and where we expected we should be safe; but it is to be observed, that here we began, for two or three days march, to enter upon a vast nameless desert, of which I shall say more in its place; and which if we had now been upon it, it is more than probable we had been all destroyed.  It was the second day’s march from Plothus that by the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, some of our people began to be sensible we were pursued; we had entered the desert, and had passed by a great lake, called Schanks Osier, when we perceived a very great body of horse appear on the other side of the lake to the north, we travelling west.  We observed they went away west, as we did; but had supposed we should have taken that side of the lake, whereas we very happily took the south side:  and in two days more we saw them not, for they, believing we were still before them, pushed on, till they came to the river Udda:  this is a very great river when it passes farther north, but when we came to it, we found it narrow and fordable.

The third day they either found their mistake, or had intelligence of us, and came pouring in upon us towards the dusk of the evening.  We had, to our great satisfaction, just pitched upon a place for our camp, which was very convenient for the night; for as we were upon a desert, though but at the beginning of it, that was above five hundred miles over, we had no towns to lodge at, and, indeed, expected none but the city of Jarawena, which we had yet two days march to; the desert, however, had some few woods in it on this side, and little river, which ran all into the great river Udda.  It was in a narrow strait, between two small but very thick woods, that we pitched our little camp for that night, expecting to be attacked in the night.

Nobody knew but ourselves what we were pursued for; but as it was usual for the Mogul Tartars to go about in troops in that desert, so the caravans always fortify themselves every night against them, as against armies of robbers; and it was therefore no new thing to be pursued.

But we had this night, of all the nights of our travels, a most advantageous camp; for we lay between two woods, with a little rivulet running just before our front; so that we could not be surrounded or attacked any way, but in our front or rear:  we took care also to make our front as strong as we could, by placing our packs, with our camels and horses, all in a line on the side of the river, and we felled some trees in our rear.

In this posture we encamped for the night; but the enemy was upon us before we had finished our situation:  they did not come on us like thieves, as we expected, but sent three messengers to us, to demand the men to be delivered to them, that had abused their priests, and burnt their god Cham-Chi-Thaungu, that they might burn them with fire; and, upon this, they said, they would go away, and do us no farther harm, otherwise they would burn us all with fire.  Our men looked