But now, thank kind Heaven, being ash.o.r.e; our old pilot procured us a lodging and a warehouse for our goods; it was a little hut with a large warehouse joining to it, all built with canes, and pallisadoed round with large ones, to keep out pilfering thieves, which are very numerous in that country. The magistrates allowed us a little guard during the night, and we employed a centinel with a kind of halbert for three pence a day. The fair, or mart, we found, had been over for some time; however, there remained in the river four junks and two j.a.pan ships, the merchants of the latter being on sh.o.r.e. In the first place, our old pilot brought us acquainted with the missionary Roman priests, who were converting the people to Christianity: two of them were reserved, rigid, and austere, applying themselves to the work they came about with great earnestness, but the third, who was a Frenchman, called Father Simon, was of a freer conversation, not seemingly so serious and grave, yet no worse Christian than the other two, one of whom was a Portuguese, and the other a Genoese. Father Simon, it seems, was appointed to go to Pekin, the royal seat of the Emperor of the Chinese; and he only waited for another priest, who was ordered from Macao to accompany him. We never met together, but he was prompting me to accompany him in that journey: _Sir_, said he, _I will show you the glorious things of this mighty empire, and a city, the city of Pekin, far exceeding London and Paris, put them both together_. One day in particular, being at dinner with him, I showed some inclination to go; which made him press the more upon me and my partner, to gain our perfect consent. _But, Father Simon_, said my partner, _what satisfaction can you have in our company, whom you esteem as heretics, and consequently objects not worthy your regard? O_, said he, _you may be as good Catholics in time as those I hope to convert to our religion. And so_, said I, _we shall have you preaching to us all the way, instead of pleasing us with a description of the country. Sir_, said he, _however our religion may be villified by some people, it is very certain it neither divests us of good manners or Christian charity; and as we are gentlemen, as such we may converse together, without making one another uneasy_.

But we shall leave him a while, to consider our ship and the merchandise which we had to dispose of. There was but very little trade in the place where we were; and I was once resolved to venture to sail to the river Kilam, and so to the city of Nanquin; but Providence ordered it otherwise, by our old pilot's bringing a j.a.pan merchant to us, to see what goods we had. He immediately bought our opium, for which he gave us a very good price in gold by weight, some wedges of which were about ten or eleven ounces. It came into my head that perhaps he might buy the ship too; and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. He said nothing then, but shrugged up his shoulders; yet in a few days after he came accompanied by a missionary priest, who was his interpreter, with this proposal, _That as he had bought a great quant.i.ty of our goods, he had not money enough to purchase our ship; but if I pleased he would hire her, with all my men, to go to j.a.pan, and from thence with another loading to the Philippine islands, the freight of both which he would very willingly pay to us before; and at their return to j.a.pan, would buy the ship_. Upon this we asked the Captain and his men if they were willing to go to j.a.pan; to which they unanimously agreed. While this was in agitation, the young man my nephew left to attend me, told me, "That as I did not care to accept his prospect of advantage he would manage it for me as I pleased, and render me a faithful account of his success, which would be wholly mine." Indeed I was very unwilling to part with him; but considering it might be for the young man's good, I discoursed with my partner about it, who, of his own generosity, gave him his share of the vessel, so that I could do no otherwise than give him mine: but, however, we let him have but the proper half of it, and preserved a power, that when we met in England, if he had obtained success, he should account to us for one half of the profit of the ship's freight and the other should be his own. Thus having taken a writing under his hand, away he sailed to j.a.pan, where the merchant dealt very honestly by him, got him a licence to come on sh.o.r.e, sent him loaded to the Philippines with a j.a.panese supercargo, from whence he came back again loaded with European goods, cloves, and other spiceries. By this voyage he cleared a considerable sum of money, which determined him not to sell his ship, but to trade on his own account; so he returned to the Manillas, where, getting acquaintance, he made his ship free, was hired by the governor privately to go to Acapulco in America, on the Mexican coast, with a licence to travel to the great city of Mexico. This traffic turned out greatly to account, and my friend finding means to get to Jamaica, returned nine years after exceedingly rich into England.

In parting with the ship, it comes in course to consider of those men who had saved our lives when in the river of Cambodia; and though, by the way, they were a couple of rogues, who thought to turn pirates themselves, yet we paid them what they had before demanded, and gave each of them a small sum of money, making the Englishman a gunner, and the Dutchman a boatswain, with which they were very well contented.

We were now about 1000 leagues farther from home, than when at Bengal.

