62 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666 purpose to convoy

Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"

62 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666

purpose to convoy uie further and stay with me all night, came to me ; for
whose sakes I pitched my tent short of what I had intended. Wee had
scarce setled when the English merchants came with a great magazine of
all sorts of liquors, with whom wee spent the whole night in hearty cups and
joviall discourses.

ne 30. By day light, bidding farewell to ffrieiids, I tooke jorney, laying my self
in my waggon to sleep. About eight o'clock, I passed by Czirkisewa, where
lay in the fields a hundred officers who had been dismissed, and very
earnest, some of them at least, to have gone in my company ; but being
informed of some designe, I excused it, and now strived to shun them. So
posting in hast by them, without being discovered, I rode twenty verst
further, and turning aside to the right hand to ane obscure place, I rested
and dined. Here I mustered up my letters, and some tokens and other
things sent along to ifriends in the places ahd townes through which I was
to travell, as also many things and lettres sent to England. Whilst I stayed
here, a post overtooke me with letters from ffriends in Mosco to merchants
over sea. *

Haveing packt up and put all my things in good order, I set forwards ;
and within fifteen verst of Klin, turning aside againe, I lodged, haveing in
company with me my litle brother in law, Captaine William Rae, Peter
Pile, a apothecary, Caspar Staden, and two servants, with six yempshiks,*
being in all thirteen persons. This night the yempshikes kep't watch.

J"iy ^- I arose early, and set forward, and crosseing the rivers Soslia and
Yanugo, I rode through the lately burnt up towne of Klin ; which standeth
on the descent of a hill, and is distant from Mosko ninety verst, being lately
a stage where horses useth to be changed, but now exeemed by reason of
their being burn'd up. I rode further, and crossed a litle brooke at a field
called Yamoga, being five verst, and to Spassuf Sauka twenty verst, where
I dined ; then forwards to Sawidowa, a village, where wee had a sight of the
river Volga, which comeing from the west runneth east, and so to a village
called Hoshia, where, being rainy weather, I lodged. Here the river Soshia,
being fifteen verst.

July '2. Haveing notice that the disbanded cavaliers were encamped on the other
syde of the river, and not likeing their company, I rose very early, and pass-

* [Waggoners, or carters.]