inquire of those people we had brought from Tobolski if there were
no private ways by which we might avoid them in the night, and
perhaps retreat to some town, or get help to guard us over the
desert. The young lord’s Siberian servant told us, if we designed
to avoid them, and not fight, he would engage to carry us off in
the night, to a way that went north, towards the river Petruz, by
which he made no question but we might get away, and the Tartars
never discover it; but, he said, his lord had told him he would not
retreat, but would rather choose to fight. I told him he mistook
his lord: for that he was too wise a man to love fighting for the
sake of it; that I knew he was brave enough by what he had showed
already; but that he knew better than to desire seventeen or
eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless an unavoidable necessity
forced them to it; and that if he thought it possible for us to
escape in the night, we had nothing else to do but to attempt it.
He answered, if his lordship gave him such orders, he would lose
his life if he did not perform it; we soon brought his lord to give
that order, though privately, and we immediately prepared for
putting it in practice.
And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fire in our
little camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as to make it
burn all night, that the Tartars might conclude we were still
there; but as soon as it was dark, and we could see the stars (for
our guide would not stir before), having all our horses and camels
ready loaded, we followed our new guide, who I soon found steered
himself by the north star, the country being level for a long way.
After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began to be lighter
still; not that it was dark all night, but the moon began to rise,
so that, in short, it was rather lighter than we wished it to be;
but by six o’clock the next morning we had got above thirty miles,
having almost spoiled our horses. Here we found a Russian village,
named Kermazinskoy, where we rested, and heard nothing of the
Kalmuck Tartars that day. About two hours before night we set out
again, and travelled till eight the next morning, though not quite
so hard as before; and about seven o’clock we passed a little
river, called Kirtza, and came to a good large town inhabited by
Russians, called Ozomys; there we heard that several troops of
Kalmucks had been abroad upon the desert, but that we were now
completely out of danger of them, which was to our great
satisfaction. Here we were obliged to get some fresh horses, and
having need enough of rest, we stayed five days; and my partner and
I agreed to give the honest Siberian who conducted us thither the
value of ten pistoles.
In five days more we came to Veussima, upon the river Witzogda, and
running into the Dwina: we were there, very happily, near the end
of our travels by land, that river being navigable, in seven days’
passage, to Archangel. From hence we came to Lawremskoy, the 3rd
of July; and providing ourselves with two luggage boats, and a
barge for our own convenience, we embarked the 7th, and arrived all
safe at Archangel the 18th; having been a year, five months, and
three days on the journey, including our stay of about eight months
at Tobolski.
We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for the arrival of
the ships, and must have tarried longer, had not a Hamburgher come
in above a month sooner than any of the English ships; when, after
some consideration that the city of Hamburgh might happen to be as
good a market for our goods as London, we all took freight with
him; and, having put our goods on board, it was most natural for me
to put my steward on board to take care of them; by which means my