CON Q^U ESTOFSIBERIA. 1:95 



ful acquiefcence under the fovereignty of the Tzar ; and 

 were inclined to renew their allegiance upon the firft 

 opportunity. Others looked upon all rellitance as un- 

 availing, and had learned, from dear-bought experience, 

 to tremble at the very name of a Ruffian. The natural 

 ftrength of the country, proved not to be irreliilible 

 when united, was confiderably weakened by its intcftine 

 commotions. Upon the retreat of the garrifon of Sibir, 

 that fortrefs, together with the adjacent diftridl, was 

 feized by Seyidyak, fon of the former fovereign, whom 

 Kutchum Chan had dethroned and put to death. Other 

 princes availed themfelves of the general confufion to 

 alTert independency ; and Kutchum Chan was able to 

 regain only a fmall portion of thofe dominions, of which 

 he had been ft ripped by Yermac. 



Influenced by thefe motives, the court of Mofcow t^'^ R"""'^"* 



re-enter 



fent a body of three hundred troops into Siberia, ^'''""" 

 who penetrated to the banks of the Tura as far as 

 Tfchingi almoft without oppofition. There they built 

 the fort of Tumen, and re-eftabliflied their authority 

 over the neighbouring diftricSl:. Being foon afterwards 

 reinforced by an additional number of troops, they were 

 enabled to extend their operations, and to erccl the for- 

 treffes of Tobolik, Sungur, and Tara. The eredion of Rv°"i"^'- 



their anticnt 



thefe and other fortrelFes was foon attended with a'^'""°""* 



C c 3 fpeedy 