All the comfort we could expect was, that there being another fair to be kept in a month's time, we might not only purchase all sorts of that country's manufactures, but very possibly find some Chinese junks, or vessels from Tonquin, to be sold, which would carry us and our goods wheresoever we pleased. Upon these hopes, we resolved to continue; and, to divert ourselves, we took several little journies in the country.

About ten days after we parted with the ship, we travelled to see the city of Nanquin. The city lies in lat.i.tude 30 degrees north of the line: it is regularly built, and the streets are exactly straight, and cross one another in direct lines, which sets it out to the greatest advantage. At our return, we found the priest was come from Macao, that was to accompany Father Simon to Pekin. That Father earnestly solicited me to accompany him, & I referred him to my partner. In short, we both agreed, and prepared accordingly; and we were so lucky as to have liberty to travel among the retinue of one of their Mandarines, who is a princ.i.p.al magistrate, and much reverenced by the people.

We were five and twenty days travelling thro' this miserable country, infinitely populous, but as indifferently cultivated; and yet their pride is infinitely greater than their poverty, insomuch that they priests themselves derided them. As we pa.s.sed by the house of one of their country gentlemen, two leagues off Nanquin, we had the honour, forsooth, to ride with the Chinese squire about two miles. Never was Don Quixote so exactly imitated! Never such a compound of pomp and poverty seen before!

His habit, made of calico, was dirty, greasy, and very proper for a Mersy Andrew or Scaramouch, with all its tawdry trappings, as hanging sleeves, ta.s.sels, &c. though torn and rent in almost every part; his vest underneath it was no less dirty, but more greatly; resembling the most exquisite sloven or greasy butcher; his horse (worse than Rosinante, or the famous steed of doughty Hudibras) was a poor starved decrepid thing, that would not sell for thirty shillings in England; and yet this piece of worshipful pomp was attended with ten or twelve slaves who guarded their master to his country seat. We stopped at a little village for refreshment; and when we came by the country seat of this great man, we found him sitting under a tree before his door, eating a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in the middle, and a bag filled with green pepper by him, and another plant like ginger, together with a piece of lean mutton in it: this was his worship's repast: but pray observe the state of the food! two women slaves brought him his food, which being laid before him, two others appeared to perform their respective offices; one fed him with a spoon, while the other sc.r.a.ped off what fell upon his beard and taffety vest, and gave it to a particular favourite to eat. And thus we left the wretch pleased with the conceit of our admiring his magnificence, which rather merited our scorn and detestation.

At length we arrived at the great city of Pekin, accompanied by two servants, and the old Portuguese pilot, whose charges we bore, and who served us as an interpreter by the way. We had scarce been a week at Pekin, but he comes laughing to us. "Ah! Seignior Inglise, (said he) me something tell you make your heart glad, but make me sorry: for your bring me here twenty-five days journey, and now you leave me go back alone; and which way shall I make my port after, without de ship, without de horse, without pecune?" so he called money in his broken Latin. He then informed me, that there was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, who were preparing to set out for Muscovy by land within six weeks; and, that he was certain we would take this opportunity, and consequently that he must go home by himself.

Indeed this news infinitely surprised & pleased me. "Are you certain of this?" said I, "Yes, Sir, (says he) me sure its true." And so he told me, that having met an old acquaintance of his, an Armenian, in the street, who was among them, and who had come from Astracan, with a design to go to Tonquin, but for certain reasons having altered his resolutions, he was now resolved to go with the caravan, and to return by the river Wolga to Astracan. "Well, Seignior, (said I) don't be discontented about your returning alone; and if, by this means, I can find a pa.s.sage to England, it will be your own fault if you return to Macao at all." And so consulting with my partner what was best to be done, he referred it to me as I pleased, having our affairs so well settled at Bengal, that if he could convert the good voyage he had made in China silks, wrought or raw, he would be satisfied to go to England; and so return to Bengal in the Company's ships. Thus resolved, we agreed that if our pilot would go with us, we would bear his charges either to Moscow or England; and to give him in a present the sum of one hundred and seventy pounds sterling. Hereupon we called him in, and told him the cause of his complaint should be removed, if he would accompany us with the caravans; and, therefore, we desired to know his mind. At this he shook his head, "Great long journey, (said he) me no pecune carry me to Moscow, or keep me there." But we soon put him out of that concern, by making him sensible of what we would give him here to lay out the best advantage; and, as for his charges, we would set him safe on sh.o.r.e, G.o.d willing, either in Muscovy or England, as he pleased, at our own charge, except the carriage of his goods. At this proposal, he was like a man transported, telling us he would go with us all the world over; and we made preparations for our journey; but it was near four months before all the merchants were ready.

