After this we passed several great rivers, and two dreadful deserts, one of which we were sixteen days passing over, and which, as I said, was to be called No Man’s Land; and on the 13th of April we came to the frontiers of the Muscovite dominions.  I think the first city, or town, or fortress, whatever it might be called, that belonged to the czar of Muscovy, was called Argun, being on the west side of the river Argun.

I could not but discover an infinite satisfaction; that I was now arrived in, as I called it, a Christian country; or, at least, in a country governed by Christians:  for though the Muscovites do, in my opinion, but just deserve the name of Christians (yet such they pretend to be, and are very devout in their way:) it would certainly occur to any man who travels the world as I have done, and who had any power of reflection; I say, it would occur to him, to reflect, what a blessing it is to be brought into the world where the name of God, and of a Redeemer, is known, worshipped, and adored—­and not where the people, given up by Heaven to strong delusions, worship the devil, and prostrate themselves to stocks and stones; worship monsters, elements, horrible-shaped animals, and statues, or images of monsters.  Not a town or city we passed through but had their pagods, their idols, and their temples; and ignorant people worshipping even the works of their own hands!

Now we came where, at least, a face of the Christian worship appeared, where the knee was bowed to Jesus; and whether ignorantly or not, yet the Christian religion was owned, and the name of the true God was called upon and adored; and it made the very recesses of my soul rejoice to see it.  I saluted the brave Scotch merchant I mentioned above, with my first acknowledgment of this; and, taking him by the hand, I said to him, “Blessed be God, we are once again come among Christians!” He smiled, and answered, “Do not rejoice too soon, countryman; these Muscovites are but an odd sort of Christians; and but for the name of it, you may see very little of the substance for some months farther of our journey.”

“Well,” said I, “but still it is better than paganism, and worshipping of devils.”—­“Why, I’ll tell you,” said he; “except the Russian soldiers in garrisons, and a few of the inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, for above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the worst and most ignorant of pagans.”  And so indeed we found it.

We were now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth, if I understand any thing of the surface of the globe, that is to be found in any part of the world:  we had at least twelve hundred miles to the sea, eastward; we had at least two thousand to the bottom of the Baltic sea, westward; and almost three thousand miles, if we left that sea, and went on west to the British and French channels; we had full five thousand miles to the Indian or Persian sea, south; and about eight hundred miles to the Frozen sea, north; nay, if some people may be believed, there might be no sea north-east till we came round the pole, and consequently into the north-west, and so had a continent of land into America, no mortal knows where; though I could give some reasons why I believe that to be a mistake too.