Vol. III. MifcelUnea. Curiofa. 191 



for Wood (which they cut on all fides) to fill 

 with Faggots all the bad PalTages: Yet not- 

 withftanding after the Horfes and Ghariots,^ 

 which took the Van early in the Morning 

 had quite pafTed, it was impoffible to pafs af- 

 ter them: The Emperor himfelf, with his 

 Son, and all the great Lords of the Court, 

 were obliged more than once, to Foot it 

 over the Mud and the Marfhes/earing to ex- 

 pofe themfelves to greater danger, if they 

 Ihould have pafled them on Horfe-back* 



When they came to Bridges, or thole 

 other obftrudions all the Army ftayed : And 

 as fbon as the Emperor was paiTed, with fome 

 of the moft confiderable Perfons, all the reft 

 came together in a Throng, and every one 

 Itriving to pafs firft, many were tumbled over 

 into the Water : Others taking Ways more 

 about, found them more dangerous, falling 

 into Sloughs and Bogs, out of which they 

 could not Recover themfelves. In fine, there 

 were fo many Inconreniencies to be met with, 

 in all the Ways of Eaftern Tartary^ that the 

 old Officers who had followed the Court a- 

 bove ^^oTears^ faid they had never fuffered 

 lb much in any Journy. 



It was on thofe Occafions, that the Em- 

 peror more than once, gave me the Marks 

 of a Refped altogether particular: the firft 

 Day that we put our Selves iti the way for 

 returning, we were ftay'd in the Evening, by a 

 Torrent fo great and rapid, that 'tWas im- 

 poffible to Ford it : The Emperor having by 

 chance found a little Boat, which could not 

 hold above 4 Perfons at moft, paflfed firft with 

 his Sons^ and fome of the Principal Kings 

 followed : All the other Princes^ Lords, and 



