vinces lying in his track, from St. Petersburg to Kamschatka, to aid him, as far as possible, to proceed on his journey without interruption; to afford him lawful defence and protection; and in case of necessity, to render him pecuniary assistance.”
On the 24th May, 1820, Commander Cochrane fairly commenced his stupendous undertaking; but he had not proceeded very far from St. Petersburg on his way to Muscovy, before he suffered a greater misfortune than afterwards befel him in routes of 10,000 miles among reputed savages. He thus relates it in his published narrative:
“My route was towards Liubane, at about the ninth mile-stone from which I sat down to smoke a segar or pipe, as fancy might dictate, when I was suddenly seized from behind, by two ruffians, whose visages were as much concealed us the oddness of their dress would permit. One of them, who held an iron bar in his hand, dragged me by the collar towards the forest, while the other, with a bayoneted musket, pushed me on, in such a manner as to make me move with more than ordinary celerity; while a boy, auxiliary to these vagabonds, was stationed on the road-side, to keep a look out.
“We had got some sixty or eighty paces into the thickest part of the forest, when I was desired to undress; and having stript off my trowsers and jacket, then my shirt, and, finally, my shoes and stockings, they proceeded to tie me to a tree. From this ceremony and from the manner of it, I fully concluded that they intended to try the effect of a musket upon me, by firing at me as they would at a mark. I was, however, reserved for fresh scenes: the villains with much sang froid seated themselves at my feet, and rifled my knapsack and pockets, even cutting out the linings of the clothes in search of bank-bills, or some other valuable articles. They then compelled me to take at least a pound of black bread, and a glass of rum poured from a small flask, which had been suspended from my neck. Having appropriated my trowsers, shirt, stockings, and shoes; as also my spectacles, watch, compass, thermometer, and small pocket sextant, with one hundred and sixty roubles, they at length released me from the tree, and at the point of a stiletto, made me swear that I would not inform against them, – such, at least, I conjectured to be their meaning, though of their language I understood not a word.
“Having received my promise, I was again treated to bread and rum, and once more fastened to the tree, in which condition they finally abandoned me. Not long after, a boy who was passing heard my cries, and set me at liberty. I did not doubt he was sent by my late companions upon so considerate an errand, and felt so far grateful: though it might require something more than common charity to forgive their depriving me of my shirt and trowsers, and leaving me almost as naked as I came into the world.
