wondering where I was, having quite forgot all that passed; but my
senses returning, and feeling a great pain in my head, and seeing the
blood was running over my clothes, I instantly jumped upon my feet, and
grasped my sword in my hand, with a resolution to take revenge: but no
enemies now remained, except the dead Tartar, with his horse standing by
him. The old man seeing me recovered, whom he thought slain, ran towards
me, and embraced me with the greatest tenderness, at the same time
examining into my wound, which was far from being mortal. When we
returned to the village, the man demanded payment for his camel, which I
refusing, we brought the cause, before a Chinese judge, who acted with
great impartiality: Having heard both sides, he asked the Chinese man
that went with me, whose servant he was? _Sir,_ said he, _I am nobody's,
but went with the stranger at his request: Why then_, said the judge,
_you are the stranger's servant for the time, and the camel being
delivered to his servant, it is the same as though delivered to himself,
and accordingly he must pay for it._ Indeed the case was so fairly
stated, that I had nothing to object to it; so, having paid for that I
was robbed of, I sent for another, but did not go myself to fetch it, as
I had enough of that sport before.
The city of Naum is a frontier of the Chinese empire, so fortified, as
some will tell you, that millions of Tartars cannot batter down their
walls; by which certainly one might think one of our cannons would do
more execution than all their legions.
When we were within a day's march of that city, we had information that
the governor had sent messengers to every part of the road, to inform
the travellers and caravans to halt, till a guard was sent to protect
them from the numerous bodies of Tartars that lately appeared about the
city. This news put us into great consternation; but, obeying the
orders, we stopt; & two days after, there came two hundred soldiers from
a garrison of the Chinese, and three hundred more from Naum; thus
guarded both in the front and rear, with our own men in the flanks, we
boldly advanced, thinking we were able to combat with ten thousand Mogul
Tartars, if they appeared.
Early next morning, in our march from a little well situated town called
Changu, after having passed a river, and entered upon a desert of about
fifteen or sixteen miles over, we soon beheld by a cloud of dust that
was raised, that the enemy was approaching. This much dispirited the
Chinese. My old pilot took notice of it, and called out, _Seignor
Inglise, those fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin us all, and
I am afraid if the Tartars attack us, they will all run away_. "Why,
Seignor, (said I), what shall be done in this case?" _Done_, says he,
_why let fifty of our men advance, and flank them on each wing. I know
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 skins, had a great Tartar bonnet, with two horns growing thro' it,
and was eight feet high, without feet, legs or proportion. Before this
idol their lay sixteen or seventeen people, who brought their offerings,
and were making their prayers, while at a distance stood three men and
one bullock, as victims to this ugly monster.
Such stupendous sacrilege as this, in robbing the true God of his
honour, filled me with the greatest astonishment and reflection: which
soon turning to rage and fury, I rode up to the image, and cut in pieces
the bonnet that was upon his head with my sword, so that it hung down by
one of the horns, while one of my men that was with me pulled at it by
his sheep-skin garment. Immediately an hideous howling and outcry ran
through the village, and two or three hundred people coming about our
ears, we were obliged to fly for it.
But I had not done with the monster; for the caravan being to rest
three nights in the town, I told the Scots merchant what I had seen, and
that I was resolved to take four or five men well armed with me, in
order to destroy the idol, and show the people how little reason they
had to trust in a god who could not save himself. At first he laughed at
me, representing the danger of it, and when it was destroyed, what time
had we to preach to them better things, whole zeal and ignorance was in
the highest degree, and both unparalleled? that if I should be taken by
them, I should be served as a poor ruffian, who contemned their worship;
that is, to be stripped naked, and tied to the top of the idol, there
shot at with arrows till my body was fall of them, and then burnt as a
sacrifice to the monster; _but Sir_, said he, _since your zeal carries
you so far, rather than you should be alone I will accompany you, and
bring a stout fellow equal to yourself, if you will, to assist you in
this design:_ and accordingly he brought one Captain Richardson, who,
hearing the story, readily consented; but my partner declined it, being
altogether out of his way: and so we three, and my servant, resolved to
execute this exploit about midnight; but upon second thoughts we
deferred it to the next night, by reason that the caravan being to go
from hence the next morning, we should be out of the governor's power.
