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and sincere affection to religion, that my other good Here, having made a good acquaintance at Manilla, he fess, it seemed strange to me, when I came home, and ecclesiastic had. But to leave him a little, though he never left us, nor Manilla hired him to go to Acapulco, on the coast of glory, magnificence, and trade of the Chinese; because, got his ship made a free ship, and the Governor of heard our people say such fine things of the power, solicited us to go with him; we had something else America, and gave him a licence to land there, and to as far as I saw, they appeared to be a contemptible herd before us at first, for we had all this while our ship and travel to Mexico, and to pass in any Spanish ship to or crowd of ignorant, sordid slaves, subjected to a our merchandise to dispose of, and we began to be very Europe with all his men. doubtful what we should do, for we were now in a place Acapulco very happily, and there he sold his ship; and were not its distance inconceivably great from Muscovy, of very little business. Once I was about to venture to having there also obtained allowance to travel by land and that empire in a manner as rude, impotent, and ill He made the voyage to government qualified only to rule such a people; and sail for the river of Kilam, and the city of Nankin; but to Porto Bello, he found means to get to Jamaica, with governed as they, the Czar of Muscovy might with Providence seemed now more visibly, as I thought, than all his treasure; and about eight years after came to ease drive them all out of their country, and conever to concern itself in our affairs; and I was en- England, exceeding rich. couraged, from this very time, to think I should, one way or other, get out of this entangled circumstance, part with the ship and ship's company, it came before attacking the warlike Swedes, and equally improved But, to return to our particular affairs: being now to now a growing prince) fallen this way, instead of quer them in one campaign; and had the Czar (who is and be brought home to my own country again, though us, of course, to consider what recompense we should himself in the art of war, as they say he has done; and I had not the least view of the manner. Providence, I give to the two men that gave us such timely notice of if none of the powers of Europe had envied or intersay, began here to clear up our way a little; and the the design against us in the river Cambodia. first thing that offered was, that our old Portuguese truth was, they had done us a very considerable service, China, instead of being beaten by the King of Sweden pilot brought a Japan merchant to us, who inquired and deserved well at our hands; though, by the way, at Narva, when the latter was not one to six in number. The rupted him, he might by this time have been Emperor of what goods we had; and, in the first place, he bought they were a couple of rogues too; for, as they believed all our opium, and gave us a very good price for it, the story of our being pirates, and that we had really tion, commerce, and husbandry, are very imperfect, paying us in gold by weight, some in small pieces of run away with the ship, they came down to us, not only compared to the same things in Europe; also, in their As their strength and their grandeur, so their navigatheir own coin, and some in small wedges, of about ten to betray the design that was formed against us, but to knowledge, their learning, and in their skill in the or twelve ounces each. While we were dealing with go to sea with us as pirates. One of them confessed sciences, they are either very awkward or defective, him for our opium, it came into my nead that he might afterwards that nothing else but the hopes of going a though they have globes or spheres, and a smattering perhaps deal for the ship too, and I ordered the inter-roguing brought him to do it: however, the service, of the mathematics, and think they know more than all preter to propose it to him. He shrunk up his shoulders they did us was not the less, and, therefore, as I the world besides. But they know little of the motions at it, when it was first proposed to him; but in a few had promised to be grateful to them, I first ordered the of the heavenly bodies; and so grossly and absurdly days after he came to me, with one of the missionary money to be paid them which they said was due to them ignorant are their common people, that when the sun is priests for his interpreter, and told me he had a proposal on board their respective ships: over and above that, I eclipsed, they think a great dragon has assaulted it, and to make to me, which was this: he had bought a great gave each of them a small sum of money in gold, which is going to run away with it; and they fall a clattering quantity of our goods, when he had no thoughts of contented them very well. I then made the Englishman with all the drums and kettles in the country, to fright proposals made to him of buying the ship; and that gunner in the ship, the gunner being now made second the monster away, just as we do to hive a swarm of bees! therefore he had not money to pay for the ship: but if I mate and purser; the Dutchman I made boatswain; so would let the same men who were in the ship navigate they were both very well pleased, and proved very ser-made in all the accounts I have given of my travels, so I her, he would hire the ship to go to Japan; and would viceable, being both able seamen, and very stout fellows. shall make no more such. As this is the only excursion of the kind which I have send them from thence to the Philippine Islands with another loading, which he would pay the freight of banished, and remote from my We were now on shore in China; if I thought myself nor any part of my design; but to give an account of before they went from Japan: and that at their return Bengal, where I had many ways to get home for my ings, and a long variety of changes, which, perhaps, few It is none of my businesss, he would buy the ship. I began to listen to his proposal, money, what could I think of myself now, when I was that come after me will have heard the like of: I shall own country at my own adventures through a life of inimitable wanderand so eager did my head still run upon rambling, that about a thousand leagues further off from home, and therefore say very little of all the mighty places, desert I could not but begin to entertain a notion of going destitute of all manner of prospect of return? All we countries, and numerous people, I have yet to pass myself with him, and so to set sail from the Philippine had for it was this, that in about four months' time through, more than relates to my own story, and which Islands away to the South Seas; accordingly, I asked there was to be another fair at the place where we my concern among them make necessary. the Japanese merchant if he would not hire us to the were, and then we might be able to purchase various Philippine Islands and discharge us there. He said no, manufactures of the country, and withal might possibly China, about thirty degrees north of the line, for we he could not do that, for then he could not have the find some Chinese junks from Tonquin for sale, that were returned from Naukin. I had, indeed, a mind to I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of return of his cargo; but he would discharge us in Japan, would carry us and our goods whither we pleased. This see the city of Pekin, which I had heard so much of, at the ship's return. Well, still I was for taking him I liked very well, and resolved to wait; besides, as our and Father Simon importuned me daily to do it. at that proposal, and going myself; but my partner, particular persons were not obnoxious, so, if any English length, his time of going away being set, and the other wiser than myself, persuaded me from it, representing or Dutch ships came thither, perhaps we might have an missionary who was to go with him being arrived from the dangers, as well of the seas as of the Japanese, who opportunity to load our goods, and get passage to some Macao, it was necessary that we should resolve either to are a false, cruel, and treacherous people; likewise those other place in India nearer home. Upon these hopes, go, or not; so I referred it to my partner, and left it of the Spaniards at the Philippines, more false, cruel, we resolved to continue here: but, to divert ourselves, wholly to his choice, who at length resolved it in the and treacherous than they. we took two or three journeys into the country. well worth seeing; they say it has a million of people for we get leave to travel in the retinue of one of their First, we went ten days' journey to Nankin, a city out with very good advantage, as to finding the way; affirmative, and we prepared for our journey. We set in it: it and cross one another in direct lines. But when I come the province, where they reside, and who take great regularly built, and the streets are all straight, mandarins, a kind of viceroy or principal magistrate in to compare the miserable people of these countries with state upon them, travelling with great attendance, and ours, their fabrics, their manner of living, their govern- great homage from the people, who are sometimes ment, their religion, their wealth, and their glory, as greatly impoverished by them, being obliged to furnish some call it, I must confess that I scarcely think it provisions for them and all their attendants in their worth my while to mention them here. the grandeur, the riches, the pomp, the ceremonies, the his baggage, and though we received sufficient provisions government, the manufactures, the commerce, and con- both for ourselves and our horses from the country, We wonder at journeys. I particularly observed in our travelling with duct of these people; not that there is really any as belonging to the mandarin, yet we were obliged to matter for wonder, but because, having a true notion pay for everything we had, after the market price of the of the barbarity of those countries, the rudeness and country, and the mandarin's steward collected it duly the ignorance that prevail there, we do not expect to from us. Thus our travelling in the retinue of the manfind any such thing so far off. Otherwise, what are their darin, though it was a great act of kindness, was not such buildings to the palaces and royal buildings of Europe? a mighty favour to us, but was a great advantage to him, What their trade to the universal commerce of England considering there were above thirty other people travelled Holland, France, and Spain? ours, for wealth, strength, gaiety of apparel, rich fur- his retinue; for the country furnished all the provisions niture, and infinite variety? What are their ports, for nothing to him, and yet he took our money for them. What are their cities to in the same manner besides us, under the protection of supplied with a few junks and barks, to our navigation, our merchant fleets, our large and powerful navies? a country exceeding populous, but I think badly cultiOur city of London has more trade than half their vated; the husbandry, the economy, and the way of We were twenty-five days travelling to Pekin, through mighty empire: one English, Dutch, or French man-of-living miserable, though they boast so much of the war of eighty guns, would be able to fight almost all industry of the people: I say miserable, if compared the shipping belonging to China: but the greatness of with our own, but not so to these poor wretches, who their wealth, their trade, the power of their government, know no other. The pride of the poor people is in

