OF MUSCOVY, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED RUSSIA


Muscovy, which hath the name also of Russia the White, is a very
large and spacious country, every way bounded with divers nations.
Towards the south and east it is compassed with Tartaria, the
northern side of it stretcheth to the Scythian Ocean; upon the west
part border the Lappians, a rude and savage nation, living in woods,
whose language is not known to any other people; next unto these,
more towards the south, is Swecia, then Finlandia, then Livonia, and
last of all Lithuania. This country of Muscovy hath also very many
and great rivers in it, and is marsh ground in many places; and as
for the rivers, the greatest and most famous amongst all the rest is
that which the Russians in their own tongue call Volga, but others
know it by the name of Rha. Next unto it in fame is Tanais, which
they call Don, and the third Boristhenes, which at this day they
call Dnieper. Two of these--to wit, Rha and Boristhenes--issuing
both out of one fountain, run very far through the land: Rha
receiving many other pleasant rivers into it, and running from the
very head or spring of it towards the east, after many crooked
turnings and windings, dischargeth itself and all the other waters
and rivers that fall into it, by divers passages into the Caspian
Sea. Tanais, springing from a fountain of great name in those
parts, growing great near to his head, spreads itself at length very
largely and makes a great lake; and then growing narrow again, doth
so run for certain miles until it fall into another lake, which they
call Ivan: and there hence, fetching a very crooked course, comes
very near to the river Volga; but disdaining, as it were, the