovy are exceeding large their Ears as big as a Man's and much like them They have many River-Fish common with ours as Pike Carp Roaeh Tench c. but others altogether strange to us as the Behlouga or Bellougiva 4 or 5 Ells long The Severinga or Sterledy somewhat in fashion and tast like a Sturgeon but not so thick nor long The Ribela or White Salmon these are found in great plenty in the River Volga and other Rivers in a River near the Town of Perislave they take a Fish like our Herring but not so big They have abundance of Salt-wells turning to great advantage in making Salt and near Astracan the sea-Sea-Water being thrown up among the Rocks in the hot weather the Sun makes it into Hills of Salt they have in this Country a Lucid Slate cut out of a Rock which being split into thin slivers serves as Trasparent Glass and in the Rivers near the Bay of St. Nicholas several Rocks of Alablaster but not to wade too far in matters that to some may seem Trival I intend to close with what may yet seem more worthy of Note CHAP. VII The Succession of the Royal Houses of Moscovy for about 1600 years to the present CZAR giving an Historical account of their Victorys Enlarging their Dominions the Revolutions that have happen'd in the State The manner of the Corronation and other things of the like nature The CZAR or great Duke of Moscovys Honourable Titles The Impress of the Broad Seal Degrees of Nobility c. THe Succession of the Government of that vast Country now call'd Moscovy in part and in the whole has been of Antient standing as will appear in the following brief History brought down to the present CZAR Peter Alexowitz The Dukes of Moscovy are held though it may be thought something doubtful from Augustus Caesar the second Roman Emperour however according to other Historians Writing of this matter I shall trace it from hence to an undoubted certainty as the times came nearer to us and briefly touch on what memorably happen'd by the way They tell us that Augustus Caesar sent some of his near Kindred to be Governours in these Parts and amongst them one Prussus who Named his Province or Government Prussia which lay on the Eastern Baltic Shoar by the River Wixel of whom Rurek Sirianus and Truvrio decending by the fourth Generation were by the Russians then living without Civil Government sent for Anno. Dom. 573 to bear Rule over them at the perswasion of Gostomislius chief Magistrate of Novogrod and taking with them Olechus their Kinsman they had by common Consent the Government of those Countrys divided amongst them and all but Rurek dying without Issue Vorson his Son succeeded him in the whole Government as it had been Agreed amongst them who took to Wife Olba Daughter to a Citizen of Plesco who brought him a Son call'd Stoslaus who succeeded him and was slain