Christopher Borough facts for kids
Christopher Borough, also known as Christopher Burrough (who lived from about 1579 to 1587), was the son of Steven Borough. He was an English explorer, sailor, and translator. He wrote about one of the most interesting trips into Persia that was ever recorded by Richard Hakluyt, a famous writer of travel stories. Christopher was also very good at speaking Russian.
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His Amazing Journey
Christopher Borough was part of the Muscovy Company, a group of English merchants. On June 19, 1579, he left Gravesend in England. His fleet of ships arrived at St. Nicholas in the White Sea on July 22. From there, they traveled down the Northern Dwina river to a city called Vologda.
Traveling to Persia
After Vologda, they went overland to the Volga river. On September 14, they got back on three small ships in Yaroslaw. They sailed down the Volga river and reached Astrakhan on October 16, 1579. They stayed there for the winter.
On May 1, 1580, Borough and his group left Astrakhan. They sailed on an English-built ship towards Persia. They had to navigate carefully through the many mouths of the Volga river. They faced some damage and losses but kept going. Their goal was to reach Derbent or a nearby port.
Adventures on the Caspian Sea
Strong winds pushed them south to the Apsheron Peninsula. They anchored near a place called Bildh. The captain of Baku welcomed them there. He told them to go back to Derbent, which was a big trading center. They traded for silk and other goods in Derbent from June 22 to October 3.
Christopher Borough wrote interesting descriptions of Derbent and Baku. These writings showed how the Turkish power was growing. They also showed how the Persian power was becoming weaker around the Caspian Sea.
Borough had excellent training as a sailor. He learned from both his father and his uncle. This training helped him make very accurate measurements of latitude. These were probably the first accurate measurements for these areas.
After picking up other travelers, including two Spaniards, Borough's group returned to Astrakhan. They faced many dangers at sea. They arrived on December 4, 1580, and spent another winter there.
The Journey Home
In April 1581, when the weather got warmer, the traders started their trip home. They reached Rose Island, near St. Nicholas, on July 16. Their ship, the William and John, was full of goods from Persia. It sailed for England soon after. The ship arrived in the Thames river on September 25, 1581.
Christopher Borough wrote about this journey. His report was called Aduertisements and reports of the 6th voyage into the parts of Persia and Media for the Company of Merchants for the discouerie of new trades, in the yeares 1579, 80, and 81. He gathered this information from letters he sent to his uncle, Master William Burrough.
It seems Christopher Borough did not return to England with the fleet in 1581. He continued to work for the Muscovy Company. He visited English trading posts between Archangel and Astrakhan. He made many more observations during this time.
In November 1587, Borough wrote a long letter to the Muscovy Company. In this letter, he talked about the company's business in Russia. He also discussed how the trade with Russia was changing.
