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800 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
found a large body employed in fifhing, informed them that he was the Emperor, and
had made his efcape from prifon, where perfons were fuborned to affaflinate him; he
added that the rumour of his death was only a fiction invented by the court, and that
he now threw himfelf under their protection.
Pugatchef did not bear the {malleft refemblance to Peter; but founded his hopes of
gaining belief on the diftance from the capital, on the ignorance of the people, on their
actual infurreétion, and above all, on their attachment to their religious prejudices. Few
arguments being neceflary to win over thefe Coflacs, already in a flate of rebellion, they
unanimoutfly faluted him Emperor, and offered to facrifice their lives in his defence.
With thefe, and other bodies of Cofflacs, whom he found equally inclined to follow his
ftandard, he made his firft expedition to the new Polith colonies lately eftablifhed on the
river Irghis ; where he gave no proof of his fubfequent barbarity, defpoiling the inhabi-
tants of nothing but arms and horfes. He then prefented himfelf before Yaitfk ; and
after ineffe€tually f{ummoning the governor to furrender, gave orders for an immediate
affault. Being repulfed by the intrepidity of the garrifon, he blockaded the place with
a view of reducing it by famine; but his attempt was fruftrated by the refolution of the
governor Rend{dorf, and the incredible perfeverance of the garrifon, who refufed to ca-
pitulate, although they were fo far ftreightened for want of provifions, as not only to
eat their horfes, but even to feed upon leather. This obftinate refiftance protra¢ted the
fiege until Yaitfk was relieved.
Pugatchef, baflled in this enterprize, was more fuccefsful in his future operations :
he led his followers againft the Coflac colonies of Ilets, aflaulted and carried, without
oppofition, the fortrefles of Rafypnaya and Ofernaya, attacked Tatifcheva, where he
met with greater refiftance; but as the fortifications were only of wood, he fet fire to
them, and forced the place. A body of troops fent againft him from Orenburg, under
Colonel Bulof, partly through weaknefs, and partly through mifcondudt, was over-
powered. Another corps, who in order to join the former, marched from Simbirfk up
the Samara, under the command of Colonel Tchernichef, arrived too late. Deceived
by parties of Pugatchef’s followers, they were drawn into the defiles near Tchernoret-
chinfk, and fo fuddenly befet, that they were incapable of making refiftance. In all
thefe actions, the officers who fell into Pugatchef’s hands, were indifcriminately maf-
facred; and the common foldiers were either made prifoners, or joined the rebels. His
army being confiderably augmented by thefe fuccefles, he ventured to befiege Oren-
burg, where the governor had not force fufficient to defend the fortifications; and the
town would have been inevitably taken, had not the garrifon of Krafnagorfk thrown
themfelves into the place by forcing their way through the befiegers.
The report of Pugatchef’s progrefs being difleminated, the Bafchkirs, a people un-
fettled under the Ruflian government, declared for the impoftor, and joined him in large
bodies: their example was followed by many Ruffian coloni{ts, particularly by the pea-
fants employed in the mines and founderies of the Uralian mountains *. Thefe forces
he either employed in the fiege of Orenburg, before which town he {pent part of the
winter in aéts of wantonnefs, drunkennefs, and cruelty, or fent them to collect money
from the founderies, and to caft copper guus, and balls. This winter he received a
powerful reinforcement by the junction of eleven thoufand Calmuc horfe from the
neighbourhood of Stauropol, who revolted and killed their commander, Brigadier Veg-
hezak. Strengthened by thefe acceflions, his troops roved over the whole mountainous
diftri& of Orenburgh, where only the fmall town of Upha made the leaft refiftance.
* The Uralian mountains abound in copper mines.
He
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