622 DEPARTURE FROM TOBOLSKI.

which I sold the greatest part here, and the rest afterwards at Arch-
angel, for a much: better price than I could have done at London ;
and my partner, who was sensible of the profit, and whose business
more particularly than mine was merchandize, was mightily pleased
with our stay, on account of the traffic we made here.

It was the beginning of June when I left this remote place, a
city, I believe, little heard of in the world; and, indeed, it is 80
far out of the road of commerce that I know not how it should be
much talked of. We were now come to a very small caravan,
being only thirty-two horses and camels in all; and all of them
passed for mine, though my new guest was proprietor of eleven of
them. It was most natural, also, that I should take more servants
with me than I had before; and the young lord passed for my
steward. What great man I passed for myself I know not, neither
did it concern me to inquire. We had here the worst and the
largest desert to pass over that we met with in all the journey.
Indeed, I call it. the worst, because the way was very deep in
some places and very uneven in others. The best we had to say
for it was, that we thought we had no troops of Tartars and
robbers to fear, and that they never came on this side the Oby, or,
at least, but very seldom; but we found it otherwise.

My young lord had with him a faithful Muscovite servant, or
rather a Siberian servant, who was perfectly acquainted with the
country, and led us by private roads, that we avoided coming into
the principal towns and cities upon the great road, such as Tumen,
Soly-Kamskoi, and several others ; because the Muscovite garrisons
which are kept there are very curious and strict in their observa-
tion upon travellers, and searching lest any of the banished persons
of note should make their escape that way into Muscovy. But by
this means, as we were kept out of the cities, so our whole journey
was a desert, and we were obliged to encamp and lie in our tents
when we might have had very good accommodation in the cities '
on the way. This the young lord was so sensible of, that he
would not allow us to lie abroad, when we came to several cities
on the way, but lay abroad himself with his servant in the woods,
and met us always at the appointed places.

We were just entered Europe, having passed the river Kama,