Иностранные известия о восстании Степана Разина - [63]

to escape. After this the Cossacks attacked[296] Astarabad, put[297] all the men to the Sword,[298] plundered the Town,[299] and carried 800 women together with the Booty along with them to the Island where their Vessels lay, 48 hours travelling (л. 6 об.) from thence. There they kept these Women for 3 weeks. But as many of the Cossacks died of the Excesses they comitted with that Sex,[300] the Sea grew very tempestuous, which they looked upon as a punishment of[301] their Dabauches, besides that they intended to leave the Island yet could not take Women along with them, nor leave them behind without provisions, they resolved to make away with them all, and by this sacrifice to appease the Sea. They went afterwards to Zamur Recca[302] in Mesanderan, where they plundered the Persian Buses that lay there, and after they had scowred the Sea for 2 months, they[303] attacked Astarabad the second time, according to Chardiris, account, and went to Swino Ostro near Chilan not far from the River Kuur over against Lengenkonaan[304] an Island about 2 Wersts long, so near the Land, that one can see the People walk, and the Water so shallow, that the wild Boars are able to wade through. Upon this Island, on the other side of it, stood 7000 Persians to keep a watchful Eye upon the Cossacks in their high, half and whole Buses. The Cossacks being ignorant of this, supped that night, and laid themselves down to sleep. In the night Stenko Radzin wakened all his People, and ordered them to come together in a Circle, where he told them he had had a Dream, that the Enemy was upon the Island (for it was believed he understood magick Arts, to such a degree that he had made J all his People shot free and proof against Bullets, though others who had seen so many his people killed, knew better things) then he proposed in Council (tho[305] he believed for certain what his Spirit had already insinuated to him) whether they should venture a Battel[306] with the Enemy, or retire to the Sea.[307] The Chiefs of them, who were already before in good circumstances, or were grown rich by the Plunder of this Country, dissuaded it, saying; there had been Blood enough shed already, and they might well retire with honour. But the poorer sort buoyed up with hopes of Booty (л. 7) said: it would be a Shame to retire without venturing an Engagement. Stenko was of the opinion of the former, and yet being unwilling to oppose the latter, desired that another Person would take the Command[308] upon him. The Army offered it to an old man, who also had the Reputation of making people shotfree; he accepted it and promised them to make his own Son a Sacrifice in order to render them all bullet proof. But while this offer was making, the Son saved himself by deserting to the Enemy, and was never heard after. He himself was seized with inward Torments and a fit of trembling which lasted three hours, when that was over, he said: Well it is done, you are safe, and so they got into their Vessels and put out to Sea. The Persians seeing this, thought they fled, though they did it only to draw them on, and therefore they launched farther out into the Sea and feigned as if they were unable to manage their Vessels, which encouraged the Persians to pursue them with a great noise of Trumpets[309] and Kettle Drums. The Cham was with them in person and set up a great Flag in his Buse. They had also chained their Buses together, in hopes to enclose them all as in a net, that none might escape. But this was a great advantage to the Cossacks; for the Persians began to fire upon them, and when they were far enough from the Land, the new General of the Cossacks, thinking it was now time, ordered his Gunner who was a most expert fellow, to fire upon that great Vessel with the flag, which accordingly he did, directing his Gun to the Place under Water where the Gunpowder lay, the Bullet was hollow and filled with Nephta and Cotton, and the Shot took effect according to wish, for it blew (л. 7 об.) up part of the Buse, and set the rest on fire, the Cham retiring to the next Vessel, in this Confusion (Далее зачеркнуто чернилами повторное and the Vessel beginning not only to sink) and the Vessel beginning not only to sink, but to draw down the next with it, the Cossacks came to hinder this destruction, hoked their Vessels to those of the Persians, which having high Decks, they killed the Persians with trails or Poles to which Cannon Balls were tied, some chosing rather to throw themselves into the Sea, than to fall into the hands of the Enemy. The rest were killed by the Cossacks, who could take nothing out of the Buses but the Cannon. The Cham and 5 others they carried with them to Astracan for though they offered the Cham his Liberty, he rather chose to remain their prisoner because he had undertaken this Expedition without any orders from the King, and he died afterwards at Astracan. The Co-sacks had but 50 men wounded by Bows with which the Persians had armed one Vessel, and against which their General