414 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF

curing for us a Japan merchant was some hundreds of pounds
in our pockets. So, being willing to gratify him, which was
but doing him justice, and very willing also to have him with
us besides, for he was a most necessary man on all occasions,
we agreed to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, as I
computed it, was worth one hundred and seventy-five pounds
sterling, between us, and to bear all his charges, both for
himself and horse, except only a horse to carry his goods.
Having settled this between ourselves, we called him to let
him know what we had resolved. I told him he had com-
plained of our being willing to let him go back alone, and I
was now about to tell him we designed he should not go back
at all. That as we had resolved to go to Europe with the
caravan, we were very willing he should go with us; and that
we called him to know his mind. He shook his head and said
it was a long journey, and that he had no pecune to carry
him thither, or to subsist himself when he came there. We
told him we believed it was so, and therefore we had resolved
to do something for him that should let him see how sensible
we were of the service he had done us, and also how agreeable
he was to us: and then I told him what we had resolved to
give him here, which he might lay out as we would do our
own; and that as for his charges, if he would go with us we
would set him safe on shore (life and casualties excepted),
either in Muscovy or England, as he would choose, at our own
charge, except only the carriage of his goods. He received
the proposal like a man transported, and told us he would
go with us over all the whole world; and so we all prepared
for our journey. However, as 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 XXXIV
ATTACKED BY TARTARS

Tt 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