In the mean time, my partner and the pilot went express to the port where we first put in, to dispose of what goods had been left there, while I accompanied a Chinese merchant who was going to Nanquin, and there bought twenty-nine pieces of damask, with about three hundred more of other fine silks; and, by the time my partner returned to Pekin, I had them all carried thither; our cargo in silks amounted to 45col.

sterling, which, together with tea, fine calicoes, nutmegs, and cloves, loaded eighteen camels for our share, besides what we rode upon, with two or three spare horses, and two more loaden with provisions; the company now was very great, making about four hundred horse, and above one hundred and twenty men, well armed and provided. We were of several nations, among whom were five Scotch merchants, inhabiting in Moscow, and well experienced in trade.

We set out from Pekin the beginning of February our stile; and in two days more, we pa.s.sed through the gate of the great China wall, which was erected as a fortification against the Tartars, being one hundred English miles long. We then entered a country not near so populous, chiefly under the power of plundering Tartars, several companies of whom we perceived riding on poor starved horses, contemptible as themselves without order of discipline. One time our leader, for the day, gave us leave to go a hunting; but what do you think we hunted? only a parcel of sheep, which indeed exceeded any in the world for wildness and swiftness; but while we were pursuing this game, it was our chance to meet with about forty Tartars, who no sooner perceived us, but one of them blew a horn, at the sound of which there soon appeared a troop of forty or fifty more, at about a mile's distance. Hereupon, one of the Scots merchants (who knew their ways) ordered us to advance towards them, and attack them immediately, As we advanced, they let fly a volley of arrows, which happily fell a little short of us; this made us halt a little, to return the compliment with bullets; and then being led up by the bold Scot, we fired our pistols in their faces, and drew out our swords; but there was no occasion; for they flew like timorous sheep, & only three of them remained, beckoning to the rest to come back. But our brave commander gallops up to them by himself, shot one dead, knocked another of his horse, while the third ran away; and thus ended our battle with the Tartars.

We travelled a month more through the Emperor of China's dominions; and at length coming to one of their towns about a day and a half's journey from the city of Naum, I wanted to buy a camel. The person I spoke to would have brought me one, but, like a fool, I must go along with him, about two miles from the village. My old pilot and I walked on foot, forsooth, for some variety, when coming to the place where the camels were kept as in a park guarded by Chinese soldiers, we there agreed and bought one, which the Chinese man that came along with me led along the road. But we had not gone far, before we were attacked by five Tartars, mounted on horseback, two of whom seized the man, took the camel from him, and rode away, while the other three approached us, the first of whom suddenly seized me as I was drawing my sword, the second; knocked me down, but my old trusty Portuguese taking a pistol out of his pocket, which I knew nothing of, and coming up to the fellow that struck me, he with one hand pulled him off his horse, and then shot him dead upon the spot; then taking his scymitar, he struck at the man that stopped us, but missing him, cut off one of his horses ears, the pain of which made him throw his rider to the ground. The poor Chinese who had led the camel, seeing the Tartar down, runs to him, and seizing upon his pole-ax, wrenched it from his hands, and knocked his brains out. But there was another Tartar to deal with, who seeming neither inclined to fight nor fly, and my old man having begun to charge his pistol, the very sight of it struck such a terror into the wretch, that away he scoured, leaving my old pilot, rather my champion and defender, an absolute victory.

By this time being awakened from my trance, I began to open my eyes, wondering where I was, having quite forgot all that pa.s.sed; but my senses returning, and feeling a great pain in my head, and seeing the blood was running over my clothes, I instantly jumped upon my feet, and grasped my sword in my hand, with a resolution to take revenge: but no enemies now remained, except the dead Tartar, with his horse standing by him. The old man seeing me recovered, whom he thought slain, ran towards me, and embraced me with the greatest tenderness, at the same time examining into my wound, which was far from being mortal. When we returned to the village, the man demanded payment for his camel, which I refusing, we brought the cause, before a Chinese judge, who acted with great impartiality: Having heard both sides, he asked the Chinese man that went with me, whose servant he was? _Sir,_ said he, _I am n.o.body's, but went with the stranger at his request: Why then_, said the judge, _you are the stranger's servant for the time, and the camel being delivered to his servant, it is the same as though delivered to himself, and accordingly he must pay for it._ Indeed the case was so fairly stated, that I had nothing to object to it; so, having paid for that I was robbed of, I sent for another, but did not go myself to fetch it, as I had enough of that sport before.

