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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 (tho зачеркнуто карандашом и написано for.) he believed for certain what his Spirit had already insinuated to him) whether they should venture a Battel (Так в тексте, современное написание Battle.) with the Enemy, or retire to the Sea (Над to the надписано карандашом by.). 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 (Далее вставлено карандашом of this expedition.) 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 (Напротив на полях приписано Posaunen (трубы) – нем…)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.
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