| Among the explorers immortalized by Haklyut was a man named Henry Austell, to whom Richard Haklyut accorded the title “Master” or ship's captain. Little more is known about Austell, other than that — as noted in an index of Haklyut's book — his voyage of exploration of Podolia, Moldova, and environs took place in 1585. |
The Skala yizkor book cites a 1570 census, according to which there were 232 houses in Skala, 10 of which were inhabited by Jews. [Lachman, Gedalia, “The History of Skala,” Sefer Skala, page 3.] Fifteen years later, when the English adventurer Henry Austell arrived in Skala on October 21, 1585, it is likely that the demography of the town was much the same. Of great interest is that in the sixteenth century, Skala already was known as “a market town.”
For the complete text of Austell's travels as recorded by Richard Haklyut, see: http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/h/hakluyt/voyages/v05/chapter71.html
The voyage of Master Henry Austell by Venice and thence
to Ragusa ouer land, and so to Constantinople:
and from thence by Moldauia, Polonia, Silesia
and Germanie to Hamburg, &c.
The 21. we came to Skala. [fn 368]
The 22. to Slothone, or Scloczow. [fn 369]
The 24. to Leopolis [fn 370] which is in Russia alba, and so is the most part of the countrey betwixt Camyenetz and it. And it is a towne very well built, well gouerned, full of trafique and plentifull: and there we stayed fiue dayes.
FOOTNOTES IN THE TEXT:
367 On the river Smokriz.368 A market town on the Podhoree, S. Of Zeryz.
369 Czorkorw, on the Sered.
370 Lemberg, also called Leopol.
Text (other than Haklyut excerpt), page design, and map copyrighted by Helene Kenvin