At

But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion; the first thing we had to do was to consult with the captain of the ship, and with his men, and know if they were willing to go to Japan. While I was doing this, the young man whom my nephew had left with me as my companion came up, and told me that he thought that voyage promised very fair, and that there was a great prospect of advantage, and he would be very glad if I undertook it; but that if I would not, and would give him leave, he would go as a merchant, or as I pleased to order him; that if ever he came to England, and I was there and alive, he would render me a faithful account of his success, which should be as much mine as I pleased. I was loth to part with him; but considering the prospect of advantage, which really was considerable, and that he was a young fellow likely to do well in it, I inclined to let him go; but I told him I would consult my partner, and give him an answer the next day. I discoursed about it with my partner, who thereupon made a most generous offer: "You know it has been an unlucky ship," said he, "and we both resolve not to go to sea in it again; if your steward (so he called my man) will venture the voyage, I will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let him make the best of it; and if we live to meet in England, and he meets with success abroad, he shall account for one half of the profits of the ship's freight to us; the other shall be his own. If my partner, who was no way concerned with my and the strength of their armies, may be a little surpris- finitely great, and exceeded by nothing but their poverty, young man, made him such an offer, I could not do lessing to us, because, as I have said, considering them as a in some parts, which adds to that which I call their than offer him the same; and all the ship's company barbarous nation of Pagans, little better than savages, misery; and I must needs think the savages of America being willing to go with him, we made over half the ship to him in property, and took a writing from him, the forces of their empire, though they were to bring because as they have nothing, so they desire nothing; we did not expect such things among them. obliging him to account for the other, and away he went two millions of men into the field together, would be whereas these are proud and insolent, and in the main But all live much more happy than the poorer sort of these, to Japan. The Japan merchant proved a very punctual able to do nothing but ruin the country, and starve are in many parts mere beggars and drudges. Their honest man to him; protected him at Japan and got themselves; a million of their foot could not stand ostentation is inexpressible; and, if they can, they love him a licence to come on shore, which the Europeans in before one embattled body of our infantry, posted so as to keep multitudes of servants or slaves, which is to the general have not lately obtained. freight very punctually; sent him to the Philippines, twenty in number; nay, I do not boast if I say that the world but themselves. He paid him his not to be surrounded, though they were not to be one to last degree ridiculous, as well as their contempt of all loaded with Japan and China wares, and a supercargo thirty thousand German or English foot, and ten of their own, who, trafficking with the Spaniards, thousand horse, well managed, could defeat all the in the deserts and vast wildernesses of Grand Tartary brought back European goods again, and a great quantity forces of China. Nor is there a fortified town in China than here, and yet the roads here are well paved and of spices; and there he was not only paid his freight that could hold out one month against the batteries and well kept, and very convenient for travellers; but I must confess I travelled more pleasantly afterwards very well, and at a very good price, but not being willing attacks of an European army. They have fire-arms, it nothing was more awkward to me than to see such a to sell the ship then, the merchant furnished him goods is true, but they are awkward and uncertain in their haughty, imperious, insolent people, in the midst of on his own account; and with some money, and some going off; and their powder has but little strength. the grossest simplicity and ignorance; and my friend ices of his own which he brought with him, he went Their armies are badly disciplined, and want skill to Father Simon and I used to be very merry upon these k to the Manillas, where he sold his cargo very well. attack, or temper to retreat; and therefore, I must con-occasions, to see their beggarly pride. For example,

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coming by the house of a country gentleman, as Father interpreter, for he understood the language of the four months and some days before all things were got Simon called him, about ten leagues off the city of country, and spoke good French and a little English. together. Nankin, we had first of all the honour to ride with Indeed, this old man was most useful to us everywhere; It was the beginning of February, New Style, when the master of the house about two miles; the state he for we had not been above a week at Pekin, when he we set out from Pekin. My partner and the old pilot rode in was a perfect Don Quixotism, being a mixture came laughing. "Ah, Seignior Inglese," says he, "I had gone express back to the port where we had first of pomp and poverty. His habit was very proper for a have something to tell will make your heart glad."- put in, to dispose of some goods which we had left there; merry-andrew, being a dirty calico, with hanging sleeves," My heart glad," says I; "what can that be? I don't and I, with a Chinese merchant whom I had some knowtassels, and cuts and slashes almost on every side: it know anything in this country can either give me joy ledge of at Nankiu, and who came to Pekin on his own covered a taffety vest, so greasy as to testify that his or grief to any great degree." "Yes, yes," said the old affairs, went to Nankin, where I bought ninety pieces honour must be a most exquisite sloven. His horse was man in broken English, "make you glad, me sorry."- of fine damasks, with about two hundred pieces of other a poor, starved, hobbling creature, and two slaves fol-"Why," said I, "will it make you sorry? Because," very fine silks of several sorts, some mixed with gold, lowed him on foot to drive the poor creature along; said he, "you have brought me here twenty-five days' and had all these brought to Pekin against my partner's he had a whip in his hand, and he belaboured the beast journey, and will leave me to go back alone; and which return. Besides this, we bought a large quantity of raw as fast about the head as his slaves did about the tail; way shall I get to my port afterwards, without a ship, silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in these and thus he rode by us, with about ten or twelve ser- without a horse, without pecune?"-so he called money, goods only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds vants, going from the city to his country seat, about being his broken Latin, of which he had abundance to sterling; which, together with tea and some fine calicoes, half a league before us. We travelled on gently, but make us merry with. In short, he told us there was a and three camels' loads of nutmegs and cloves, loaded this figure of a gentleman rode away before us, and as great caravan of Muscovite and Polish merchants in the in all eighteen camels for our share, besides those we we stopped at a village about an hour to refresh us, city, preparing to set out on their journey by land to rode upon; these, with two or three spare horses, and when we came by the country seat of this great man, Muscovy, within four or five weeks; and he was sure, two horses loaded with provisions, made together we saw him in a little place before his door, eating a we would take the opportunity to go with them, and twenty-six camels and horses in our retinue. repast. It was a kind of garden, but he was easy to be leave him behind, to go seen; and we were given to understand that the more we looked at him the better he would be pleased. He sat under a tree, something like the palmetto, which effectually shaded him over the head, and on the south side; but under the tree was placed a large umbrella, which made that part look well enough. He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair, being a heavy corpulent man, and had his meat brought him by two women slaves. He had two more, one of whom fed the squire with a spoon, and the other held the dish with one hand, and scraped off what he let fall upon his worship's beard and taffety vest.

Leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our

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back alone.

The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, made between three and four hundred horse, and upwards of one hundred and twenty men, very well armed, and provided for all events; for as the eastern caravans are subject to be attacked by the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars. The company consisted of people of several nations; but there were about sixty of them merchants or inhabitants of Moscow, though of them some were Livonians; and to our particular satisfaction, five of them were Scots, who appeared also to be men of great experience in business, and of very good substance.

When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides, who were five in number, called all the passengers, except the servants, to a great council as they called it. At this council, every one deposited a certain quantity of money to a common stock, for the necessary expense of buying forage on the way, where it was not otherwise to be had, and for satisfying the guides, getting horses, and the like. Here, too, they constituted the journey, as they call it; viz. they named captains and officers to draw us all up, and give the word of command, in case of an attack, and give every one their turn of command; nor was this forming us into order any more than what we afterwards found needful on the way.

I confess I was greatly surprised with this good news,
and had scarce power to speak to him for some time,
but at last I said to him, "How do you know this? are
you sure it is true?" "Yes," says he; "I met this
morning in the street an old acquaintance of mine, an
Armenian, who is among them. He came last from
Astracan, and was designing to go to Tonquin, where I
formerly knew him, but has altered his mind, and is
now resolved to go with the caravan to Moscow, and so
down the river Wolga to Astracan."-"Well, Seignior,"
says I, "do not be uneasy about being left to go back
alone; if this be a method for my return to England,
it shall be your fault if you go back to Macao at all."
We then went to con-
sult together what was
to be done; and I
asked my partner what
ho thought of the
pilot's news, and
whether it would suit
with his affairs? He
told me he would do
just as I would; for
he had settled all his The road all on this side of the country is very
affairs so well at Ben- populous, and is full of potters and earth-makers,-that
gal, and left his effects is to say, people that temper the earth for the China
in such good hands, ware. As I was coming along, our Portuguese pilot,
that as we had made who had always something or other to say to make us
a good voyage, if he merry, told me he would show me the greatest rarity in
could invest it in all the country, and that I should have this to say of
China silks, wrought China, after all the ill-humoured things that I had said
and raw, he would be of it, that I had seen one thing which was not to be
content to go to Eng- seen in all the world beside. I was very importunate
land, and then make to know what it was; at last he told me it was a gentle-
his voyage back to man's house built with China ware. "Well," says I,
Bengal by the Com-"are not the materials of their buildings the product of
pany's ships.
their own country, and so it is all China ware, is it not?"
"No, no," says he, "I mean it is a house all made of
China ware, such as you call it in England, or as it is
called in our country, porcelain."-"Well," says I,
"such a thing may be; how big is it? Can we carry it
in a box upon a camel? If we can we will buy it."-
"Upon a camel!" says the old pilot, holding up both
his hands; "why, there is a family of thirty people
lives in it."

CRUSOE SEES A CHINESE GENTLEMAN ON THE ROAD.

looking at him, as if we admired his idle pomp, we pursued our journey. Father Simon had the curiosity to stay to inform himself what dainties the country justico had to feed on in all his state, which he had the honour to taste of, and which was, I think, a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in it, and a little bag filled with a green pepper, and another plant which they have there, something like our ginger, but smelling like musk, and tasting like mustard; all this was put together, and a small piece of lean mutton boiled in it, and this was his worship's repast. Four or five servants more attended at a distance, who we supposed were to eat of the same after their master. As for our mandarin with whom we travelled, he was respected as a king, surrounded always with his gentlemen, and attended in all his appearances with such pomp, that I saw little of him but at a distance. I observed, that there was not a horse in his retinue but that our carriers' packhorses in England seemed to me to look much better; though it was hard to judge rightly, for they were so covered with equipage, mantles, trappings, &c., that we could acarce see anything but their feet and their heads as they went along.

Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese pilot would go with us, we would bear his charges to Moscow, or to England, if he pleased; nor, indeed, were we to be esteemed over generous in that either, if we had not rewarded him further, the service he had done us being really worth more than that; for he had not only been a pilot to us at sea, but he had been like a broker for us on shore; and his procuring for us the Japan merchant was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So, being willing to gratify him, which was but doing him justice, and very willing also to have him with us besides, for he was a most necessary man on all occasions, we agreed to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, as I computed it, was worth one hundred and seventy-five pounds sterling, between us, and to bear all his charges, both for himself and horse, except only a horse to carry his goods. Having settled this between ourselves, we called him to let him know what we had resolved. I told him he had complained of our being willing to let him go back alone, and I was now about to tell him we designed he should not go back at all. That as we had resolved to go to Europe with the caravan, we were very willing he should go with us; and that we called him to know his mind. He shook his head and said it was a long journey, and that he had no pecune to carry him thither, or to subsist himself when he came there. We told him we believed it was so, and therefore we had resolved to do something for him that should let him see how sensible we were of the service he had done us, and also how agreeable he was to us: and then I told him what we had resolved to give him here, which he might lay out as we would do our own; and that as for his charges, if he would go with us we would set him safe on shore (life and casualties excepted), either in Muscovy or England, as At length we arrived at Pekin. I had nobody with he would choose, at our own charge, except only the me but the youth whom my nephew had given me to carriage of his goods. He received the proposal like a attend me as a servant, and who proved very trusty and man transported, and told us he would go with us diligent; and my partner had nobody with him but one over the whole world; and so we all prepared for servant, who was a kinsman. As for the Portuguese our journey. However, as it was with us, so it was pilot, he being desirous to see the court, we bore his with the other merchants: they had many things to charges for his company, and for our use of him as an do, and instead of being ready in five weeks, it was

I was now light-hearted, and all my late trouble and perplexity being over, I had no anxious thoughts about me, which made this journey the pleasanter to me; in which no ill accident attended me, only in passing or fording a small river, my horse fell, and made me free of the country, as they call it,-that is to say, threw me in. The place was not deep, but it wetted me all over. I mention it because it spoiled my pocket-book, wherein I had set down the names of several people and places which I had occasion to remember, and which not taking due care of, the leaves rotted, and the words were never after to be read.

