Part 14 (1/2)

But now, thank kind Heaven, being ash.o.r.e; our old pilot procured us a lodging and a warehouse for our goods; it was a little hut with a large warehouse joining to it, all built with canes, and pallisadoed round with large ones, to keep out pilfering thieves, which are very numerous in that country. The magistrates allowed us a little guard during the night, and we employed a centinel with a kind of halbert for three pence a day. The fair, or mart, we found, had been over for some time; however, there remained in the river four junks and two j.a.pan s.h.i.+ps, the merchants of the latter being on sh.o.r.e. In the first place, our old pilot brought us acquainted with the missionary Roman priests, who were converting the people to Christianity: two of them were reserved, rigid, and austere, applying themselves to the work they came about with great earnestness, but the third, who was a Frenchman, called Father Simon, was of a freer conversation, not seemingly so serious and grave, yet no worse Christian than the other two, one of whom was a Portuguese, and the other a Genoese. Father Simon, it seems, was appointed to go to Pekin, the royal seat of the Emperor of the Chinese; and he only waited for another priest, who was ordered from Macao to accompany him. We never met together, but he was prompting me to accompany him in that journey: _Sir_, said he, _I will show you the glorious things of this mighty empire, and a city, the city of Pekin, far exceeding London and Paris, put them both together_. One day in particular, being at dinner with him, I showed some inclination to go; which made him press the more upon me and my partner, to gain our perfect consent. _But, Father Simon_, said my partner, _what satisfaction can you have in our company, whom you esteem as heretics, and consequently objects not worthy your regard? O_, said he, _you may be as good Catholics in time as those I hope to convert to our religion. And so_, said I, _we shall have you preaching to us all the way, instead of pleasing us with a description of the country. Sir_, said he, _however our religion may be villified by some people, it is very certain it neither divests us of good manners or Christian charity; and as we are gentlemen, as such we may converse together, without making one another uneasy_.

But we shall leave him a while, to consider our s.h.i.+p and the merchandise which we had to dispose of. There was but very little trade in the place where we were; and I was once resolved to venture to sail to the river Kilam, and so to the city of Nanquin; but Providence ordered it otherwise, by our old pilot's bringing a j.a.pan merchant to us, to see what goods we had. He immediately bought our opium, for which he gave us a very good price in gold by weight, some wedges of which were about ten or eleven ounces. It came into my head that perhaps he might buy the s.h.i.+p too; and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. He said nothing then, but shrugged up his shoulders; yet in a few days after he came accompanied by a missionary priest, who was his interpreter, with this proposal, _That as he had bought a great quant.i.ty of our goods, he had not money enough to purchase our s.h.i.+p; but if I pleased he would hire her, with all my men, to go to j.a.pan, and from thence with another loading to the Philippine islands, the freight of both which he would very willingly pay to us before; and at their return to j.a.pan, would buy the s.h.i.+p_. Upon this we asked the Captain and his men if they were willing to go to j.a.pan; to which they unanimously agreed. While this was in agitation, the young man my nephew left to attend me, told me, ”That as I did not care to accept his prospect of advantage he would manage it for me as I pleased, and render me a faithful account of his success, which would be wholly mine.” Indeed I was very unwilling to part with him; but considering it might be for the young man's good, I discoursed with my partner about it, who, of his own generosity, gave him his share of the vessel, so that I could do no otherwise than give him mine: but, however, we let him have but the proper half of it, and preserved a power, that when we met in England, if he had obtained success, he should account to us for one half of the profit of the s.h.i.+p's freight and the other should be his own. Thus having taken a writing under his hand, away he sailed to j.a.pan, where the merchant dealt very honestly by him, got him a licence to come on sh.o.r.e, sent him loaded to the Philippines with a j.a.panese supercargo, from whence he came back again loaded with European goods, cloves, and other spiceries. By this voyage he cleared a considerable sum of money, which determined him not to sell his s.h.i.+p, but to trade on his own account; so he returned to the Manillas, where, getting acquaintance, he made his s.h.i.+p free, was hired by the governor privately to go to Acapulco in America, on the Mexican coast, with a licence to travel to the great city of Mexico. This traffic turned out greatly to account, and my friend finding means to get to Jamaica, returned nine years after exceedingly rich into England.