The city of Naum is a frontier of the Chinese empire, so fortified, as some will tell you, that millions of Tartars cannot batter down their walls; by which certainly one might think one of our cannons would do more execution than all their legions.

When we were within a day's march of that city, we had information that the governor had sent messengers to every part of the road, to inform the travellers and caravans to halt, till a guard was sent to protect them from the numerous bodies of Tartars that lately appeared about the city. This news put us into great consternation; but, obeying the orders, we stopt; & two days after, there came two hundred soldiers from a garrison of the Chinese, and three hundred more from Naum; thus guarded both in the front and rear, with our own men in the flanks, we boldly advanced, thinking we were able to combat with ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they appeared.

Early next morning, in our march from a little well situated town called Changu, after having pa.s.sed a river, and entered upon a desert of about fifteen or sixteen miles over, we soon beheld by a cloud of dust that was raised, that the enemy was approaching. This much dispirited the Chinese. My old pilot took notice of it, and called out, _Seignor Inglise, those fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin us all, and I am afraid if the Tartars attack us, they will all run away_. "Why, Seignor, (said I), what shall be done in this case?" _Done_, says he, _why let fifty of our men advance, and flank them on each wing. I know the fellows will fight well enough in company_. We accordingly took his advice, and marched fifty to the right wing, and the same number to the left, and with the rest made a line of reserve, leaving the last two hundred men to guard the camels, or to a.s.sist us, as occasion required.

Thus prepared, a party of the enemy came forward, viewing our posture, and traversing the ground on the front of our line. Hereupon we ordered the two wings to move on, and give them a salute with their shot; which accordingly was done. This put a stop to their proceedings; for immediately wheeling off to their left, they all marched away, and we saw no more of them. They had undoubtedly given an account to their companions of what reception they might expect, which made them to easily give over their enterprize.

When we came to the city of Naum, we returned the governor hearty thanks, and distributed a hundred crowns among the soldiers that guarded us. We rested there one day, and then proceeded on our travels, pa.s.sing several great rivers and deserts and on the 13th of April we came to the frontiers of Muscovy, the first town of which was called Argun.

This happy occasion, as I thought, of coming into a Christian country, made me congratulate the Scots merchant upon it. He smiled at that, telling me not to rejoice too soon; _for_, said he, _except the Russian soldiers in garrison, and a few inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, for above a thousand miles, is inhabited by the most ignorant and barbarous Pagans_.

We advanced from the river Arguna, by moderate journies and found convenient garrisons on the road, filled with Christian soldiers for the security of commerce, and for the convenient lodgings of travellers: but the inhabitants of the country were mere Pagans, worshiping the sun, moon, and stars. We particularly observed this idolatry near the river Arguna, at a city inhabited by Tartars and Russians, called Nerisinkey.

Being curious to see their way of living, while the caravan continued to rest themselves in that city, I went to one of their villages, where there was to be one of their solemn sacrifices.

There I beheld upon the stump of an old tree, an idol of wood, more ugly than the representation of the devil himself: its head resembled no living creature; its ears were as big and as high as goat's horns, a crooked nose, four-cornered mouth, and horrible teeth: it was clothed in sheep skins, had a great Tartar bonnet, with two horns growing thro' it, and was eight feet high, without feet, legs or proportion. Before this idol their lay sixteen or seventeen people, who brought their offerings, and were making their prayers, while at a distance stood three men and one bullock, as victims to this ugly monster.

Such stupendous sacrilege as this, in robbing the true G.o.d of his honour, filled me with the greatest astonishment and reflection: which soon turning to rage and fury, I rode up to the image, and cut in pieces the bonnet that was upon his head with my sword, so that it hung down by one of the horns, while one of my men that was with me pulled at it by his sheep-skin garment. Immediately an hideous howling and outcry ran through the village, and two or three hundred people coming about our ears, we were obliged to fly for it.

But I had not done with the monster; for the caravan being to rest three nights in the town, I told the Scots merchant what I had seen, and that I was resolved to take four or five men well armed with me, in order to destroy the idol, and show the people how little reason they had to trust in a G.o.d who could not save himself. At first he laughed at me, representing the danger of it, and when it was destroyed, what time had we to preach to them better things, whole zeal and ignorance was in the highest degree, and both unparalleled? that if I should be taken by them, I should be served as a poor ruffian, who contemned their worship; that is, to be stripped naked, and tied to the top of the idol, there shot at with arrows till my body was fall of them, and then burnt as a sacrifice to the monster; _but Sir_, said he, _since your zeal carries you so far, rather than you should be alone I will accompany you, and bring a stout fellow equal to yourself, if you will, to a.s.sist you in this design:_ and accordingly he brought one Captain Richardson, who, hearing the story, readily consented; but my partner declined it, being altogether out of his way: and so we three, and my servant, resolved to execute this exploit about midnight; but upon second thoughts we deferred it to the next night, by reason that the caravan being to go from hence the next morning, we should be out of the governor's power.

