her, we found,
to our great satisfaction, that it was a swampy piece of ground, and on
the one side a very great spring of water, which, running out in a little
brook, was a little farther joined by another of the like size; and was,
in short, the source of a considerable river, called afterwards the
Wirtska; the trees which grew about this spring were not above two
hundred, but very large, and stood pretty thick, so that as soon as we
got in, we saw ourselves perfectly safe from the enemy unless they
attacked us on foot.

While we stayed here waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, without
perceiving that they made any movement, our Portuguese, with some help,
cut several arms of trees half off, and laid them hanging across from one
tree to another, and in a manner fenced us in. About two hours before
night they came down directly upon us; and though we had not perceived
it, we found they had been joined by some more, so that they were near
fourscore horse; whereof, however, we fancied some were women. They came
on till they were within half-shot of our little wood, when we fired one
musket without ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue to know
what they wanted, and bade them keep off; but they came on with a double
fury up to the wood-side, not imagining we were so barricaded that they
could not easily break in. Our old pilot was our captain as well as our
engineer, and desired us not to fire upon them till they came within
pistol-shot, that we might be sure to kill, and that when we did fire we
should be sure to take good aim; we bade him give the word of command,
which he delayed so long that they were some of them within two pikes'
length of us when we let fly. We aimed so true that we killed fourteen
of them, and wounded several others, as also several of their horses; for
we had all of us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets apiece at
least.

They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated immediately
about one hundred rods from us; in which time we loaded our pieces again,
and seeing them keep that distance, we sallied out, and caught four or
five of their horses, whose riders we supposed were killed; and coming up
to the dead, we judged they were Tartars, but knew not how they came to
make an excursion such an unusual length.

About an hour after they again made a motion to attack us, and rode round
our little wood to see where they might break in; but finding us always
ready