company of any other river, doth there turn itself again from Volga,
and runs towards the south, and falls at last into the Lake of
Moeotis. Boristhenes, which comes from the same head that Rha doth
(as we said before), carrieth both itself, and other waters that are
near unto it, towards the south, not refusing the mixture of other
small rivers; and, running by many great and large countries, falls
at last into Pontus Euxinus. Besides these rivers are also in
Muscovy certain lakes and pools--the lakes breed fish by the
celestial influence, and amongst them all the chiefest and most
principal is called Belij Jesera, which is very famous by reason of
a very strong tower built in it, wherein the kings of Muscovy
reserve and repose their treasure in all time of war and danger.

Touching the Riphean Mountains, whereupon the snow lieth
continually, and where hence in times past it was thought that
Tanais the river did spring, and that the rest of the wonders of
Nature which the Grecians feigned and invented of old were there to
be seen, our men which lately came from thence neither saw them, nor
yet have brought home any perfect relation of them, although they
remained there for the space of three months, and had gotten in that
time some intelligence of the language of Muscovy. The whole
country is plain and champaign, and few hills in it; and towards the
north it hath very large and spacious woods, wherein is great store
of fir-trees--a wood very necessary and fit for the building of
houses. There are also wild beasts bred in those woods, as buffes,
bears, and black wolves, and another kind of beast unknown to us,
but called by them "roffomakka;" and the nature of the same is very
rare and wonderful, for when it is great with young, and ready to
bring forth, it seeketh out some narrow place between two stakes,
and so going through them, presseth itself, and by that means is