I was then curious, indeed, to see it; and when I came to it, it was nothing but this: it was a timber house, or a house built, as we call it in England, with lath and plaster, but all this plastering was really China ware,that is to say, it was plastered with the earth that makes China ware. The outside, which the sun shone hot upon, was glazed, and looked very well, perfectly white, and painted with blue figures, as the large China ware in England is painted, and hard as if it had been burned. As to the inside, all the walls, instead of wainscot, were lined with hardened and painted tiles, like the little square tiles we call galley-tiles in England, all made of the finest China, and the figures exceeding fine indeed, with extraordinary variety of colours, mixed with gold, many tiles making but one figure, but joined so artificially, the mortar being made of the same earth, that it was very hard to see where the tiles met. The floors of the rooms were of the same composition, and as hard as the earthen floors we have in use in several parts of England; as hard as stone, and smooth, but not burned and painted, except some smaller rooms, like elosets, which were all, as it were, paved with the same tile; the ceiling and all the plastering work in the whole house were of the same earth; and, after all, the roof was covered with tiles of the same, but of a deep shining black. This was a China warehouse indeed, truly and literally to be called so, and had I not been upon the journey, I could have stayed some days to see and examine the particulars of it. They told me there were fountains and fish-ponds in the garden, all paved on the bottom and sides with the same; and fine statues set up in rows.on the walks, entirely formed of the porcelain earth, burned whole.

As this is one of the singularities of China, so they may be allowed to excel in it; but I am very sure they

excel in their accounts of it: for they told me such this we found the first day we saw them, which was marched off, but they saluted us with five arrows at incredible things of their performance in crockery-ware, after we entered the wilder part of the country. Our their parting, which wounded a horse so that it disfor such it is, that I care not to relate, as knowing it leader for the day gave leave for about sixteen of us abled him, and we left him the next day, poor could not be true. They told me, in particular, of one to go a hunting as they call it; and what was this but creature, in great need of a good farrier. We saw no workman that made a ship with all its tackle and masts a hunting of sheep!-however, it may be called hunting, more arrows or Tartars that time. and sails in earthenware, big enough to carry fifty men. too, for these creatures are the wildest and swiftest of If they had told me he launched it, and made a voyage foot that ever I saw of their kind: only they will not to Japan in it, I might have said something to it indeed; run a great way, and you are sure of sport when you but as it was, I knew the whole of the story, which was, begin the chase, for they appear generally thirty or in short, that the fellow lied; so I smiled, and said forty in a flock, and like true sheep, always keep nothing to it. This odd sight kept me two hours behind together when they fly. the caravan, for which the leader of it for the day fined me about the value of three shillings; and told me if it had been three days' journey without the wall, as it was three days within, he must have fined me four times as much, and made me ask pardon the next council day. I promised to be more orderly; and, indeed, I found afterwards the orders made for keeping all together were absolutely necessary for our common safety.

In two days more we passed the great China Wall, made for a fortification against the Tartars: and a very great work it is, going over hills and mountains in an endless track, where the rocks are impassable, and the precipices such as no enemy could possibly enter, or indeed climb up, or where, if they did, no wall could hinder them. They tell us its length is near a thousand English miles, but that the country is five hundred in a straight measured line, which the wall bounds, without measuring the windings and turnings it takes; it is about four fathoms high, and as many thick in some places. I stood still an hour or thereabouts without trespassing on our orders (for so long the caravan was in passing the gate), to look at it on every side, near and far off; I mean what was within my view: and the

In pursuit of this odd sort of game, it was our hap to meet with about forty Tartars: whether they were hunting mutton, as we were, or whether they looked for another kind of prey, we knew not; but as soon as they saw us, one of them blew a hideous blast on a kind of horn. This was to call their friends about them, and, in less than ten minutes, a troop of forty or fifty more appeared, at about a mile distance; but our work was over first, as it happened.

We travelled near a month after this, the ways not being so good as at first, though still in the dominions of the Emperor of China, but lay for the most part in the villages, some of which were fortified, because of the incursions of the Tartars. When we were come to one of these towns (about two days and a half's journey before we came to the city of Naum), I wanted to buy a camel, of which there are plenty to be sold all the way upon that road, and horses also, such as they are, because, so many caravans coming that way, they are often wanted. The person that I spoke to to get me a camel, would have gone and fetched one for me; but I, like a fool, must be officious, and go myself along with him: the place was about two miles out of the village, where, it seems, they kept the camels and horses feeding under a guard.

One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be amongst us; and as soon as he heard the horn, he I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, told us that we had nothing to do but to charge them being very desirous of a little variety. When we came without loss of time; and, drawing us up in a line, he to the place, it was a low, marshy ground, walled asked if we were resolved. We told him we were round with stones, piled up dry, without mortar or ready to follow him; so he rode directly towards them. earth among them, like a park, with a little guard of They stood gazing at us like a mere crowd, drawn up Chinese soldiers at the door. Having bought a camel, in no sort of order at all; but as soon as they saw us and agreed for the price, I came away, and the Chinese advance, they let fly their arrows, which missed us, that went with me led the camel, when on a sudden very happily. Not that they mistook their aim, but came up five Tartars on horseback. Two of them seized their distance; for their arrows all fell a little short of the fellow and took the camel from him, while the us, but with so true an aim, that had we been about other three stepped up to me and my old pilot, seeing twenty yards nearer, we must have had several men us, as it were unarmed, for I had no weapon about me wounded, if not killed. but my sword, which could but ill defend me against Immediately we three horsemen. The first that came up stopped short halted, and though it upon my drawing my sword, for they are arrant was at a great dis- cowards; but a second, coming upon my left, gave me tance, we fired, and a blow on the head, which I never felt till afterwards, sent them leaden bul- and wondered, when I came to myself, what was the lets for wooden arrows, matter, and where I was, for he laid me flat on the following our shot, ground; but my never-failing old pilot, the Portuguese, full-gallop, to fall in had a pistol in his pocket, which I knew nothing of, among them sword in nor the Tartars either; if they had, I suppose they hand-for so our bold would not have attacked us, for cowards are always Scot that led us di- boldest when there is no danger. The old man seeing rected. He was, in- me down, with a bold heart stepped up to the fellow deed, but a merchant, that had struck me, and laying hold of his arm with but he behaved with one hand, and pulling him down by main force a little such vigour and towards him, with the other shot him in the head, and bravery on this occa- laid him dead upon the spot. He then immediately sion, and yet with stepped up to him who had stopped us, as I said, and such cool courage too, before he could come forward again, made a blow at him that I never saw any with a scimitar, which he always wore, but missing the man in action fitter man, struck his horse in the side of his head, cut one for command. As of the ears off by the root, and a great slice down by soon as we came up to the side of his face. The poor beast, enraged with the them, we fired our wound, was no more to be governed by his rider, pistols in their faces, though the fellow sat well enough too, but away he and then drew; but flew, and carried him quite out of the pilot's reach; they fled in the greatest confusion imaginable. The and at some distance, rising upon his hind legs, threw only stand any of them made was on our right, where down the Tartar, and fell upon him. three of them stood, and, by signs, called the rest to come back to them, having a kind of scimitar in their hands, and their bows hanging to their backs. Our brave commander, without asking anybody to follow him, gallops up close to them, and with his fusee knocks one of them off his horse, killed the second with his pistol, and the third ran away. Thus ended our fight; but we had this misfortune attending it, that all our mutton we had in chase got away. We had not a man killed or hurt; as for the Tartars, there were about five of them killed-how many were wounded we knew not; but this we knew, that the other party were so frightened with the noise of our guns, that they fled, and never made any attempt upon us.