The better to effectuate my design, I procured a Tartar's sheep-skin robe, a bonnet, with bow and arrows, and every one of us got the like habits, the first night we spent in mixing combustible matter with aqua vitae, gunpowder, &c. having a good quant.i.ty of tar in a little pot: next night we came up to the idol about eleven o'clock, the moon being up. We found none guarding it; but we perceived a light in the house, where we had seen the priests before. One of our men was for firing the hut, another for killing the people, and a third for making them prisoners, while the idol was destroyed. We agreed to the latter; so knocking at the door, we seized the first that opened it, and stopping his mouth and tying his feet, we left him. We served the other two in the like manner; and then the Scots merchant set fire to the composition, which frightened them so much, that we brought them all away prisoners to their wooden G.o.d. There we fell to work with him, daubing him all over with tar mixed with tallow and brimstone stopping his eyes, ears, and mouth full of gunpowder, with a great piece of wild-fire in his bonnet, and environed it with dry forage. All this being done, we unloosed and ungagged the prisoners, and set the idol on fire, which the gunpowder blowing up, the shape of it was deformed, rent and split, which the forage utterly consumed; for we staid to see its destruction, lest the ignorant idolatrous people should have thrown themselves into the flames, And thus we came away undiscovered, in the morning appearing as busy among our fellow travellers, as no body could have suspected any other, but that we had been in our beds all night.

Next morning we let out, and had gone but a small distance from the city, when there came a mult.i.tude of people of the country to the gates of the city, demanding satisfaction of the Ruffian governor for insulting their priests, and burning their great Cham Cai-Thaungu, who dwelt in the sun, and no mortal would violate this image but some Christian miscreants; and being already no less than thirty thousand strong, they announced war against him and all his Christians.

The governor a.s.sured them he was ignorant of the matter, and that none of his garrison had been abroad; that indeed there was a caravan that went away that morning, and that he would send after them to inquire into it; and whoever was the offender, should be delivered into their hands. This satisfied them for the present, but the governor sent to inform us, that if any of us had done it, we should make all the haste away possible, while he kept them in play as long as he could. Upon this we marched two days and two nights, stopping but very little, till at last we arrived at a village called Plothus, and hasted to Jerawena, another of the Czar's colonies. On the third day, having entered the desert, and pa.s.sed the lake called Shaks Oser, we beheld a numerous body of horde on the other side or it to the north, who supposed we had pa.s.sed on that side of the lake; but either having found the mistake, or being certainly informed of the way we took, they came upon us towards the dusk of the evening, just as we had pitched our camp between two little but very thick woods, with a little river running before our front and some felled trees with which we covered our rear; a precaution we always took, and which we had just finished when the enemy came up.

They did not fall on us immediately, but sent three messengers, demanding the men who had insulted their priests, & burnt their G.o.d, Cham Chi-Thaungu, that they might be burnt with fire; that if this was complied with, they would peaceably depart; but if not, they would destroy one and all of us. Our men stared at one another on receipt of this message, but n.o.body was the word, as indeed n.o.body knew it, but he who did it. Upon which the leader of the caravan returned for answer, _That they were peaceable merchants, who meddled with none of their priests and G.o.ds and therefore desired, them not to disturb us, and put us to the necessity of defending ourselves_. But do far was this from satisfying them, that the next morning coming to our right, they let fly a volley of arrows among us, which happily did not hurt any, because we sheltered ourselves behind our baggage. We expected however to come to a closer engagement; but were happily saved by a cunning fellow, a Cossack, who obtaining leave of the leader to go out, mounts his horse, rides directly from our rear, and taking a circuit, comes up to the Tartars, as tho he had been sent express, and tells them a formal story, that the wretches who had burnt the Cham Chi-Thaungu, were gone to Shiheilka, with a resolution to burn the G.o.d Shal-Ifar, belonging to the Tongueses. Upon which, believing this cunning Tartar, who was servant to our Muscovites, away they drove to Shiheilka, and in less than three minutes were out of sight, nor did we ever hear of them more.