In parting with the s.h.i.+p, it comes in course to consider of those men who had saved our lives when in the river of Cambodia; and though, by the way, they were a couple of rogues, who thought to turn pirates themselves, yet we paid them what they had before demanded, and gave each of them a small sum of money, making the Englishman a gunner, and the Dutchman a boatswain, with which they were very well contented.

We were now about 1000 leagues farther from home, than when at Bengal.

All the comfort we could expect was, that there being another fair to be kept in a month's time, we might not only purchase all sorts of that country's manufactures, but very possibly find some Chinese junks, or vessels from Tonquin, to be sold, which would carry us and our goods wheresoever we pleased. Upon these hopes, we resolved to continue; and, to divert ourselves, we took several little journies in the country.

About ten days after we parted with the s.h.i.+p, we travelled to see the city of Nanquin. The city lies in lat.i.tude 30 degrees north of the line: it is regularly built, and the streets are exactly straight, and cross one another in direct lines, which sets it out to the greatest advantage. At our return, we found the priest was come from Macao, that was to accompany Father Simon to Pekin. That Father earnestly solicited me to accompany him, & I referred him to my partner. In short, we both agreed, and prepared accordingly; and we were so lucky as to have liberty to travel among the retinue of one of their Mandarines, who is a princ.i.p.al magistrate, and much reverenced by the people.

We were five and twenty days travelling thro' this miserable country, infinitely populous, but as indifferently cultivated; and yet their pride is infinitely greater than their poverty, insomuch that they priests themselves derided them. As we pa.s.sed by the house of one of their country gentlemen, two leagues off Nanquin, we had the honour, forsooth, to ride with the Chinese squire about two miles. Never was Don Quixote so exactly imitated! Never such a compound of pomp and poverty seen before!

His habit, made of calico, was dirty, greasy, and very proper for a Mersy Andrew or Scaramouch, with all its tawdry trappings, as hanging sleeves, ta.s.sels, &c. though torn and rent in almost every part; his vest underneath it was no less dirty, but more greatly; resembling the most exquisite sloven or greasy butcher; his horse (worse than Rosinante, or the famous steed of doughty Hudibras) was a poor starved decrepid thing, that would not sell for thirty s.h.i.+llings in England; and yet this piece of wors.h.i.+pful pomp was attended with ten or twelve slaves who guarded their master to his country seat. We stopped at a little village for refreshment; and when we came by the country seat of this great man, we found him sitting under a tree before his door, eating a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in the middle, and a bag filled with green pepper by him, and another plant like ginger, together with a piece of lean mutton in it: this was his wors.h.i.+p's repast: but pray observe the state of the food! two women slaves brought him his food, which being laid before him, two others appeared to perform their respective offices; one fed him with a spoon, while the other sc.r.a.ped off what fell upon his beard and taffety vest, and gave it to a particular favourite to eat. And thus we left the wretch pleased with the conceit of our admiring his magnificence, which rather merited our scorn and detestation.

At length we arrived at the great city of Pekin, accompanied by two servants, and the old Portuguese pilot, whose charges we bore, and who served us as an interpreter by the way. We had scarce been a week at Pekin, but he comes laughing to us. ”Ah! Seignior Inglise, (said he) me something tell you make your heart glad, but make me sorry: for your bring me here twenty-five days journey, and now you leave me go back alone; and which way shall I make my port after, without de s.h.i.+p, without de horse, without pecune?” so he called money in his broken Latin. He then informed me, that there was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, who were preparing to set out for Muscovy by land within six weeks; and, that he was certain we would take this opportunity, and consequently that he must go home by himself.

Indeed this news infinitely surprised & pleased me. ”Are you certain of this?” said I, ”Yes, Sir, (says he) me sure its true.” And so he told me, that having met an old acquaintance of his, an Armenian, in the street, who was among them, and who had come from Astracan, with a design to go to Tonquin, but for certain reasons having altered his resolutions, he was now resolved to go with the caravan, and to return by the river Wolga to Astracan. ”Well, Seignior, (said I) don't be discontented about your returning alone; and if, by this means, I can find a pa.s.sage to England, it will be your own fault if you return to Macao at all.” And so consulting with my partner what was best to be done, he referred it to me as I pleased, having our affairs so well settled at Bengal, that if he could convert the good voyage he had made in China silks, wrought or raw, he would be satisfied to go to England; and so return to Bengal in the Company's s.h.i.+ps. Thus resolved, we agreed that if our pilot would go with us, we would bear his charges either to Moscow or England; and to give him in a present the sum of one hundred and seventy pounds sterling. Hereupon we called him in, and told him the cause of his complaint should be removed, if he would accompany us with the caravans; and, therefore, we desired to know his mind. At this he shook his head, ”Great long journey, (said he) me no pecune carry me to Moscow, or keep me there.” But we soon put him out of that concern, by making him sensible of what we would give him here to lay out the best advantage; and, as for his charges, we would set him safe on sh.o.r.e, G.o.d willing, either in Muscovy or England, as he pleased, at our own charge, except the carriage of his goods. At this proposal, he was like a man transported, telling us he would go with us all the world over; and we made preparations for our journey; but it was near four months before all the merchants were ready.