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THE SCOTSMAN HEADS A CHARGE ON THE TARTARS.

guide, who had been extolling it for the wonder of the world, was mighty eager to hear my opinion of it. I told him it was a most excellent thing to keep out the Tartars; which he happened not to understand as I meant it, and so took it for a compliment; but the old pilot laughed: "Oh, Seignior Inglese," says he, "you speak in colours."-"In colours!" said I, "what do you mean by that?"-"Why, you speak what looks white this way, and black that way,-gay one way and dull another. You tell him it is a good wall to keep out Tartars; you tell me by that it is good for nothing but to keep out Tartars. I understand you, Seignior Inglese, I understand you; but Seignior Chinese understood you his own way." "Well," says I, "do you think it would stand out an army of our country people, with a good train of artillery; or our engineers, with two companies of miners? Would not they batter it down in ten days, that an army might enter in battalia; or blow it up in air, foundation and all, that there should be no sign of it left?"-"Ay, ay," says he, "I know that." The Chinese wanted mightily to know what I said to the pilot, and I gave him leave to tell him a few days after, for we were then almost out of their country, and he was to leave us a little time after this; but when he knew what I said, he was dumb all the rest of the way, and we heard no more of his fine story of the Chinese power and greatness while he stayed.

We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and therefore the Tartars were not so bold as afterwards; but in about five days we entered a vast wild desert, which held us three days and nights' march: and we were obliged to carry our water with us in great leathern bottles, and to encamp all night, just as I have heard they do in the desert of Arabia. I asked our guides whose dominion this was in: and they told me this was a kind of border, that might be called no man's land, being a part of Great Karakathy, or Grand Tartary that, however, it was all reckoned as belonging to After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, China, but that there was no care taken here to presomething like the Picts' wall, so famous in Northumber-serve it from the inroads of thieves, and therefore land, built by the Romans, we began to find the country it was reckoned the worst desert in the whole march, thinly inhabited, and the people rather confined to live though we were to go over some much larger. in fortified towns, as being subject to the inroads and In passing this frightful wilderness, we saw, two or depredations of the Tartars, who rob in great armies, three times, little parties of the Tartars, but they and therefore are not to be resisted by the naked in- seemed to be upon their own affairs, and to have no habitants of an open country. And here I began to design upon us; and so, like the man who met the find the necessity of keeping together in a caravan as devil, if they had nothing to say to us, we had nothing we travelled, for we saw several troops of Tartars roving to say to them: we let them go. Once, however, a about; but when I came to see them distinctly, I won- party of them came so near as to stand and gaze at us. dered more that the Chinese empire could be conquered Whether it was to consider if they should attack us or by such contemptible fellows; for they are a mere horde not, we knew not; but when we had passed at some of wild fellows, keeping no order, and undertaking no distance by them, we made a rear-guard of forty men, discipline or manner of fight. Their horses are poor and stood ready for them, letting the caravan pass half lean creatures, taught nothing, and fit for nothing: and a mile or thereabouts before us. After a while they

In this interval, the poor Chinese came in who had lost the camel, but he had no weapon: however, seeing the Tartar down, and his horse fallen upon him, away he runs to him, and seizing upon an ugly weapon he had by his side, something like a poleaxe, he wrenched it from him, and made shift to knock his Tartarian brains out with it. But my old man had the third Tartar to deal with still; and seeing he did not fly, as he expected, nor come on to fight him, as he apprehended, but stood stock still, the old man stood still too, and fell to work with his tackle to charge his pistol again; but, as soon as the Tartar saw the pistol, away he scoured, and left my pilot, my champion ĺ called him afterwards, a complete victory.

By this time I was a little recovered. I thought when I first began to wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but, as I said above, I wondered where I was, how I came upon the ground, and what was the matter. A few moments after, as sense returned, I felt pain, though I did not know where; so I clapped my hand to my head, and took it away bloody, then I felt my head ache: and in a moment memory returned, and everything was present to me again. I jumped upon my feet instantly, and got hold of my sword, but no enemies were in view: I found a Tartar lying dead, and his horse standing very quietly by him; and, looking further, I saw my deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese had done, coming back with his hanger in his hand. The old man, seeing me on my feet, came running to me, and joyfully embraced me, being afraid before that I had been killed. Seeing me bloody, he would see how I was hurt; but it was not much, only what we call a broken head; neither did I afterwards find any great inconvenience from the blow, for it was well again in two or three days.

We made no great gain, however, by this victory, for we lost a camel and gained a horse. I paid for the lost camel, and sent for another; but I did not go to fetch it myself: I had had enough of that.

The city of Naum, which we were approaching, is a frontier of the Chinese empire, and is fortified in their

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.

fashion. We wanted, as I have said, above two days'
journey of this city, when messengers were sent express
to every part of the road to tell all travellers and caravans
to halt till they had a guard sent for them; for that an
unusual body of Tartars making ten thousand in all, had
appeared in the way, about thirty miles beyond the city.
This was very bad news to travellers: however, it
was carefully done of the governor, and we were very
glad to hear we should have a guard. Accordingly, two
days after, we had two hundred soldiers sent us from a
garrison of the Chinese on our left, and three hundred
more from the city of Naum, and with these we
advanced boldly. The three hundred soldiers from
Naum marched in our front, the two hundred in our
rear, and our men on each side of our camels, with our
baggage and the whole caravan in the centre; in this
order, and well prepared for battle, we thought ourselves
a match for the whole ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if
they had appeared; but the next day, when they did
appear, it was quite another thing.
Early in the morning, when, marching from a little

THE TARTARS RECONNOITRE THE TRAVELLERS.

town called Changu, we had a river to pass, which we were obliged to ferry; and, had the Tartars had any intelligence, then had been the time to have attacked us, when the caravan being over, the rear-guard was behind; but they did not appear there. About three hours after, when we were entered upon a desert of about fifteen or sixteen miles over, we knew, by a cloud of dust they raised, that the enemy was at hand, and presently they came on upon the spur.

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Our Chinese guards, in the front, who had talked so big the day before, began to stagger; and the soldiers frequently looked behind them, a certain sign in a soldier that he is just ready to run away. My old pilot was of my mind; and, being near me, called out, Seignior Inglese, those fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin us all; for if the Tartars come on they will never stand it."-"I am of your mind," said I; "but what must be done?"-"Done?" says he, "let fifty of our men advance, and flank them on each wing, They will fight like brave and encourage them. fellows in brave company; but without this, they will every man turn his back." Immediately I rode up to our leader, and told him, who was exactly of our mind; accordingly fifty of us marched to the right wing, and fifty to the left, and the rest made a line of rescue; and so we marched, leaving the last two hundred men to make a body by themselves, and to guard the camels; only that, if need were, they should send a hundred men to assist the last fifty.