When we came to the city of Jarawena, we rested five days, and then entered into a frightful desert, which held us twenty-three days march, infested with several small companies of robbers, or Mogul Tartars, who never had the courage to attack us. After we had pa.s.sed over this desert, we found several garisons to defend the caravans from the violence of the Tartars. In particular the Governor of Adinskoy offered us a guard of fifty men to the next station, if we apprehended any danger. The people here retained the same paganism and barbarity, only they were not so dangerous, being conquered by the Muscovites. The clothing, both of men & women, is of the skins of beasts, living under the ground in vaults & caves, which have a communication with one another. They have idols almost in every family; besides, they adore the sun and stars, water and snow; and the least uncommon thing that happens in the elements, alarms them as much as thunder and lightning does the unbelieving Jews.

Nothing remarkable occurred in our march through this country. When we had gone through the desert, after two days farther travel; we came to Jenezoy, a Muscovite city, on the great river so called, which we were told, parted Europe from Asia. The inhabitants here were very little better, though intermixed with the Muscovites, but the wonder will cease, when I inform my readers of what was observed to me, that the Czar rather converts the Tartars with soldiers than clergymen, and is more proud to make them faithful subjects, than good Christians.

From this city to the river Oby, we travelled over a pleasant, fruitful, but very uncultivated country, for want of good management and people, and those few are mostly Pagans. This is the place where the Muscovite criminals are banished to, if they are not put to death. The next city we came to, was the capital city of Siberia, called Tobolski when having been almost seven months on our journey, and winter drawing on apace, my partner and I consulted about our particular affairs in what manner we should dispose of ourselves. We had been told of sledges and rein-deer to carry us over the snow in the winter season, the snow being frozen so hard, that the sledges can run upon the surface without any danger of going down. As I was bound to England, I now behoved either to go with the caravan to Jerosaw, from thence west to Marva, and the gulph of Finland, and so by land or sea to Denmark; or else I must leave the caravan at a little town on the Dwina, and so to Archangel, where I was certain of shipping either to England, Holland, or Hamburgh. One night I happened to get into the company of an ill.u.s.trious, but banished Prince, whose company and virtues were such as made me to propose to him a method how he might obtain his liberty. _My dear friend_, said he, _as I am here happily free from my miserable greatness with all its attendants of pride, ambition, avarice, and luxury, if I should escape from this place, those pernicious seeds may again revive, to my lasting disquietude; therefore let me remain in a blessed confinement, for I am but flesh, a mere man, with pa.s.sions and affections as such; O be not my friend and tempter too!_ Struck dumb with surprise, I stood silent a-while; nor was he less in disorder, by which perceiving he wanted to give vent to his mind, I desired him to consider of it, and so withdrew.

But about two hours after he came to my apartment: _Dear friend_, said he, _though I cannot consent to accompany you, I shall have this satisfaction in parting, that you leave me an honest man still: but as a testimony of my affection to you, be pleased to accept this present of sables_.

In return for his compliment, I sent my servant next morning to his Lordship with a small present of tea, two pieces of China damask, and four little wedges of gold; but he only accepted the tea, one piece of damask, and one piece of gold, for the curiosity of the j.a.pan stamp that was upon it. Not long after he sent for me, and told me, _that what he had refused himself, he hoped upon his account, I would grant to another whom he should name:_ In short it was his only son, who was about two hundred miles distant from him, on the other side of the city, whom he said he would send for, if I gave my consent. This I soon complied with; upon which he sent his servants next day for his son, who returned in twenty days time, bringing seven horses loaded with valuable furs. At night the young Lord was conducted incognito into our apartment, where his father presented him to me. We then concerted the best ways for travelling, and after having bought a considerable quant.i.ty of sables, black fox-skins, fine ermines, &c. (which I sold at Archangel at a good price) we set out from this city the beginning of June, making a small caravan, being about thirty-two horses and camels, of which I represented the head. My young Lord had with him a very faithful Siberian servant, well acquainted with the roads: We shunned the princ.i.p.al towns and cities, as Tumen, Soli Kamoskoi, and several others, by reason of their strictness in examining travellers, lest any of the banished persons of distinction should escape. Having pa.s.sed the river Kama, we came to a city on the European side, called Soloy Kamoskoi, where we found the people mostly Pagans as before. We then pa.s.sed a desert of about two hundred miles over; but in other places it is near seven hundred. In pa.s.sing this wild place, we were beset by a troop of men on horseback, and about five and forty men armed with bows and arrows. At first they looked earnestly on us, and then placed themselves in our way. We were above sixteen men, and drew up a little line before our camels. My young Lord sent out his Siberian servant, to know who they were; but, when he approached them, he neither knew a word they said; nor would they admit him to come near them at his peril, but prepared to shoot him. At his return, he told us he believed them to be Calmuc Tartars; and that there were more upon the desert. This was but a small comfort to us; yet seeing a little grove, about a quarter of a mile's distance, we moved to it, by the old Portuguese pilot's advice, without meeting with any opposition. Here we found a marshy piece of ground, and a spring of water running into a little brook on one side, which joined another like it a little further off, and these two formed the head of the river called Writska. As soon as we arrived, we went to work, cutting great arms off the trees, and laying them hanging (not quite off from one tree to another). In this situation we waited the motion of the enemy, without perceiving any advancement they made towards us. About two hours before night, being joined by some others, in all about fourscore horse, among whom we fancied were some women, they came upon us with great fury. We fired without ball, calling to them in the Russian tongue, to know their business; but they, either not knowing, or seeming not to understand us, came directly to the wood side, nor considering that we were to be fortified, as that they could not break in. Our old pilot, the Portuguese, proved both our captain and engineer, and desired us not to fire, till they came within pistol shot; and when he gave the word of command, then to take the surest aim: but he did not bid us give fire, till they were within two pikes length of us, and then we filled fourteen of them, wounded several, as also their horses, having every one of us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets at least. So much were they surprised at our undauntedness, that they retired about a hundred roods from us. In the mean while we loaded our pieces again, and sallying out, secured four or five of their horses, whose riders we found were killed, and perceived them to be Tartars. About an hour after, they made another attempt, to see where they might break in; but finding us ready to receive them, they retired.