The better to effectuate my design, I procured a Tartar's sheep-skin
robe, a bonnet, with bow and arrows, and every one of us got the like
habits, the first night we spent in mixing combustible matter with aqua
vitae, gunpowder, &c. having a good quantity of tar in a little pot:
next night we came up to the idol about eleven o'clock, the moon being
up. We found none guarding it; but we perceived a light in the house,
where we had seen the priests before. One of our men was for firing the
hut, another for killing the people, and a third for making them
prisoners, while the idol was destroyed. We agreed to the latter; so
knocking at the door, we seized the first that opened it, and stopping
his mouth and tying his feet, we left him. We served the other two in
the like manner; and then the Scots merchant set fire to the
composition, which frightened them so much, that we brought them all
away prisoners to their wooden god. There we fell to work with him,
daubing him all over with tar mixed with tallow and brimstone stopping
his eyes, ears, and mouth full of gunpowder, with a great piece of
wild-fire in his bonnet, and environed it with dry forage. All this
being done, we unloosed and ungagged the prisoners, and set the idol on
fire, which the gunpowder blowing up, the shape of it was deformed, rent
and split, which the forage utterly consumed; for we staid to see its
destruction, lest the ignorant idolatrous people should have thrown
themselves into the flames, And thus we came away undiscovered, in the
morning appearing as busy among our fellow travellers, as no body could
have suspected any other, but that we had been in our beds all night.
Next morning we let out, and had gone but a small distance from the
city, when there came a multitude of people of the country to the gates
of the city, demanding satisfaction of the Ruffian governor for
insulting their priests, and burning their great Cham Cai-Thaungu, who
dwelt in the sun, and no mortal would violate this image but some
Christian miscreants; and being already no less than thirty thousand
strong, they announced war against him and all his Christians.
The governor assured them he was ignorant of the matter, and that none
of his garrison had been abroad; that indeed there was a caravan that
went away that morning, and that he would send after them to inquire
into it; and whoever was the offender, should be delivered into their
hands. This satisfied them for the present, but the governor sent to
inform us, that if any of us had done it, we should make all the haste
away possible, while he kept them in play as long as he could. Upon this
we marched two days and two nights, stopping but very little, till at
last we arrived at a village called Plothus, and hasted to Jerawena,
another of the Czar's colonies. On the third day, having entered the
desert, and passed the lake called Shaks Oser, we beheld a numerous body
of horde on the other side or it to the north, who supposed we had
passed on that side of the lake; but either having found the mistake, or
being certainly informed of the way we took, they came upon us towards
the dusk of the evening, just as we had pitched our camp between two
little but very thick woods, with a little river running before our
front and some felled trees with which we covered our rear; a precaution
we always took, and which we had just finished when the enemy came up.
They did not fall on us immediately, but sent three messengers,
demanding the men who had insulted their priests, & burnt their god,
Cham Chi-Thaungu, that they might be burnt with fire; that if this was
complied with, they would peaceably depart; but if not, they would
destroy one and all of us. Our men stared at one another on receipt of
this message, but Nobody was the word, as indeed nobody knew it, but he
who did it. Upon which the leader of the caravan returned for answer,
_That they were peaceable merchants, who meddled with none of their
priests and gods and therefore desired, them not to disturb us, and put
us to the necessity of defending ourselves_. But do far was this from
satisfying them, that the next morning coming to our right, they let fly
a volley of arrows among us, which happily did not hurt any, because we
sheltered ourselves behind our baggage. We expected however to come to a
closer engagement; but were happily saved by a cunning fellow, a
Cossack, who obtaining leave of the leader to go out, mounts his horse,
rides directly from our rear, and taking a circuit, comes up to the
Tartars, as tho he had been sent express, and tells them a formal story,
that the wretches who had burnt the Cham Chi-Thaungu, were gone to
Shiheilka, with a resolution to burn the god Shal-Ifar, belonging to the
Tongueses. Upon which, believing this cunning Tartar, who was servant to
our Muscovites, away they drove to Shiheilka, and in less than three
minutes were out of sight, nor did we ever hear of them more.
When we came to the city of Jarawena, we rested five days, and then
entered into a frightful desert, which held us twenty-three days march,
infested with several small companies 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 into the company of an illustrious, but banished Prince,
whose company and virtues were such as made me to propose to him a
method how he might obtain his liberty. _My dear friend_, said he, _as I
am here happily free from my miserable greatness with all its attendants
of pride, ambition, avarice, and luxury, if I should escape from this
place, those pernicious seeds may again revive, to my lasting
disquietude; therefore let me remain in a blessed confinement, for I am
but flesh, a mere man, with passions and affections as such; O be not my
friend and tempter too!_ Struck dumb with surprise, I stood silent
a-while; nor was he less in disorder, by which perceiving he wanted to
give vent to his mind, I desired him to consider of it, and so withdrew.
But about two hours after he came to my apartment: _Dear friend_, said
he, _though I cannot consent to accompany you, I shall have this
satisfaction in parting, that you leave me an honest man still: but as a
testimony of my affection to you, be pleased to accept this present
of sables_.
