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when the largest flat-bottom veffels find fufficient water. Our Author has feen one afloat in the month of October, faid to have 600 tons of falt and fish on board, and in some seasons they have barks of greater burthen. The trade carried on in this river is great and extenfive; but from no place more confiderable than from Tariflaw and Cafan.

Befides the great abundance of fish taken in the Volga, and fent either falted or frozen, to diftant parts of the Ruffian empire, a commerce is carried on in caviare, which is the roe of fturgeon and the fish called belluga, and is thus prepared: they take away the ftringy part, then mix it with falt well cleaned and made into brine, and when drained from the oily parts and preffed, it becomes of fuch a confiftance as to keep two or three years. In the winter it is fent to all parts of the empire, and is much efteemed by the natives as well as foreigners. A large quantity is made for exportation which is confumed by the Chriftians of Italy and the Levant. The Armenians have the greatest skill in preparing it, and ufually make above 6000 poods, or a hundred ton every year, and in 1749 they brought 20,000 poods to market.

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The Author arrives at Langarood Bay, where be vifits Mr. Elton, and from thence fails to Aftrabad Bay; whence he proceeds to Astrabad. A Defcription of the Perfian Manner of Smoking, and other Cuftoms of the Inhabitants. A Rebellion breaks out in the Province of Aftrabad. The Author in great Diftrefs; the City taken, and the Caravan defigned for Mesched plundered.

N the 22d of Soptember Mr. Hanway fet

Langarood bay, where being informed that Mr. Elton was removed from Refhd to Langarood, to attend the maritime affairs in which he had engaged himself, he fent to let that gentleman know of his arrival, upon which he came on board, and conducted our Author on fhore, where he gave him a polite reception. Mr. Hamvay delivered to him a pair of piftols of exquifite workmanship mounted in gold, and fome other curious things which Mr. Elton had wrote for, at the defire of Ali Kouli Khan, the Shah's nephew, with whom he was folicitous of cultivating a good correfpondence.

Mr. Elton's habitation at Langarood was about eight English miles from the fhore, in the midft of a wood furrounded with marfhes, where the roads were hardly paffable. It was fituated at

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the foot of a lofty mountain open only to the fea, this intercepted the paffage of the air, and rendered the place extremely unwholfome: for as Ghilan is generally efteemed the fink of Perfia, fo Langarood is confidered as the fink of Ghilan. Mr. Hanway spent feven days with this gentleman, during which they talked over the affair of the Cafpian trade. Mr. Elton was indeed feriously employed in building ships for the Shah, and proved that he was capable of furmounting the greateft difficulties. Mr. Hanway expreffed his fears of the confequence of his engagement with Nadir, and pointed out many capital inconveniences he apprehended would follow from it.

One great inducement to open the Cafpian trade, was, the hopes of establishing a new branch of commerce from Aftrabad to Mefched, from whence Mr. Elton thought it practicable to extend it to the northern cities of the Mogul's empire. It now fell to Mr. Hanway's lot to attempt the execution of this defign. He had brought with him to the value of 50001. in woollen goods, for which he found there was no market in Ghilan, and therefore, his prefence there would be of little ufe. But though Mr. Elton had alr ady fecured the Shah's exprefs decree, by which it was ordered, that fafe conduct fhould be given to him in all parts of his dominions; he was fo alarmed by the vicinity of the Turkuman Tartars to Aftrabad that he did not chufe to venture, till by enquiring, he found that in cafe of danger he might there have what guard of foldiers he pleased.

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On the 10th of December our Author having taken leave of Mr. Elton, went down to the creek. The fhip was at anchor out of fight of land, and the wind blew very fresh; he had a `crazy boat rowed by Perfians, who are generally equally timorous and unfkilful, fo that it was with reluctance he ventured to fea; but he foon got fight of the fhip, and happily reached

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He directed his courfe for Aftrabad, and was four days in fight of the great mountain Demoan, which is faid to be 30 leagues within land, and yet at the distance of four or five leagues from the fhore, it might be diftinguished very plain rifing in the form of a pyramid.

On the 18th of December he entered Aftrabad bay, into which runs the river Korgun, after washing the bank of the defart of Turkumania. The fea has here, as well as in other parts of the Cafpian, made great inroads, fo that in many places trees lie on the shore, and render it as difficult of accefs, as its appearance is wild and inhofpitable. The ship having cast anchor, Mr. Hanway difpatched an Armenian fervant to know if he might land his goods with fafety, but he foon returned without obtaining any information. Many fires were inftantly feen in different places, and upon the mountains, to alarm the inhabitants for fear of a furprize, for this was taken for a pirate ship, and the people on the coaft were terrified on account of their having been often plundered by the pirates. Two days after Mr. Hanway went afhore ;

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afhore; but fumps of trees and fhallows made it difficult for a long boat to land nearer than twenty yards. However, the peasants being at length fatisfied that he was come on a friendly errand, came with merchandize; received Mr. Hanway and his attendants, and conducted them by many crooked paths through a thick wood to a small village. These people are fwar thy, but their features regular and fomewhat delicate. Our Author fent his Armenian interpreter with his complements to Mahommed Zaman Beg the Governor of Aftrabad, and with orders to provide neceffaries for the fresh package of the cloth, after which he returned on board.

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On the 21ft it was obferved, that the fun was rifen above an hour before it was visible to thofe in the fhip, fuch is the ftupendous height of the mountains. The Governor sent to alfure Mr. Hanway of his protection, and to advife him not to repofe any confidence in the fants near the coaft. A few days after he was vifited by Nazeer Aga, a Perfian officer, who had been recommended to him as a perfon of great probity: he made him an offer of his houfe at Afrabad, which Mr. Hanway accepted, and affured him of the fenfe he had of his own happiness in meeting with so kind and generous a friend. Nazeer Aga was accompanied by Myrza, a grave old man who had a great reputation for wifdom.

On the 26th the fhip narrowly efcaped being burnt; for about 80 pounds of raw cotton intended for the package of the bales, being fet on

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