anies of robbers, or Mogul Tartars, who
never had the courage to attack us. After we had passed over this
desert, we found several garisons to defend the caravans from the
violence of the Tartars. In particular the Governor of Adinskoy offered
us a guard of fifty men to the next station, if we apprehended any
danger. The people here retained the same paganism and barbarity, only
they were not so dangerous, being conquered by the Muscovites. The
clothing, both of men & women, is of the skins of beasts, living under
the ground in vaults & caves, which have a communication with one
another. They have idols almost in every family; besides, they adore the
sun and stars, water and snow; and the least uncommon thing that happens
in the elements, alarms them as much as thunder and lightning does the
unbelieving Jews.

Nothing remarkable occurred in our march through this country. When we
had gone through the desert, after two days farther travel; we came to
Jenezoy, a Muscovite city, on the great river so called, which we were
told, parted Europe from Asia. The inhabitants here were very little
better, though intermixed with the Muscovites, but the wonder will
cease, when I inform my readers of what was observed to me, that the
Czar rather converts the Tartars with soldiers than clergymen, and is
more proud to make them faithful subjects, than good Christians.

From this city to the river Oby, we travelled over a pleasant, fruitful,
but very uncultivated country, for want of good management and people,
and those few are mostly Pagans. This is the place where the Muscovite
criminals are banished to, if they are not put to death. The next city
we came to, was the capital city of Siberia, called Tobolski when having
been almost seven months on our journey, and winter drawing on apace, my
partner and I consulted about our particular affairs in what manner we
should dispose of ourselves. We had been told of sledges and rein-deer
to carry us over the snow in the winter season, the snow being frozen so
hard, that the sledges can run upon the surface without any danger of
going down. As I was bound to England, I now behoved either to go with
the caravan to Jerosaw, from thence west to Marva, and the gulph of
Finland, and so by land or sea to Denmark; or else I must leave the
caravan at a little town on the Dwina, and so to Archangel, where I was
certain of shipping either to England, Holland, or Hamburgh. One night I
happened to get i