At length we arrived at the great city of Pekin, accompanied by two servants, and the old Portuguese pilot, whose charges we bore, and who served us as an interpreter by the way.  We had scarce been a week at Pekin, but he comes laughing to us.  “Ah!  Seignior Inglise, (said he) me something tell you make your heart glad, but make me sorry:  for your bring me here twenty-five days journey, and now you leave me go back alone; and which way shall I make my port after, without de ship, without de horse, without pecune?” so he called money in his broken Latin.  He then informed me, that there was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, who were preparing to set out for Muscovy by land within six weeks; and, that he was certain we would take this opportunity, and consequently that he must go home by himself.  Indeed this news infinitely surprised & pleased me.  “Are you certain of this?” said I, “Yes, Sir, (says he) me sure its true.”  And so he told me, that having met an old acquaintance of his, an Armenian, in the street, who was among them, and who had come from Astracan, with a design to go to Tonquin, but for certain reasons having altered his resolutions, he was now resolved to go with the caravan, and to return by the river Wolga to Astracan.  “Well, Seignior, (said I) don’t be discontented about your returning alone; and if, by this means, I can find a passage to England, it will be your own fault if you return to Macao at all.”  And so consulting with my partner what was best to be done, he referred it to me as I pleased, having our affairs so well settled at Bengal, that if he could convert the good voyage he had made in China silks, wrought or raw, he would be satisfied to go to England; and so return to Bengal in the Company’s ships.  Thus resolved, we agreed that if our pilot would go with us, we would bear his charges either to Moscow or England; and to give him in a present the sum of one hundred and seventy pounds sterling.  Hereupon we called him in, and told him the cause of his complaint should be removed, if he would accompany us with the caravans; and, therefore, we desired to know his mind.  At this he shook his head, “Great long journey, (said he) me no pecune carry me to Moscow, or keep me there.”  But we soon put him out of that concern, by making him sensible of what we would give him here to lay out the best advantage; and, as for his charges, we would set him safe on shore, God willing, either in Muscovy or England, as he pleased, at our own charge, except the carriage of his goods.  At this proposal, he was like a man transported, telling us he would go with us all the world over; and we made preparations for our journey; but it was near four months before all the merchants were ready.