The Emperor's Majesty useth every year in the month of December to
have all his ordnance that is in the city of Moscow carried into the
fields which are without the suburbs of the city, and there to have
it planted and bent upon two houses of wood filled within with
earth. Against which two houses there were two fair white marks set
up, at which marks they discharge all their ordnance, to the end the
Emperor may see what his gunners can do. They have fair ordnance of
brass of all sorts-bases, falcons, minions, sakers, culverins,
cannons (double and royal), basilisks (long and large); they have
six great pieces, whose shot is a yard of height, which shot a man
may easily discern as they flee. They have also a great many of
mortar pieces or pot guns, out of which pieces they shoot wild
fire.

The 12th of December the Emperor's Majesty and all his nobility came
into the field on horse-back in most goodly order, having very fine
jennets and Turkey horses garnished with gold and silver abundantly;
the Emperor's Majesty having on him a gown of rich tissue and a cap
of scarlet on his head, set not only with pearls, but also with a
great number of rich and costly stones; his noblemen were all in
gowns of cloth of gold, who did ride before him in good order by
three and three, and before them there went 5,000 arquebusiers,
which went by five and five in a rank in very good order, every of
them carrying his gun upon his left shoulder and his match in his
right hand, and in this order they marched into the field where the
aforesaid ordnance was planted.

And before the Emperor's Majesty came into the field there was a
certain stage made of small poles, which was a quarter of a mile
long, and about three score yards off from the stage of poles were