At last, the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they were; how many we could not tell, but ten thousand, we thought, at the least. A party of them came on first, and viewed our posture, traversing the ground in the front of our line; and, as we found them within gunshot, our leader ordered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a salvo on each wing with their shot, which was done. They then went off, I suppose to give an account of the reception they were like to meet with; indeed, that salute cloyed their stomachs, for they immediately halted, stood a while to consider of it, and wheeling off to the left, they gave over their design for that time, which was very agreeable to our circumstances.

Two days after, we came to the city of Naun, or Naum; we thanked the governor for his care of us, and collected to the value of a hundred crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave to the soldiers sent to guard us; and here we rested one day. This is a garrison indeed, and there were nine hundred soldiers kept here; but the reason of it was, that formerly the Muscovite frontiers lay nearer to them than they do now, the Muscovites having abandoned that part of the country, which lies from this city west for about two hundred miles, as desolate and unfit for use; and more especially being so very remote, and so difficult to send troops thither for its defence: for we were yet above two thousand miles from Muscovy, properly so called. After this, we passed

several great rivers, and two dreadful deserts; one of the hideous idol, and with my sword made a stroke
which we were sixteen days passing over; and, on the at the bonnet that was on its head, and cut it in
13th of April, we came to the frontiers of the Muscovite two; and one of our men that was with me, taking hold
dominions. I think the first town or fortress, whichever of the sheep-skin that covered it, pulled at it, when,
and two or three hundred people came about my
it may be called, that belonged to the Czar, was called behold, a most hideous outcry ran through the village,
Arguna, being on the west side of the river Arguna.
I could not but feel great satisfaction that I was ears, so that I was glad to scour for it, for some had
arrived in a country governed by Christians; for though bows and arrows; but I resolved from that moment to
the Muscovites do, in my opinion, but just deserve the visit them again. Our caravan rested three nights at
name of Christians, yet such they pretend to be, and the town, which was about four miles off, in order to
are very devout in their way. It would certainly occur provide some horses which they wanted, several of the
to any reflecting man who travels the world as I have horses having been lamed and jaded with the long
done, what a blessing it is to be brought into the world march over the last desert; so we had some leisure here
where the name of God and a Redeemer is known, to put my design into execution. I communicated it
adored, and worshipped; and not where the people, given to the Scots merchant, of whose courage I had sufficient
up to strong delusions, worship the devil, and prostrate testimony; I told him what I had seen, and with what
themselves to monsters, elements, horrid-shaped animals, indignation I had since thought that human nature
and monstrous images. Not a town or city we passed could be so degenerate; I told him if I could get but
through but had their pagodas, their idols, and their four or five men well armed to go with me, I was
temples, and ignorant people worshipping even the works resolved to go and destroy that vile, abominable idol,
of their own hands. Now we came where, at least, and let them see that it had no power to help itself and
a face of the Christian worship appeared; where the consequently could not be an object of worship, or to be
knee was bowed to Jesus: and whether ignorantly or prayed to, much less help them that offered sacrifices to it.
He at first objected to my plan as useless, seeing that,
not, yet the Christian religion was owned, and the name
of the true God was called upon and adored; and it owing to the gross ignorance of the people, they could
made my soul rejoice to see it. I saluted the brave Scots not be brought to profit by the lesson I meant to teach
merchant with my first acknowledgment of this; and them; and added that, from his knowledge of the
taking him by the hand, I said to him, " Blessed be God, country and its customs, he feared we should fall into
we are once again amongst Christians." He smiled and great peril by giving offence to these brutal idol wor-
answered, "Do not rejoice too soon, countryman; these shippers. This somewhat stayed my purpose, but I was
Muscovites are but an odd sort of Christians; and but still uneasy all that day to put my project into execu-
for the name of it you may see very little of the sub- tion; and that evening meeting the Scots merchant in
our walk about the town, I again called upon him to aid
stance for some months further of our journey."
"Well," says I, "but still it is better than Paganism, me in it. When he found me resolute he said that, on
and worshipping of devils."-"Why, I will tell you," further thoughts, he could not but applaud the design,
says, he; "except the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and told me I should not go alone, but he would go with
and a few of the inhabitants of the cities upon the road, me, but he would go first and bring a stout fellow, one of
all the rest of this country, for above a thousand miles his countrymen, to go also with us; "and one," said he,
further, is inhabited by the worst and most ignorant of" as famous for his zeal as you can desire any one to be
against such devilish things as these." So we agreed to
Pagans." And so, indeed, we found it.
go, only we three and my man-servant, and resolved to
put it into execution the following night about mid-
night, with all possible secrecy.

We now launched into the greatest piece of solid
earth that is to be found in any part of the world: we
had, at least, twelve thousand miles to the sea, east-
ward;
two thousand to the bottom of the Baltic Sea,
westward; and above three thousand, if we left that
sea, and went on west, to the British and French
channels: we had full five thousand miles to the Indian
or Persian Sea, south; and about eight hundred to the
Frozen Sea, north.

We advanced from the river Arguna by easy and
moderate journeys, and were very visibly obliged to the
care the Czar had taken to have cities and towns built
in as many places as it is possible to place them, where
his soldiers keep garrison, something like the stationary
soldiers placed by the Romans in the remotest countries
of their empire; some of which I had read of were
placed in Britain, for the security of commerce, and for
the lodging of travellers. Thus it was here; for wher-
ever we came, though at these towns and stations the
garrisons and governors were Russians, and professed
Christians, yet the inhabitants were mere pagans, sacri-
ficing to idols, and worshipping the sun, moon, and
stars, or all the host of heaven; and not only so, but
were, of all the heathens and pagans that ever I met
with, the most barbarous, except only that they did not
eat men's flesh.

Some instances of this we met with in the country
between Arguna, where we enter the Muscovite domin-
ions, and a city of Tartars and Russians together, called
In a village
Nortziousky, in which is a continued desert or forest,
which cost us twenty days to travel over.
near the last of these places, I had the curiosity to go
and see their way of living, which is most brutish and
unsufferable. They had, I suppose, a great sacrifice that
day; for there stood out, upon an old stump of a tree, a
diabolical kind of idol made of wood; it was dressed
up, too, in the most filthy manner; its upper garment
was of sheep-skins, with the wool outward; a great
Tartar bonnet on the head, with two horns growing
through it; it was about eight feet high, yet had no
feet or legs, nor any other proportion of parts.

This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the
village; and, when I came near to it, there were sixteen
or seventeen creatures all lying flat upon the ground
round this hideous block of wood; I saw no motion
among them, any more than if they had been all logs,
like the idol, and at first I really thought they had been
so; but, when I came a little nearer, they started up
upon their feet, and raised a howl, as if it had been so
many deep-mouthed hounds, and walked away, as if
they were displeased at our disturbing them. A little
way off from the idol, and at the door of a hut, made of
sheep and cow skins dried, stood three men with long
knives in their hands; and in the middle of the tent
appeared three sheep killed, and one young bullock.
These, it seems, were sacrifices to that senseless log of
an idol; the three men were priests belonging to it,
and the seventeen prostrated wretches were the people
who brought the offering, and were making their prayers
to that stock.

