adjoining kingdoms. It is a small town, and the governor sent to the merchants to advise them to come within the walls, as outside they would not be very safe from the Calcia insurgents. The merchants, however, replied that they were willing to pay toll, and would proceed on their journey by night. The governor of the town then absolutely forbade their proceeding, saying that the rebels of Calcia as yet had no horses, but they would get them if they plundered the caravan, and would thus be able to do much more damage to the country, and be much more troublesome to the town ; it would be a much safer arrangement if they would join his men in beating off the Calcia people. They had barely reached the town walls when a report arose that the Calcia people were coming ! On hearing this the bragging governor and his men took to their heels. The merchants on the spur of the moment formed a kind of intrenchment of their packs, and collected a great heap of stones inside in case their arrows should run short. When the Calcia people found this out, they sent a deputation to the merchants to tell them to fear nothing, for they would themselves escort and protect the caravan. The merchants, however, were not disposed to put trust in these insurgents, and after holding counsel together flight was determined on. Somebody or other made this design known to the rebels, upon which immediately they made a rush forward, knocked over the packs, and took whatever they liked. These robbers then called the merchants out of the jungle (into which they had fled) and gave them leave to retire with the rest of their property within the empty city walls. Our Benedict lost nothing but one of his horses, and even that he afterwards got back in exchange for some cotton cloths. They remained in the town in a great state of fear lest the rebels should make a general attack and massacre the whole of them. But just then a certain leading chief, by name Olobet Ebadascan, of the Buchara country, sent his brother to the rebels, and he by
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