expect every moment that the glass would bite him. After some minutes
spent in this way, he drew it near him, and by degrees became more
confident. Buctoo then approached him and set it, telling him how to
look through it. He then appeared very suspicious about this movement,
evidently fancying the glass was going to explode. At length he threw
it down, for which Buctoo boxed his ears. He then took it up again,
and it was brought to bear on the village. But the Tartar did us
again; for he shut both eyes. However, after a good deal of
persuasion, he was induced to open one and shut the other, and to peep
through the glass. For a second or two he trembled violently, and then
groaned heavily--threw down the glass, and commenced rolling down the
hill, head over heels, at a most awful pace. The whole batch, some
forty, were seized with the same complaint, and down they went after
their chief, roaring out, "Hi! ha!" at the top of their voice. Break
their necks they could not very easily; but how many of them escaped
serious injury I did not stop to ascertain. Upon seeing them all off,
I fell down heavily, fracturing my sides with laughter. Buctoo was in
the same state, and so were all my servants. We at last saw them, on
reaching a piece of level ground, get on their legs, the chief still
leading, and bolting for the village, at a pace that nothing would
warrant but a tin kettle at their heels.

In about ten minutes we heard the gongs and bells beating and tolling
at a great pace, with frightful shouting from men and women, and this
lasted for two hours, when all became quiet.

Not a Tartar could be got hold of for two days after this. At last, by
sending a small party rather near the village, several men showed
themselves, offering us any thing we wanted, if we would only return
to our proper side of the snow. This they were told we would do, if