Английский, выбрать правильное слово ...

At the beginning of the 16th century, Ukrainian Cossacks starts/started to live in big groups. We called/calling the territory where they live/lived ‘’Zаporiz’ka Sich’’. It started from a fortress on the Khortysia island in the middle of the River Dnipro/Danube. To travel be water the Cossacks use/used light boats. Such a boat are/ were called a ‘’chaika’’. The boat had/has two steering oars and could/can easily sail in any direction. The Cossacks sail/sailed down the River Dnipro to the Black Sea. Then they crossing/crossed the sea. We can’t/couldn’t tell exactly how many/much time it took them to travel to what is now/long Istanbul but they got/are there!