We thought it better to delay it till the next night, because the caravan being to set forward in the morning, we supposed the governor could not pretend to give them any satisfaction upon us when we were out of his for the enterprise as bold in executing, brought me a power. The Scots merchant, as steady in his resolution Tartar's robe or gown of sheep-skins, and a bonnet, with a bow and arrows, and had provided the same for himself and his countrymen, that the people, if they saw us, should not determine who we were. All the first night we spent in mixing up some combustible matter, with aqua vitæ, gunpowder, and such other materials as we could get; and having a good quantity of tar in a little pot, about an hour after night we set out upon our expedition.

We came to the place about eleven o'clock at night, and found that the people had not the least suspicion of danger attending their idol. The night was cloudy; yet the moon gave us light enough to see that the idol stood just in the same posture and place that it did before. The people seemed to be all at their rest; only that in the great hut, where we saw the three priests,

CRUSOE INSULTS THE TARTAR IDOL.

we saw a light, and going up close to the door, we heard people talking as if there were five or six of them; we concluded, therefore, that if we set wildfire to the idol, these men would come out immediately, and run up to the place and rescue it from destruction; and what to do with them we knew not. Once we thought of carrying it away, and setting fire to it at a distance; but when we came to handle it, we found it too bulky for our carriage, so we were at a loss again. The second Scotscreatures that were there on the head when they came man was for setting fire to the hut, and knocking the I confess I was more moved at their stupidity and out; but I could not join with that; I was against brutish worship of a hobgoblin than ever I was at any-killing them, if it were possible to avoid it. "Well, then," thing in my life, and, overcome with rage, I rode up to said the Scots merchant, "I will tell you what we will

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do: we will try to make them prisoners, tie their hands, and make them stand and see their idol destroyed."

As it happened we had twine or packthread enough about us which we used to tie our firelocks together with; so we resolved to attack these people first, and with as little noise as we could. The first thing we did we knocked at the door, when one of the priests coming to it, we immediately seized upon him, stopped his mouth, and tied his hands behind him and led him to the idol, where we gagged him that he might not make a noise, tied his feet also together, and left him on the ground. Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that another would come out to see what the matter was; but we waited so long till the third man came back to us; and then nobody coming out, we knocked again gently, and immediately out came two more, and we served them just in the same manner, but were obliged to go all with them, and lay them down by the idol some distance from one another; when, going back, we found two more were come out of the door, and a third stood behind them within the door. We seized the two, and immediately tied them, when the third, stepping back and crying out, my Scots merchant went in after them, and taking out a composition we had made that would only smoke and stink, he set fire to it, and threw it among them. By that time the other Scotsman and my man, taking charge of the two men already bound, and tied together also by the arm, led them away to the idol, and left them there, to see if their idol would relieve them, making haste back to us.

When the furze we had thrown in had filled the hut with so much smoke that they were almost suffocated, we threw in a small leather bag of another kind, which flamed like a candle, and following it in, we found there were but four people, who, as we supposed, had been about some of their diabolic sacrifices. They appeared, in short, frightened to death, at least so as to sit trembling and stupid, and not able to speak either, for the smoke.

We quickly took them from the hut, where the smoke soon drove us out, bound them as we had done the others, and all without any noise. Then we carried them all together to the idol; when we came there, we fell to work with him. First we daubed him all over, and his robes also, with tar, and tallow mixed with brimstone; then we stopped his eyes, and ears, and mouth full of gunpowder, and wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in his bonnet; them sticking all the combustibles we had brought with us upon him, we looked about to see if we could find anything else to help to burn him; when my Scotsman remembered that by the hut, where the men were, there lay a heap of dry forage; away he and the other Scotsman ran and fetched their arms full of that. When we had done this, we took all our prisoners, and brought them, having untied their feet and ungagged their mouths, and made them stand up, and set them before their monstrous idol, and then set fire to the whole.

After we had passed this desert, we came into a country pretty well inhabited; that is to say, we found towns and castles, settled by the Czar, with garrisons of stationary soldiers, to protect the caravans and defend the country against the Tartars, who would otherwise make it very dangerous travelling; and his czarish majesty has given such strict orders for the well guarding the caravans, that, if there are any Tartars heard of in the country, detachments of the garrison are always sent to see the travellers safe from station to station. Thus the governor of Adinskoy, whom I had an opportunity to make a visit to, by means of the Scots merchant, who was acquainted with him, offered us a guard of fifty men, if we thought there was any danger, to the next station.

should make their escape; but that whether we had Jarawena, where there was a Russian garrison, and there
done it or no, we should make all the haste forward we rested five days.
that was possible; and that, in the mean time, he would From this city we had a frightful desert, which held
keep them in play as long as he could.
us twenty-three days' march. We furnished ourselves
This was very friendly in the governor: however, with some tents here, for the better accommodating
when it came to the caravan, there was nobody knew ourselves in the night; and the leader of the caravan
anything of the matter; and as for us that were guilty, procured sixteen waggons of the country, for carrying
we were least of all suspected. However, the captain our water or provisions, and these carriages were our
of the caravan for the time took the hint that the defence, every night round our little camp; so that had
governor gave us, and we travelled two days and two the Tartars appeared, unless they had been very numer-
nights, without any considerable stop, and then we lay at ous indeed, they would not have been able to hurt us.
a village called Plothus: nor did we make any long We may well be supposed to have wanted rest again
stop here, but hastened on towards Jarawena, another after this long journey; for in this desert we neither
Muscovite colony, and where we expected we should saw house nor tree, and scarce a bush; though we saw
be safe. But upon the second day's march from Plothus, abundance of the sable hunters, who are all Tartars of
by the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, it Mogul Tartary, of which this country is a part; and
was plain we were pursued. We had entered a vast they frequently attack small caravans, but we saw no
desert, and had passed by a great lake called Schanks numbers of them together.
Oser, when we perceived a large body of horse appear
on the other side of the lake to the north, we travelling
west. We observed they went away west, as we did, but
had supposed we would have taken that side of the lake,
whereas we very happily took the south side; and in two
days more they disappeared again: for they, believing we
were still before them, pushed on till they came to the
Udda, a very great river when it passes farther north, but
when we came to it we found it narrow and fordable.
The third day they had either found their mistake, or
had intelligence of us, and came pouring in upon us
towards dusk. We had, to our great satisfaction, just
pitched upon a convenient place for our camp; for, as we
had just entered upon a desert above five hundred miles
over, where we had no towns to lodge at, and, indeed,
expected none but the city Jarawena, which we had yet
two days' march to; the desert, however, had some few
woods in it on this side, and little rivers, which ran all
into the great river Udda; it was in a narrow strait,
between little but very thick woods, that we pitched
our camp that night, expecting to be attacked before
morning. As it was usual for the Mogul Tartars to go
about in troops in that desert, so the caravans always
fortify themselves every night against them, as against
armies of robbers; and it was, therefore, no new thing
to be pursued. But we had this night a most advan-
tageous camp; for as we lay between two woods, with
a little rivulet running just before our front, we could
not be surrounded, or attacked any way but in our front
or rear. We took care also to make our front as strong
as we could, by placing our packs, with the camels and
horses, all in a line, on the inside of the river, and
felling some trees in our rear.

