Mr St John on the Mongols. 267 



of ruined cities in Mongolia. The Russian ambassador 

 Isb rants Ides described no less than three in the seventeenth 

 century, full of fragments of statues of kings sitting cross- 

 legged (perhaps Budhist idols), and surrounded with an 

 earthen rampart. These, it may be said, were not cities in 

 our sense of the word. They were rather nuclei for popula- 

 tion, consisting chiefly of public buildings ; but I question 

 whether the wooden habitations with which they were sur- 

 rounded, were not at least as durable as the brick houses of 

 London at the present moment ; and whether any other 

 traces will remain of this great metropolis three or four hun- 

 dred years after its total desertion, than its churches, prisons, 

 parliament-houses, and other public edifices. 



However this may be, certain it is, that the Mongols have 

 generally manifested a peculiar predilection for temporary 

 habitations, tempted thereto by the nature of their steppes, 

 and the occupations to which they are compelled to addict 

 themselves, as well as by their own inclinations fostered by 

 their mode of life. The skeleton of their tents is generally 

 made of osier, the cross-pieces being tied together with small 

 thongs. The rafters of the roof are long poles, which meet at 

 the top, leaving a small opening for the smoke. The covering 

 of this frame-work consists in summer of one, in winter of 

 three, layers of felt, manufactured of wool and horse- hair, pro- 

 cured by cutting off the manes of the foals in their first year, 

 and that of some of the horses every spring. 



The real Mongol name of a tent is gher, though travellers 

 generally use the Siberian terms kibitka and yourt. On 

 entering the low and narrow door, which is always turned 

 towards the south, you observe on the right hand, near the 

 entrance, the place reserved for the women. Aged persons 

 have carpets of felt, with patterns worked in them, to sit on. 

 The rich import these luxuries from Persia or Turkestan. 

 Opposite the entrance is a small table supporting copper idols 

 and various utensils for the offerings. On the right hand of 

 this stands a wooden bedstead covered with felt ; to the left 

 are trunks, boxes, &c., for clothes. All the Mongols sit cross- 

 legged on the ground, so that chairs and couches are dis- 