In return for his compliment, I sent my servant next morning to his
Lordship with a small present of tea, two pieces of China damask, and
four little wedges of gold; but he only accepted the tea, one piece of
damask, and one piece of gold, for the curiosity of the Japan stamp that
was upon it. Not long after he sent for me, and told me, _that what he
had refused himself, he hoped upon his account, I would grant to another
whom he should name:_ In short it was his only son, who was about two
hundred miles distant from him, on the other side of the city, whom he
said he would send for, if I gave my consent. This I soon complied with;
upon which he sent his servants next day for his son, who returned in
twenty days time, bringing seven horses loaded with valuable furs. At
night the young Lord was conducted incognito into our apartment, where
his father presented him to me. We then concerted the best ways for
travelling, and after having bought a considerable quantity of sables,
black fox-skins, fine ermines, &c. (which I sold at Archangel at a good
price) we set out from this city the beginning of June, making a small
caravan, being about thirty-two horses and camels, of which I
represented the head. My young Lord had with him a very faithful
Siberian servant, well acquainted with the roads: We shunned the
principal towns and cities, as Tumen, Soli Kamoskoi, and several others,
by reason of their strictness in examining travellers, lest any of the
banished persons of distinction should escape. Having passed the river
Kama, we came to a city on the European side, called Soloy Kamoskoi,
where we found the people mostly Pagans as before. We then passed a
desert of about two hundred miles over; but in other places it is near
seven hundred. In passing this wild place, we were beset by a troop of
men on horseback, and about five and forty men armed with bows and
arrows. At first they looked earnestly on us, and then placed themselves
in our way. We were above sixteen men, and drew up a little line before
our camels. My young Lord sent out his Siberian servant, to know who
they were; but, when he approached them, he neither knew a word they
said; nor would they admit him to come near them at his peril, but
prepared to shoot him. At his return, he told us he believed them to be
Calmuc Tartars; and that there were more upon the desert. This was but a
small comfort to us; yet seeing a little grove, about a quarter of a
mile's distance, we moved to it, by the old Portuguese pilot's advice,
without meeting with any opposition. Here we found a marshy piece of
ground, and a spring of water running into a little brook on one side,
which joined another like it a little further off, and these two formed
the head of the river called Writska. As soon as we arrived, we went to
work, cutting great arms off the trees, and laying them hanging (not
quite off from one tree to another). In this situation we waited the
motion of the enemy, without perceiving any advancement they made
towards us. About two hours before night, being joined by some others,
in all about fourscore horse, among whom we fancied were some women,
they came upon us with great fury. We fired without ball, calling to
them in the Russian tongue, to know their business; but they, either not
knowing, or seeming not to understand us, came directly to the wood
side, nor considering that we were to be fortified, as that they could
not break in. Our old pilot, the Portuguese, proved both our captain and
engineer, and desired us not to fire, till they came within pistol shot;
and when he gave the word of command, then to take the surest aim: but
he did not bid us give fire, till they were within two pikes length of
us, and then we filled fourteen of them, wounded several, as also their
horses, having every one of us loaded our pieces with two or three
bullets at least. So much were they surprised at our undauntedness, that
they retired about a hundred roods from us. In the mean while we loaded
our pieces again, and sallying out, secured four or five of their
horses, whose riders we found were killed, and perceived them to be
Tartars. About an hour after, they made another attempt, to see where
they might break in; but finding us ready to receive them, they retired.
All that night we wrought hard, in strengthening our situation, and
barricading the entrances into the woods; but when day-light came, we
had a very unwelcome discovery; for the enemy, being encouraged by
their numbers, had set up eleven or twelve tents, in form of a camp,
about three quarters of a mile from us. I must confess, I was never more
concerned in my life, giving myself and all that I had over for lost.
And my partner declared, that as the loss of his goods would be his
ruin, before they should be taken from him, he would fight to the last
drop of his blood. As we could not pretend to force our way, we had
recourse to a stratagem; we kindled a large fire, which burnt all night;
and no sooner was it dark, but we pursued our journey towards the pole
or north star, and travelling all night; by six o'clock in the morning
we came to a Russian village called Kertza, and from thence came to a
large town named Ozonzoys, where we heard that several troops of Calmuc
Tartars had been abroad upon the desert, but that we were past all
danger. In five days after we came to Veuslima, upon the river Witzedga;
from thence we came to Lawrenskoy, on the third of July, where,
providing ourselves with two luggage boats, and a convenient bark, we
embarked the seventh, and arrived at Archangel the eighteenth, after a
year, five months, and three days journey, including the eight months
and odd days at Tobolski. We came from Archangel the 20th of August in
the same year, and arrived at Hamburg the 30th of September. Here my
partner and I made a very good sale of our goods, both those of China
and Siberia; when dividing our effects, my share came to 3475l. 17s. 3d.
after all the losses we had sustained, and charges we had been at. Here
the young Lord took his leave of me, in order to go to the court of
Vienna, not only to seek protection, but to correspond with his father's
friends. After we had staid four months in Hamburgh, I went from thence
overland to the Hague, where embarking in the packet, I arrived in
London the 10th of January 1705, after ten years and nine months absence
from England.
_R O B I N S O N C R U S O E'S_ VISION OF THE ANGELIC WORLD.
* * * * *
CHAP. I. Of SOLITUDE.