to stagger, and the soldiers frequently looked behind
them; which is 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, he called out:
"Seignior Inglese," said he, "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 course must be
done?"--"Done?" said he; "let fifty of our men advance, and flank them
on each wing, and encourage them, and they will fight like brave fellows
in brave company: but without it, they will every man turn his back."
Immediately I rode up to our leader, and told him, who was exactly of
our mind; and accordingly fifty of us marched to the right wing, and
fifty to the left, and the rest made a line of reserve; for so we
marched, leaving the last two hundred men to make another body to
themselves, and to guard the camels; only that, if need were, they
should send a hundred men to assist the last fifty.

In a word, the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they were;
how many, we could not tell, but ten thousand we thought was 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 gun-shot,
our leader ordered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a
_salvo_ on each wing with their shot, which was done; but they went off,
and I suppose went back to give an account of the reception they were
like to meet with; and, indeed, that salute clogged their stomachs; for
they immediately halted, stood awhile to consider of it, and, wheeling
off to the left, they gave over the design, and said no more to us for
that time; which was very agreeable to our circumstances, which were but
very indifferent for a battle with such a number.

Two days after this we came to the city of Naum, or Naunm. We thanked
the governor for his care for us, and collected to the value of one
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 the city west, for about two hundred miles) as desolate and
unfit for use; and more especially, being so very remote, and so
diffic