CON Q^U E S T O F S I B E R I A. 179 



determined to enlarge the communication already opened 



with Siberia. Accordingly he fent a corps of troops into f """f ^""^ 



that country. They followed the fame route which had sibuia in the 



Reign of Ivan 



been difcovered by the Ruffians in the former expedition, ^'affiii'vuchii. 

 and which was lately frequented by the merchants of 

 Solvytfhegodfkaia. It lay along the banks of the Petf- 

 chora, and from thence croffed the Yugorian mountains, 

 which form the North Eaftern boundary of Europe. 

 Thefe troops, however, do not feem to have pafled the 

 Irtiili, or to have penetrated further than the Weftern 

 branch of the river Oby. Some Tartar tribes were in- 

 deed laid under contribution ; and a chief, whofe name 

 was Yediger, confented to pay an annual tribute of a 

 thoufand fables. But this expedition was not produdlive 

 of any lafting effedls ; for foon afterwards Yediger was 

 defeated, and taken prifoner by Kutchum Chan ; the latter 

 was a lineal defcendant of the celebrated Zinghis Chan ; 

 and had newly eftabliflied his empire in thofe parts. 



This fecond inroad was probably made about the mid- 

 dle of the fixteenth century ; for the Tzar Ivan Vaffilie- 

 vitch affumed the title of Lord of all the Siberian lands 

 fo early as 1558, before the conquefts made by Yer- 

 mac in that kingdom *. But probably the name of 

 Siberia was at that time only confined to the diftricSl 



* S. R.G.VI. p. 217. 



A a 2 then 



