mselves to monsters, elements, horrid-
shaped animals, and monstrous images. Not a town or city we passed
through but had their pagodas, their idols, and their temples, and
ignorant people worshipping even the works of their own hands. Now we
came where, at least, a face of the Christian worship appeared; where the
knee was bowed to Jesus: and whether ignorantly or not, yet the Christian
religion was owned, and the name of the true God was called upon and
adored; and it made my soul rejoice to see it. I saluted the brave Scots
merchant with my first acknowledgment of this; and taking him by the
hand, I said to him, "Blessed be God, we are once again amongst
Christians." He smiled, and answered, "Do not rejoice too soon,
countryman; these Muscovites are but an odd sort of Christians; and but
for the name of it you may see very little of the substance for some
months further of our journey."--"Well," says I, "but still it is better
than paganism, and worshipping of devils."--"Why, I will tell you," says
he; "except the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few of the
inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country,
for above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the worst and most
ignorant of pagans." And so, indeed, we found it.

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 eastward; 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 has 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 wherever we came, though at
these towns and stations the garrisons and governors were Russians, and
professed Christians, yet the inhabitants were mere pagans, sacrificing
to idols, and worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or all the host of
heaven; and not