Interefting Adventures of an English Merchant. Cushions to lean against, according to the cuftom of the country; all perfons fitting directly upon the deck with their feet bent under them. In the front of the pavilion is a circular kind of throne, or feat of eminence, where the Nabob, or person of the higheft diftinction, is feated. This place is open on every fide, but over the top is ftretched a canopy of velvet and gold, the whole breadth of the boat, fupported abaft by the pavilion, and forwards by two painted ftaves, the tops of which, as well as the top of the pavilion, is ornamented with golden cones, and furrounded with a gold fringe, with taffels of gold pendent at every corner. The boat is moved by paddles, and worked by thirty rowers, who fit behind the pavilion, with their faces fronting the 133 direction of motion. The paddles are furnished on each of their handles with two brafs rings, which clathing together at every motion given to the paddles, ferve to make the rowers keep time, who, finging to the found, thereby regulate the motion. The boat is fteered by a long oar faftened on the larbord fide near the stern, after the manner of the ancients: it glides with great velocity along the furface of the water, not drawing more than nine inches. At the head and ftern of the veffel are two small mafts painted with vermilion, on which are fixed ftreamers of crimson filk, interspersed with flowers of gold, in the Moorish tafte, which, with other ornaments too numerous to particularize, give it a fplendid and elegant appearance, beyond defcription. Conclufion of the interesting Adventures of an English Merchant. (See p. 97.) Therefore, without regret, faw my charitable deliverers depart, being fufficiently confoled with the hopes of feeing them again. As night approached, I drew near my fledge, which was to defend me from the injuries of the weather. Its fhape greatly resembled the body of a chariot, but with this difference, that being covered with bear-fkins, and having a very narrow door, a man of my age could refift the cold through his own natural heat. It was, notwithstanding, fo light, that I could move it with one hand with eafe, for it was now the finest feafon in the year, and the fun had fufficient power to melt the fnow even in the forefts. Yet the nights were fo cold, that I did not wait till dark before I entered my fledge; and having carefully faitened the door, endeavoured to compose myself to reft. My fituation was not fo uneafy, but fleep foon overpowered my fenfes, and I flept for fome hours as foundly as I fhould have done in the best bed. VOL. I. My repofe was of a fudden disturbed by the violent agitation of my fledge. I awaked in a fright; but not being able to guefs any other cause of this accident, than the motions one fometimes gives oneself in fleep, I had not the leaft mistrust of the new misfortune that threatened me. After fome moments of tranquillity, I felt my dwelling begin to shake again, and the blows were foon redoubled with fuch a force as to overturn the fledge. I heard no other noise than a continual fcratching against the planks of my cage. My uneafinefs was beyond expreffion. Fear obliged me to keep my hands continually preffing against the door, left it should burft open; and this, joined to the uneafy pofture I was in, owing to the fledge being overturned, made me pafs five or fix hours in the utmoft torment. At length the fcratchings and agitation ceafed; but I had not the courage to leave my prifon, even when I perceived the return of day. As I had provifions fufficient to S fubfiit ubfift on for fome time, and I received air through a loop-hole that ferved alfo to convey light, I refolved to wait, in this fituation, the return of the ladies, or my guards. The governor's lady vifited me before night, in company with the former ladies; and the noife of their carriages, which I heard at a diftance, diffipated all my fear. I haftily quitted my fledge to avoid the raillery that I must have expected to have undergone, if they had been witneffes of my weaknefs. I even hefitated whether I fhould mention my adventure, and efpecially my fright; but though I had efcaped the danger, I confidered that it might return the next night, and a little counfel would not be ufelefs; I there fore related coolly what had happened. They heard my ftory more feriously than I expected, and augmented my uneafinefs by acquainting me with the cause of my fright. The bears, and other ravenous beafts, faid they, attacked you last night; we advise you never to quit your fledge after fun fet, and to fatten the door fecurely. The bears herd in vaft troops in the foreft of Siberia, they are fierce and cruel when preffed by hunger, and fome winters penetrate even into the town in fearch of prey. This thirft of blood diminishes vaftly in fummer, because, in that feafon, they find an infinite number of timid animals to prey upon; but they are always fufficiently dangerous to be dreaded, and travellers have no enemies more dreadful in the forefts. However, the ladies revived my courage by affuring me, that I ought to make myself eafy in my fledge, for there never had been an inftance that the hunters (who never lodge other wife) had received the leaft injury from them. I pait the following night without uneafinefs; and feeing nothing in my fate but what promifed an happy futurity, I devoted myfelf with less refervs