1.88 CON Q^U EST OF SIBERIA. 



ambition. But whatever were his original projcifls,. 

 he feems worthy, fo far as intrepidity and prudence 

 form a balls of merit, of the final fuccefs which 

 flowed in upon him. For he was neither elated with 

 unexpeded profperity, nor dazzled with the fudden 

 glare of royalty : on the contrary, the dignity of his 

 deportment was as confiftent and unaffeded, as if he 

 had been born a fovereign. 



And now Yermac and his followers feemed to enjoy 

 thofe rewards which they had dearly purchafed by a 

 courfe of unremitted fatigue, and by vidiories which 

 almoft exceeded belief. Not only the tribes in the 

 neigbourhood of Sibir vvore the appearance of the mofb 

 unreferved fubmiffion ; but even princes continued 

 flocking in from dirtant parts, to acknowledge them- 

 felves tributary, and to claim his pretention . However, 

 Precarious this Calm was of fliort duration. Infarrections were 



Situation of -i i i j • <- 



Yermac. couccrtcd by Kutchum Chan ; who, though driven irom 

 his dominions, yet ftill retained no fmall degree of 

 influence over his former fubjedts. 



Yermac faw and felt the precarioufnefs of his pre- 

 fent orandeur; the inconliderable number of his followers 

 who had furvived the conqueft of Sibir, had been ftill 

 further diminiflied by an ambufcade of the enemy ; 

 and as he could not depend on the afFe6fion of his 

 new fubjeds, he found himfelf under the neceflity either 



of 



