lately found in Behring's Straits. 339 



latitude, as fair as the 55th degree. The vicinity of Genghis's 

 birth-place to the Lena, when we consider the immense scale 

 of the hunting expeditions, will diminish the wonder that 

 remains of elephants have been frequently found in these 

 regions. 



The Jenesai. The contents of the tombs at the city of 

 Jenesai, at Krasnoyarsk and several other places in these parts, 

 attest the residence of Mogul sovereigns. Thousands of cast 

 idols in gold, medals of gold, large plates upon which the corpse 

 is laid, diadems and chess-boards and men all of gold, &c., 

 &c. and remains of elephants, are found in these tombs. 

 The greatest antiquity of these tombs (when discovered) was 

 eleven hundred years, the latest four hundred.* 



The Irtish. The fertile region at the sources of the Irtish 

 is the favourite head-quarters of Turks, Moguls, and Calmucs 

 (and Chinese) from early ages ; the Greek emperors in the 

 sixth century sent embassies to the Turks at this place. 

 Kaidou, great grandson of Genghis and nephew of Kublai, 

 governed central Siberia, and rebelled in the year 1268. 

 Timur Kaan, Viceroy of Bangalla, Ava and Yunnan, invaded 

 Siberia, and this rebellion was not terminated for thirty-three 

 years, during which Kaidou was, in 1297, driven northtvard ; 

 many battles were fought by the river Irtish; and the Grand 

 Khans were the whole time obliged to keep numerous armies 

 in these countries. The first invasion was with three hundred 

 thousand troops. 



At Tara, Ommostroc, Tomsk, Batsamki, and Isetskoe, the 

 governors permitted the people to ransack the neighbouring 

 tombs, reserving a tenth share for themselves ; the treasures 

 were not exhausted after many years digging. Urns, figures 

 in gold of the hippopotamus, tables of silver, and innumerable 

 curiosities were found in the tombs. As Timur Kaan had all 

 the elephant countries east of the Burrampooter under him 

 (he became emperor in 1294, named Ching-tsong), we may 

 safely conclude, many remains having been found in these 



* Tooke's Russian Empire, vol. ii., p. 48. 