All that night we wrought hard, in strengthening our situation, and barricading the entrances into the woods; but when day-light came, we had a very unwelcome discovery; for the enemy, being encouraged by their numbers, had set up eleven or twelve tents, in form of a camp, about three quarters of a mile from us. I must confess, I was never more concerned in my life, giving myself and all that I had over for lost.

And my partner declared, that as the loss of his goods would be his ruin, before they should be taken from him, he would fight to the last drop of his blood. As we could not pretend to force our way, we had recourse to a stratagem; we kindled a large fire, which burnt all night; and no sooner was it dark, but we pursued our journey towards the pole or north star, and travelling all night; by six o'clock in the morning we came to a Russian village called Kertza, and from thence came to a large town named Ozonzoys, where we heard that several troops of Calmuc Tartars had been abroad upon the desert, but that we were past all danger. In five days after we came to Veuslima, upon the river Witzedga; from thence we came to Lawrenskoy, on the third of July, where, providing ourselves with two luggage boats, and a convenient bark, we embarked the seventh, and arrived at Archangel the eighteenth, after a year, five months, and three days journey, including the eight months and odd days at Tobolski. We came from Archangel the 20th of August in the same year, and arrived at Hamburg the 30th of September. Here my partner and I made a very good sale of our goods, both those of China and Siberia; when dividing our effects, my share came to 3475l. 17s. 3d.

after all the losses we had sustained, and charges we had been at. Here the young Lord took his leave of me, in order to go to the court of Vienna, not only to seek protection, but to correspond with his father's friends. After we had staid four months in Hamburgh, I went from thence overland to the Hague, where embarking in the packet, I arrived in London the 10th of January 1705, after ten years and nine months absence from England.

_R O B I N S O N C R U S O E'S_ VISION OF THE ANGELIC WORLD.

CHAP. I. Of SOLITUDE.

However solitude is looked upon as a restraint to the pleasure of the world, in company and conversation, yet it is a happy state of exemption from a sea of trouble, an inundation of vanity and vexation, of confusion and disappointment. While we enjoy ourselves, neither the joy not sorrow of other men affect us: We are then at liberty with the voice of our soul, to speak to G.o.d. By this we shun such frequent trivial discourse, as often becomes an obstruction to virtue: and how often do we find that we had reason to with we had not been in company, or said nothing when we were there? for either we offend G.o.d by the impiety of our discourse, or lay ourselves open to the violence of designing people by our ungarded expressions; and frequently feel the coldness and treachery of pretended friends, when once involved in trouble and affliction: of such unfaithful intimates (I should say enemies) who rather by false inuendoes would acc.u.mulate miseries upon us, than honestly a.s.sist us when under the hard hand of adversity. But in a state of solitude, when our tongues cannot be heard, except from the great Majesty of Heaven, how happy are we, in the blessed enjoyment of conversing with our Maker! It is then we make him our friend, which sets us above the envy and contempt of wicked men. When a man converses with himself, he is sure that he does not converse with an enemy. Our retreat should be to good company, and good books. I mean not by solitude, that a man should retire into a cell, a desert, or a monastry: which would be altogether an useless and unprofitable restraint: for as men ate formed for society, and have an absolute necessity and dependance upon one another; so there is a retirement of the soul, with which it converses in heaven, even in the midst of men; and indeed no man is more fit to speak freely, than he who can, without any violence himself, refrain his tongue, or keep silence altogether. As to religion, it is by this the foul gets acquainted with the hidden mysteries of the holy writings; here she finds those floods of tears, in which good men wash themselves day and night, and only makes a visit to G.o.d, and his holy angels. In this conversation the truest peace and most solid joy are to be found; it is a continual feast of contentment on earth, and the means of attaining everlasting happiness in heaven.