In the mean time, my partner and the pilot went express to the port where we first put in, to dispose of what goods had been left there, while I accompanied a Chinese merchant who was going to Nanquin, and there bought twenty-nine pieces of damask, with about three hundred more of other fine silks; and, by the time my partner returned to Pekin, I had them all carried thither; our cargo in silks amounted to 45col.

sterling, which, together with tea, fine calicoes, nutmegs, and cloves, loaded eighteen camels for our share, besides what we rode upon, with two or three spare horses, and two more loaden with provisions; the company now was very great, making about four hundred horse, and above one hundred and twenty men, well armed and provided. We were of several nations, among whom were five Scotch merchants, inhabiting in Moscow, and well experienced in trade.

We set out from Pekin the beginning of February our stile; and in two days more, we pa.s.sed through the gate of the great China wall, which was erected as a fortification against the Tartars, being one hundred English miles long. We then entered a country not near so populous, chiefly under the power of plundering Tartars, several companies of whom we perceived riding on poor starved horses, contemptible as themselves without order of discipline. One time our leader, for the day, gave us leave to go a hunting; but what do you think we hunted? only a parcel of sheep, which indeed exceeded any in the world for wildness and swiftness; but while we were pursuing this game, it was our chance to meet with about forty Tartars, who no sooner perceived us, but one of them blew a horn, at the sound of which there soon appeared a troop of forty or fifty more, at about a mile's distance. Hereupon, one of the Scots merchants (who knew their ways) ordered us to advance towards them, and attack them immediately, As we advanced, they let fly a volley of arrows, which happily fell a little short of us; this made us halt a little, to return the compliment with bullets; and then being led up by the bold Scot, we fired our pistols in their faces, and drew out our swords; but there was no occasion; for they flew like timorous sheep, & only three of them remained, beckoning to the rest to come back. But our brave commander gallops up to them by himself, shot one dead, knocked another of his horse, while the third ran away; and thus ended our battle with the Tartars.

We travelled a month more through the Emperor of China's dominions; and at length coming to one of their towns about a day and a half's journey from the city of Naum, I wanted to buy a camel. The person I spoke to would have brought me one, but, like a fool, I must go along with him, about two miles from the village. My old pilot and I walked on foot, forsooth, for some variety, when coming to the place where the camels were kept as in a park guarded by Chinese soldiers, we there agreed and bought one, which the Chinese man that came along with me led along the road. But we had not gone far, before we were attacked by five Tartars, mounted on horseback, two of whom seized the man, took the camel from him, and rode away, while the other three approached us, the first of whom suddenly seized me as I was drawing my sword, the second; knocked me down, but my old trusty Portuguese taking a pistol out of his pocket, which I knew nothing of, and coming up to the fellow that struck me, he with one hand pulled him off his horse, and then shot him dead upon the spot; then taking his scymitar, he struck at the man that stopped us, but missing him, cut off one of his horses ears, the pain of which made him throw his rider to the ground. The poor Chinese who had led the camel, seeing the Tartar down, runs to him, and seizing upon his pole-ax, wrenched it from his hands, and knocked his brains out. But there was another Tartar to deal with, who seeming neither inclined to fight nor fly, and my old man having begun to charge his pistol, the very sight of it struck such a terror into the wretch, that away he scoured, leaving my old pilot, rather my champion and defender, an absolute victory.

By this time being awakened from my trance, I began to open my eyes, wondering where I was, having quite forgot all that pa.s.sed; 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 n.o.body'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 pa.s.sed 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 a.s.sist 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, pa.s.sing 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, wors.h.i.+ping 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 wors.h.i.+p; 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 a.s.sist 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 quant.i.ty 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 G.o.d. 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.