he unusual,
long, "but safe" circuitous route over the North Sea in preference
to the shorter way that was usually taken, Istoma gives the disputes
between Sweden and Russia, and the revolt of Sweden against Denmark,
at the time when the voyage was undertaken (1496). After giving an
account of his journey from Moscow to the mouth of the Dwina, he
continues thus:--

"After having gone on board of four boats, they kept first
along the right bank of the ocean, where they saw very
high mountain, peaks;[35] and after having in this way
travelled sixteen miles, and crossed an arm of the sea,
they followed the western strand, leaving on their right
the open sea, which like the neighbouring mountains has
its name from the river Petzora. They came here to a
people called Fin-Lapps, who, though they dwell in low
wretched huts by the sea, and live almost like wild
beasts, in any case are said to be much more peaceable
than the people who are called wild Lapps. Then, after
they had passed the land of the Lapps and sailed forward
eighty miles, they came to the land, Nortpoden, which is
part of the dominions of the King of Sweden. This region
the Rutheni call Kayenska Selma, and the people they call
Kayeni. After sailing thence along a very indented coast
which jutted out to the right, they came to a peninsula,
called the Holy Nose,[36] consisting of a great rock,
which like a nose projects into the sea. But in this there
is a grotto or hollow which for six hours at a time
swallows up water, and then with great noise and din casts
out again in whirls the water which it had swallowed. Some
call it the navel of the sea, others Charybdis. It is said
that this whirlpool has such power, that it draws to
itself ships and other things in its neighbourhood and
swallows them. Istoma said that he had never been in such
danger as at that place, because the whirlpool drew the
ship in which he travelled with such force, that it was
only by extreme exertion at the oars that they could
escape. After passing this _Holy Nose_ they came to a
rocky promontory, which they had to sail round. After
having waited here some days on account of head winds, the
skipper said: 'This rock, which ye see, is called Semes,
and we shall not get so easily past it if it be not
propitiated by some offering.' Istoma said that he