Our merchants may do well to provide for the Russians such wares as
the Dutch nation doth serve them of, as Flanders and Holland cloths,
which I believe they shall serve better with less charge than they
of Rye or Dorpt, or Revel; for it is no small adventure to bring
their cloths out of Flanders to either of these places, and their
charge not little to carry them overland to Novogrod which is from
Rye nine hundred Russian miles.

This Novogrod is a place well furnished with flax, wax, hides,
tallow, and many other things; the best flax in Russia is brought
thither, and there sold by the hundred bundles, which is done also
at Vologda, and they that bring the flax to Novogrod dwell as near
Vologda as Novogrod, and when they hear of the utterance which they
may have with our nation, they will as willingly come to them as go
to the other.

They have in Russia two sorts of flax, the one is called great flax,
and the other small; that which they call great flax is better by
four roubles in a hundred bundles than the small. It is much longer
than the other, and cleaner, without wood; and whereas of the small
flax there go twenty-seven or twenty-eight bundles to a ship pound;
there goeth not of the greater sort above twenty-two or twenty-four
at the most. There are many other trifles in Russia, as soap, mats,
&c., but I think there will be no great account made of them.


Articles conceived and determined for the Commission of the
Merchants of this Company resiant (resident) in Russia, and at the
Wardhouse, for the second voyage, 1555, the first of May, as
followeth.