ately resolved we should advance to those trees, and fortify
ourselves as well as we could there; for, first, I considered that the
trees would in a great measure cover us from their arrows; and in the
next place, they could not come to charge us in a body: it was, indeed,
my old Portuguese pilot who proposed it; and who had this excellency
attending him, namely, that he was always readiest and most apt to
direct and encourage us in cases of the most danger. We advanced
immediately with what speed we could, and gained that little wood, the
Tartars, or thieves, for we knew not what to call them, keeping their
stand, and not attempting to hinder us. When we came thither, we found,
to our great satisfaction, that it was a swampy, springy piece of
ground, and, on the other side, a great spring of water, which, running
out in a little rill or brook, was a little farther joined by another of
the like bigness; and was, in short, the head or source of a
considerable river, called afterwards the Wirtska. The trees which grew
about this spring were not in all above two hundred, but were very
large, and stood pretty thick; so that as soon as we got in, we saw
ourselves perfectly safe from the enemy, unless they alighted and
attacked us on foot.

But to make this more difficult, our Portuguese, with indefatigable
application, cut down great arms of the trees, and laid them hanging,
not cut quite off, from one tree to another; so that he made a continued
fence almost round us.

We staid here, waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, without
perceiving they made any offer to stir; when 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 of the same, so that they
were near fourscore horse, whereof, however, we fancied some were women.
They came in till they were within half a 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 bid them keep off; but, as if they
knew nothing of what we said, they came on with a double fury directly
to the wood-side, not imagining we were so barricaded, that they could
not break in. Our old pilot was our captain, as well as he had been our
engineer; and desired of 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 hi