to the pleafure of entertaining the ladies. The manner in which they received my civilities made me judge that gallantry was not known in thefe frozen and barbarous climates. She, whofe charms I have already mentioned, quickly perceived that I gave her the preference. Her eyes fpoke a thoufand things, which I explained in my favour, and found means, before. her departure, to obtain more certain proofs of her fentiments. I was no fooner alone, than, cafting my eyes on the fledge, that ferved me for an habitation, on my cloaths, which were in rags, in short, reflecting on all the circumstances of my fortune, I could not refrain from laughing at my inclination to love, at a time when I wanted even the common neceffaries of life. Is love then more fweet than life; (exclaimed I, wondering at what paffed in my foul) and how does a fpark of love at once fill me with joy, in a fituation that before made me regard life as a burthen? Without feeking farther the caufe of this prodigy, I determined to reap from it all the advantage that my good fortune offered me, to render my condition_more comfortable. I re-entered my fledge, filled with these charming ideas, and paffed fome hours with more fatisfaction than fuited the misfortune which was at hand. The bears failed not to return in the middle of the night. I was not much afraid of them, fince the information I had received from the ladies, and imagined the greatest harm they could do me, was breaking my reit. In fact, at first they only fhook my fledge, and I expected to experience, to experience, till day-light, the fame fcene as the preceeding night. I had accuftomed myfelf impercepti bly to the motion, when I perceived that the fledge was forced along with great velocity; and, to judge of the distance by the rapidity of the mo tion, that I fhould foon be a great way Interefting Adventures of an English Merchant. way from the place whence I fet out. I at first thought it was a trick of the ladies, who had a mind to divert themselves at my expence. But what probability that in the middle of the night, and two leagues diftance from Crangut, they fhould venture to hazard their health, and even their lives, to divert themselves with my fright! This reflexion brought the true caufe into my mind. I miftrufted the bears. The ropes that ferved to pull the fledge hung down to the ground. I doubted not but thefe animals, who are very cunning, had laid hold of them with their teeth, in order to drag me into the midft of the forefts. I recommended myself to Heaven, for nothing else could fave me from fo preffing a danger. The thought alone of a troop of famifhed bears, who carried me off with this violence and obstinacy, was capable of depriving me of my fenfes. I fancied already the fledge torn into a thoufand pieces, and thofe cruel beafts piercing me with their bloody fangs and talons. The terror I felt from this idea, extorted from me cries, or more properly howlings, which frightened the bears away. I judged fo at leaft, by the ceafing of the motion for fome . minutes; and coming to myself a little, I ventured to flatter myself that Heaven had heard my prayers; but they foon returned again. My defpair was renewed with the danger. I thought myself utterly loft. My cries were useless, and I had no other object before my eyes, except a dreadful kind of death, which I imagined inevitable. I was not dragged any farther, but the fcratchings and agitation lafted all night. This delay of my fate, did not revive my hopes. I was perfuaded, on the contrary, that the day would return only to enlighten my last moments; and that in the remote and defart spot, wie ein I must be 135 after half an hour's journey, it would be the easier for the wild beasts to tear me from my afylum, by the affiftance of day-light. Day broke in at laft; the firft rays of light which entered through the loop holes, infpired me with courage to look out; but the openings were so small, that I could not discover my befiegers. Perhaps they fled at the very earliest dawn of day. At least it was natural to conclude fo, from the repose I enjoyed till evening. But I confefs this did not revive my courage; and I paffed the whole day in fuch a state of depreffion, that I never thought of taking the leaft nourish ment. even My only hopes were, that the governor's lady and her companions, not finding me in the fame place where they left me, would readily guefs at my misfortune, and ufe their utmoft endeavours to find me out. In thefe hopes, I refolved not to flir out of the fledge. However, night came on, and I faw no figns of affiftance. My torments were renewed as foon as it grew dark; and continued till day-light. In the morning I found myfelf fo weak, that neceffity forced me to have recourfe to my ftock of provifions. Afterwards I continued to flatter myself, as I had done the day before; that ladies from whom I had received fuch generous favours would not have the cruelty to abandon me to my unhappy fate. In fact, they thought of me, but the fuccefs of their endeavours did not anfwer their defires, any more than mine. In fhort I paffed a whole week in the fledge, fometimes a prey to defpair, fometimes a dupe to hope, fancying every night_my_deftruction certain; whenever I recovered from my fears, I formed profpects for the next day, which I had not ftrength to execute. Hunger was the means that Heaven employed to open unex pected |