488 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES

millions, could not batter down the walls with their bows and arrows ;
but to call it strong, if it were attacked with cannon, would be to make
those who understand it laugh at you.

We wanted, as I have said, about two days’ journey of this city,
when messengers were sent express to every part of the road, to tell
all travellers and caravans to halt, till they had a guard sent to them;
for that an unusual body of Tartars, making ten thousand in all, had
appeared in the way, about thirty miles beyond the city.

This was very bad news to travellers: however, it was carefully
done of the governor, and we were very glad to hear we shduld have
a guard. Accordingly, two days after, we had two hundred soldiers
sent us from a garrison of the Chinese on our left, and three hundred
-. more from the city-of Naum, and with those we advanced boldly : the
three hundred soldiers from Naum marched in our front, the two hun-
dred in our rear, and our men on each side of our camels with our
baggage, and the whole caravan in the centre: In this order, and
well prepared for battle, we thought ourselves a match for the whole
ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they had appeared; but the next day,
‘when they did appear, it was quite another thing.

It was early in the morning; when, marching from a little well-situ-
ated town, called Changu, we had a river to pass, where we were
obliged to ferry: and had the Tartars had any intelligence, then had
been the time to have attacked us, when, the caravan being over, the
rear guard was behind: but they did not appear there.

' About three hours after, when we were entered upon a desert of
about fifteen or sixteen miles over, behold, by a cloud of dust they
raised, we saw an enemy was-at hand; and they were at hand indeed,
for they came on upon the spur.

The Chinese, our guard on the front, who had talked so big the day
before, began to stagger, and the soldiers frequently looked behind
them, which isa certain sign in a soldier, that he is just ready to run
away. My old pilot was of my mind: and being near me, he called
out: ‘“Seignior Inglese,”’ said he, ‘those fellows must be encouraged,
or they will ruin us all; for if the Tartars come on, they will never
stand it.”’—‘“‘I am of your mind,” said I: ‘but what course must be
done ?”—“ Done?” said he; ‘‘let fifty of our men advance, and flank
_ them on each wing, and encourage them, and they will fight like brave
fellows-in brave company; but without it, they will every man turn
his back.” Immediately I rode up to our leader, and told him, who
was exactly of our mind; and accordingly fifty of us marched to the
tight wing, and fifty to the left, and the rest. made a line of reserve ;
for so we marched, leaving the last-two hundred men to make another