CHAP. II. Of HONESTY.

Honesty is a virtue beloved by good men, and pretended to by all other persons. In this there are several degrees: to pay every man his own is the common law of honesty: but to do good to all mankind, is the chancery law of honesty: and this chancery court is in every man's breast, where his conscience is a Lord Chancellor. Hence it is, that a miser, though he pays every body their own, cannot be an honest man, when he does not discharge the good offices that are inc.u.mbent on a friendly, kind, and generous person: for, faith the prophet Isaiah, chap. x.x.xII. ver. 7, 8. _The instruments of a churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. But the liberal soul deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand_. It is certainly honest to do every thing the law requires; but should we throw every poor debtor into prison till he has paid the utmost farthing, hang every malefactor without mercy, exact the penalty of every bond, and the forfeiture of every indenture, this would be downright cruelty, and not honesty: and it is contrary to that general rule, _To do to another, that which you would have done unto you_. Sometimes necessity makes an honest man a knave: and a rich man a honest man, because he has no occasion to be a knave. The trial of honesty is this: Did you ever want bread, and had your neighbour's loaf in keeping, and would starve rather than eat it?

Were you ever arrested, having in your custody another man's cash, and would rather go to gaol, than break it? if so, this indeed may be reckoned honesty. For King Solomon tells us, _That a good name is better than life, and is a precious ointment, and which, when a man has once lost, he has nothing left worth keeping_.

CHAP. III _Of the present state of Religion in the world_.

I doubt, indeed, there is much more devotion than religion in the world, more adoration than supplication, and more hypocrisy than sincerity; and it is very melancholy to consider, what numbers of people there are furnished with the powers of reason and gifts of nature, and yet abandoned to the grossest ignorance and depravity. But it would be uncharitable for us to imagine (as some Papists, abounding with too much ill nature, the only scandal to religion, do) that they will certainly be in a state of d.a.m.nation after this life; for how can we think it consistent with the mercy and goodness of an infinite Being, to d.a.m.n those creatures, when he has not furnished them with the light of the gospel? or how can such proud, conceited and cruel bigots, prescribe rules to the justice and mercy of G.o.d?

We are told by some people, that the great image which King Nebuchadnezzar set up to be adored by his people held the representation of the sun in it's right hand, as the princ.i.p.al object of adoration. But to wave this discourse of Heathens, how many self-contradicting principles are there held among Christians? and how do we doom one another to the devil, while all profess to worship the same Deity, and to expect the same salvation.

When I was at Portugal, there was held at that time the court of justice of the Inquisition. All the criminals were carried in procession to the great church, where eight of them were habited in gowns and caps of canva.s.s, whereon the torments of h.e.l.l were displayed, and they were condemned and burnt for crimes against the Catholic faith and blessed Virgin.

I am sorry to make any reflection upon Christians; but indeed, in Italy the Roman religion seems the most cruel and mercenary upon earth; and a very judicious person, who travelled through Italy from Turkey, tells, _That there is only the face and outward pomp of religion there; that the church protects murderers and a.s.sa.s.sins; and then delivers the civil magistrate over to Satan for doing justice; interdicts whole kingdoms, and shuts up the churches for want of paying a few ecclesiastical dues, and so puts a stop to religion for want of their money; that the court of Inquisition burnt two men for speaking dishonourably of the Blessed Virgin; and the missionaries of China tolerated the worshipping the devil by their new converts: that Italy was the theatre, where religion was the grand opera: and that the Popish clergy were no other than stage players_.

As to religion in Poland, they deny Christ to be the Messiah, or that the Messiah has come in the flesh. And as to their Protestants, they are the followers of Laelius Socinus, who denied our Saviour's divinity; and have no concern about the divine inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

In Muscovy their churches are built of wood, and, indeed, they have but wooden priests, though of the Greek church; they pray as much to St.

Nicholas, as the Papists do to the Virgin Mary, for protection in all their difficulties or afflictions.