s it was with us, so
it was with the other merchants: they had many things to do, and instead
of being ready in five weeks, it was four months and some days before all
things were got together.

CHAPTER XIV--ATTACKED BY TARTARS

It was the beginning of February, new style, when we set out from Pekin.
My partner and the old pilot had gone express back to the port where we
had first put in, to dispose of some goods which we had left there; and
I, with a Chinese merchant whom I had some knowledge of at Nankin, and
who came to Pekin on his own affairs, went to Nankin, where I bought
ninety pieces of fine damasks, with about two hundred pieces of other
very fine silk of several sorts, some mixed with gold, and had all these
brought to Pekin against my partner's return. Besides this, we bought a
large quantity of raw silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in
these goods only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds sterling;
which, together with tea and some fine calicoes, and three camels' loads
of nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share,
besides those we rode upon; these, with two or three spare horses, and
two horses loaded with provisions, made together twenty-six camels and
horses in our retinue.

The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, made between
three and four hundred horses, and upwards of one hundred and twenty men,
very well armed and provided for all events; for as the Eastern caravans
are subject to be attacked by the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars. The
company consisted of people of several nations, but there were above
sixty of them merchants or inhabitants of Moscow, though of them some
were Livonians; and to our particular satisfaction, five of them were
Scots, who appeared also to be men of great experience in business, and
of very good substance.

When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides, who were five in
number, called all the passengers, except the servants, to a great
council, as they called it. At this council every one deposited a
certain quantity of money to a common stock, for the necessary expense of
buying forage on the way, where it was not otherwise to be had, and for
satisfying the guides, getting horses, and the like. Here, too, they
constituted the journey, as they call it, viz. they named captains and
officers to draw us all up, and give the word of command, in case of an
attack, and give every one their