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 now do, 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 which we were sixteen days
passing over; and on the 13th of April we came to the frontiers of the
Muscovite dominions. I think the first town or fortress, whichever it
may he called, that belonged to the Czar, was called Arguna, being on the
west side of the river Arguna.

I could not but feel great satisfaction that I was arrived in a country
governed by Christians; for though the Muscovites do, in my opinion, but
just deserve the name of Christians, yet such they pretend to be, and are
very devout in their way. It would certainly occur to any reflecting man
who travels the world as I have done, what a blessing it is to be brought
into the world where the name of God and a Redeemer is known, adored, and
worshipped; and not where the people, given up to strong delusions,
worship the devil, and prostrate the