I thought long before this, that as we came nearer to
Europe, we should find the country better inhabited,
and the people more civilised; but I found myself
mistaken in both; for we had yet the nation of the
Tonguses to pass through, where we saw the same
tokens of paganism and barbarity as before; only, as
they were conquered by the Muscovites, they were not
so dangerous, but for rudeness of manners, and idolatry,
no people in the world ever went beyond them. They
are clothed all in skins of beasts, and their houses are
built of the same; you know not a man from a woman,
neither by the ruggedness of their countenances nor
their clothes; and in the winter, when the ground is
covered with snow, they live underground in vaults,
which have cavities going from one to another. If the
Tartars had their Cham Chi-Thaungu for a whole village
or country, these had idols in every hut and every cave.
This country, I reckon, was, from the desert I spoke of
In this posture we encamped for the night; but the last, at least four hundred miles, half of it being another
enemy was upon us before we had finished. They did desert, which took us up twelve days' severe travelling,
not come on like thieves, as we expected, but sent without house or tree; and we were obliged again to
three messengers to us, to demand the men to be de-carry our own provisions, as well water as bread. After
livered to them that had abused their priests, and we were out of this desert, and had travelled two days,
burned their idol, that they might burn them with fire; we came to Janezay, a Muscovite city, or station, on the
and upon this, they said, they would go away, and do great river Janezay, which, they told us there, parted
us no further harm, otherwise they would destroy us Europe from Asia.
all. Our men looked very blank at this message, and
began to stare at one another to see who looked with
the most guilt in their faces; but nobody-was the
word--nobody did it. The leader of the caravan sent
word he was well assured that it was not done by any
of our camp; that we were peaceful merchants travel-
ling on our business; that we had done no harm to
them or to any one else; and that, therefore, they must
look farther for the enemies who had injured them, for
we were not the people; so they desired them not to
disturb us, for if they did we should defend ourselves.
They were far from being satisfied with this for an
answer; and a great crowd of them came running down
in the morning, by break of day, to our camp; but
seeing us so well posted, they durst come no further than
the brook in our front, where they stood, in such number
as to terrify us very much; indeed, some spoke of ten
thousand. Here they stood and looked at us a while, and
then setting up a great howl, let fly a crowd of arrows
among us; but we were well enough sheltered under our
baggage, and I do not remember that one of us was
hurt.

All the country between the river Oby and the river Janezay is as entirely pagan, and the people as barbarous, as the remotest of the Tartars. I also found, which I observed to the Muscovite governors whom I had an opportunity to converse with, that the poor pagans are not much wiser, or nearer Christianity, for being under the Muscovite government, which they acknowledged was true enough-but that, as they said, was none of their business; that if the Czar expected to convert his Siberian, Tonguse, or Tartar subjects, it should be done by sending clergymen among them, not soldiers; and they added, with more sincerity than I expected, that it was not so much the concern of their monarch to make the people Christians as to make them subjects.

From this river to the Oby we crossed a wild uncultivated country, barren of people and good manage ment, otherwise it is in itself a pleasant, fruitful, and agreeable country. What inhabitants we found in it are all pagans, except such as are sent among them from Russia; for this is the country-I mean on both sides the river Oby-whither the Muscovite criminals that are not put to death are banished, and from whence it is next to impossible they should ever get away. I have came to Tobolski, the capital city of Siberia, where I continued some time on the following account.

We stayed by it a quarter of an hour or thereabouts, till the powder in the eyes, and mouth, and ears of the idol blew up, and, as we could perceive, had split altogether; and, in a word, till we saw it burned so that it would soon be quite consumed. We then began to think of going away; but the Scotsman said, "No, we must not go, for these poor deluded wretches will all throw themselves into the fire, and burn themselves with the idol." So we resolved to stay till the forage was burned down too, and then came away and left them. After the feat was performed, we appeared in the morning among our fellow-travellers, exceedingly busy in getting ready for our journey; nor could any man suppose that we had been anywhere but in our beds. But the affair did not end so; the next day came a great number of the country people to the town gates, and in a most outrageous manner demanded satisfaction of the Russian governor for the insulting their priests and burning their great Cham Chi-Thaungu. The people of Nertsinskay were at first in a great consternation, for they said the Tartars were already no less than thirty thousand strong. The Russian governor sent out messengers to appease them, assuring them that he knew nothing of it, and that there had not a soul in his Some time after this, we saw them move a little to garrison been abroad, so that it could not be from any-our right, and expected them on the rear: when anothing material to say of my particular affairs till I body there but if they could let him know who did it, cunning fellow, a Cossack of Jarawena, calling to the they should be exemplary punished. They returned leader of the caravan, said to him, "I will send all these haughtily, that all the country reverenced the great people away to Sibeilka." This was a city four or five Cham Chi-Thaungu, who dwelt in the sun, and no days' journey at least to the right, and rather behind mortal would have dared to offer violence to his image us. So he takes his bow and arrows, and getting on but some Christian miscreant; and they therefore horseback, he rides away from our rear directly, as it resolved to denounce war against him and all the were back to Nertsinskay; after this he takes a great Russians, who, they said, were miscreants and Christians. circuit about, and comes directly on the army of the The governor, unwilling to make a breach, or to have Tartars, as if he had been sent express to tell them a any cause of war alleged to be given by him, the Czar long story that the people who had burned the Cham having strictly charged him to treat the conquered Chi-Thaungu were gone to Sibeilka, with a caravan of country with gentleness, gave them all the good words miscreants, as he called them-that is to say Christians: he could. At last he told them there was a caravan gone and that they had resolved to burn the god Scal-Isar, towards Russia that morning, and perhaps it was some belonging to the Tonguses. As this fellow was him of them who had done them this injury; and that if they self a Tartar, and perfectly spoke their language, he would be satisfied with that, he would send after them counterfeited so well that they all believed him, and to inquire into it. This seemed to appease them a little; away they drove in a violent hurry to Sibeilka. In less and accordingly the governor sent after us, and gave us than three hours they were entirely out of our sight, and a particular account how the thing was; intimating we never heard any more of them, nor whether they withal, that if any in our caravan had done it they went to Sibeilka or no. So we passed away safely on to

We had now been almost seven months on our journey, and winter began to come on apace; whereupon my partner and I called a council about our particular affairs, in which we found it proper, as we were bound for England, to consider how to dispose of ourselves. They told us of sledges and reindeer to carry us over the snow in the winter time, by which means, indeed, the Russians travel more in winter than they can in summer, as in these sledges they are able to run night and day: the snow, being frozen, is one universal covering to nature, by which the hills, vales, rivers, and lakes are all smooth and hard as a stone, and they run upon the surface, without any regard to what is underneath.

But I had no occasion to urge a winter journey of this kind. I was bound to England, not to Moscow, and my route lay two ways: either I must go on as the caravan went, till I came to Jarislaw, and then go off west for Narva, and the Gulf of Finland, and so on to Dantzic,

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