the fellows will fight well enough in company_. We accordingly took his
advice, and marched fifty to the right wing, and the same number to the
left, and with the rest made a line of reserve, leaving the last two
hundred men to guard the camels, or to assist us, as occasion required.

Thus prepared, a party of the enemy came forward, viewing our posture,
and traversing the ground on the front of our line. Hereupon we ordered
the two wings to move on, and give them a salute with their shot; which
accordingly was done. This put a stop to their proceedings; for
immediately wheeling off to their left, they all marched away, and we
saw no more of them. They had undoubtedly given an account to their
companions of what reception they might expect, which made them to
easily give over their enterprize.

When we came to the city of Naum, we returned the governor hearty
thanks, and distributed a hundred crowns among the soldiers that guarded
us. We rested there one day, and then proceeded on our travels, passing
several great rivers and deserts and on the 13th of April we came to the
frontiers of Muscovy, the first town of which was called Argun.

This happy occasion, as I thought, of coming into a Christian country,
made me congratulate the Scots merchant upon it. He smiled at that,
telling me not to rejoice too soon; _for_, said he, _except the Russian
soldiers in garrison, and a few inhabitants of the cities upon the road,
all the rest of this country, for above a thousand miles, is inhabited
by the most ignorant and barbarous Pagans_.

We advanced from the river Arguna, by moderate journies and found
convenient garrisons on the road, filled with Christian soldiers for the
security of commerce, and for the convenient lodgings of travellers: but
the inhabitants of the country were mere Pagans, worshiping the sun,
moon, and stars. We particularly observed this idolatry near the river
Arguna, at a city inhabited by Tartars and Russians, called Nerisinkey.
Being curious to see their way of living, while the caravan continued to
rest themselves in that city, I went to one of their villages, where
there was to be one of their solemn sacrifices.

There I beheld upon the stump of an old tree, an idol of wood, more ugly
than the representation of the devil himself: its head resembled no
living creature; its ears were as big and as high as goat's horns, a
crooked nose, four-cornered mouth, and horrible teeth: it was clothed in
sheep