We advanced from the river Arguna, by moderate journies and found convenient garrisons on the road, filled with Christian soldiers for the security of commerce, and for the convenient lodgings of travellers:  but the inhabitants of the country were mere Pagans, worshiping the sun, moon, and stars.  We particularly observed this idolatry near the river Arguna, at a city inhabited by Tartars and Russians, called Nerisinkey.  Being curious to see their way of living, while the caravan continued to rest themselves in that city, I went to one of their villages, where there was to be one of their solemn sacrifices.

There I beheld upon the stump of an old tree, an idol of wood, more ugly than the representation of the devil himself:  its head resembled no living creature; its ears were as big and as high as goat’s horns, a crooked nose, four-cornered mouth, and horrible teeth:  it was clothed in sheep skins, had a great Tartar bonnet, with two horns growing thro’ it, and was eight feet high, without feet, legs or proportion.  Before this idol their lay sixteen or seventeen people, who brought their offerings, and were making their prayers, while at a distance stood three men and one bullock, as victims to this ugly monster.

Such stupendous sacrilege as this, in robbing the true God of his honour, filled me with the greatest astonishment and reflection:  which soon turning to rage and fury, I rode up to the image, and cut in pieces the bonnet that was upon his head with my sword, so that it hung down by one of the horns, while one of my men that was with me pulled at it by his sheep-skin garment.  Immediately an hideous howling and outcry ran through the village, and two or three hundred people coming about our ears, we were obliged to fly for it.

But I had not done with the monster; for the caravan being to rest three nights in the town, I told the Scots merchant what I had seen, and that I was resolved to take four or five men well armed with me, in order to destroy the idol, and show the people how little reason they had to trust in a god who could not save himself.  At first he laughed at me, representing the danger of it, and when it was destroyed, what time had we to preach to them better things, whole zeal and ignorance was in the highest degree, and both unparalleled? that if I should be taken by them, I should be served as a poor ruffian, who contemned their worship; that is, to be stripped naked, and tied to the top of the idol, there shot at with arrows till my body was fall of them, and then burnt as a sacrifice to the monster; but Sir, said he, since your zeal carries you so far, rather than you should be alone I will accompany you, and bring a stout fellow equal to yourself, if you will, to assist you in this design: and accordingly he brought one Captain Richardson, who, hearing the story, readily consented; but my partner declined it, being altogether out of his way:  and so we three, and my servant, resolved