Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 2, 1851).djvu/63

The province, city, and fortress of Vologda, in which the bishops of Permia hold their see, though without jurisdiction, took their name from a river of the same name. The city stands north-west of Moscow in a line from Jaroslav. It is fifty German miles from Jaroslav, and nearly forty from Bieloiesero. The whole country is marshy and woodv, so that travellers can take no exact account of the road, on account of the numerous marshes and windings of the rivers. The farther you go, the more marshes, rivers, and woods, you encounter. The river Vologda flows northward by the city, and eight miles below the city is joined by the river Suchana, which rises from a lake named Koinski. It then takes the name of Suchana, and flows north-west. The province of Vologda was formerly under the jurisdiction of Great Novogorod, where they say the prince used to lay up a great part of his treasure, as from the nature of the place it was a strong fortification. In the year in which we were at Moscow, there was so great a scarcity of provision, that one bushel of the corn, which they use, was sold for fourteen dengs, which otherwise used to be sold in Moscow for four, five, or sis, dengs.

The Vaga is a river well stocked with fish. It rises between Bieloiesero and A ologda, amidst marshes and the densest forests, and flows into the river Dwina. The people who live by the river exist by hunting, for they have scarcely any bread. Black and ash-coloured foxes are caught there. It is, moreover, but a short journey thence to the province and river of Dwina.

more properly Feodorovich Jaroslarski Sassekin, or Zassekin. The surname, Possetzen, stands in the original for the word Posadnik, which means the governor of a district. The writer here alluded to is Johann Fabri, to whose book reference is made at page 120 of the introduction to the present work, as being recommended to Herberstein and his companions as an indispensable guide in making the observations required of them in their journey. The prince Zassekin was one of the ambassadors alluded to on the same page as being joined by Herberstein on their return to Moscow by way of Vienna.