In The Morning Three Broad-
Faced Tartars Came And Ordered Us To Go Along With Them To Their Prince.
They Treated Marcus With Respect, Saying That He Was A Friend Of Their
Sovereign; But Alleged That I Was His Slave, As They Consider All The
Franks Or Christians As Their Enemies.
These news were most cruelly
mortifying for me, and afflicted me severely; but I was obliged to submit
in
Spite of me, and Marcus advised me to allow him to speak for me.
Forced in this manner to return disconsolate to my hut, I was long
exposed to every indignity and danger, to my great mortification and
distress. The Tartars insisted that I was possessed of pearls, and even
plundered me of some merchandize I had purchased in Derbent, intending to
have bartered it in this place for a good horse to carry me during the
rest of my journey. They informed me afterwards, by means of Marcus, that
they intended to sell us all to certain people whom they waited for, and
who were to go into Muscovy with other merchants. After many
mortifications and distresses, it was resolved to hold a grand
consultation concerning us at a large village named _Alermi_, about two
miles from the city, where their lord resided. At this time I was not
possessed of a single farthing, and was obliged to borrow money from the
Russian and Tartar merchants, at a high interest, to supply our urgent
necessities, for which Marcus became my bondsman.
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