C A L 



CALLITRICHE, a genus of plants of the 



Monandria, and order Digynia. See I 



CALLIXENE, a genus of plants of the class 

 Ht-xandria, and order Monogynia. Sec BOTANY, 

 p. 194. 



CALMAR, a sea. port town of Sweden, and the 

 capital of a government of the same name, compre- 

 hending the eastern part of Finland, and the Isle of 

 Oeland. It is strongly situated upon the Baltic, 

 opposite to the island of Oeland, from which it is 

 separated by the straits of Calmar, about seven 

 miles in breadth. The streets of this town are re- 

 gular, and cross each other at right angles ; and the 

 new town is large, though not very populous. It 

 is fortified with thick walls, built of pebble-stones 

 found in the sea, and by a few earthen ramparts, 

 supported by another wall, which the sea surrounds 

 on all sides except at the gate. The avenues are 

 either full of marshes, or are cut off by the sea, 

 which beats upon a rocky coast. A long mole, 

 built with stone, extends along the sea side, and is 

 defended by Fort Grimskar, erected on a rock about 

 fifty paces from the mole, and surrounded by the sea. 

 A garrison is constantly kept in this fort. On an 

 eminence behind the old town stands the castle, which 

 has the sea on one side, and on the other ramparts, 

 bastions, and ditches full of water. This building, 

 which has been erected at different times, is a mix- 

 ture of Grecian and Gothic architecture. The in- 

 scription " John III. 1568," is over one of the doors ; 

 but this must be the most modern part of the build- 

 ing, as the hall, 94 feet by 30, is still shown, in 

 which the deputies of Sweden, Denmark, and Nor- 

 way assembled, to choose their common sovereign. 

 The palace, which was formerly the residence of the 

 celebrated Margaret, is converted into a distillery. 

 Calmar once occupied a different spot from what it 

 does at present. In consequence of being burnt down 

 in 1647* it was built near to the Isle of Quaraholm. 

 The commerce of Calmar was formerly very consider- 

 able, but a great part of it has been transferred toStock- 

 holm. It exports annually about 20,000 planks, 

 560 tons of alum, and a great quantity of hemp and 

 tow. About 70 vessels from 100 to 300 tons are 

 employed in this trade. Drabs and several other 

 woollen stuffs are manufactured here. The town is 

 nearly a mile in circumference, and contains about 

 500 houses. East Long. 60 21' 45", North Lat. 

 56 40> 30". (*-) 



CALMINA. See CALAMO. 



CALMUC KS,OELOETS, or ELUTHS, supposed to 

 be the Hippophagi of Pliny, and other ancient histori- 

 ans, are a tribe of independent Tartars, and a branch of 

 those nomadizing barbarians, who, in the beginning 

 of the 13th century, under the name of Moguls, and 

 led on by Zengis Khan, subdued and desolated the 

 finest provinces of Asia. They are the only Tartar 

 nation that has retained the ancient language of the 

 Moguls in all its purity. They have also preserved 

 the manners, the dress, and the religion, which all 

 historians have attributed to these conquerors ; and 

 their Contaish, or Great Khan, claims the honour of 

 being the true descendant of the Great Zengis. The 



VOL. t. PART I. 



C A L 





appellation of Calmuck wag bestowed upon them by 

 t )u Mahometan Tartan, a* a term of reproach, on ( 

 account of their pagan worship; but they pretend 

 that thry have a b to the name of Mogul* 



than their neighbour* on the frontiers of China* now 

 known by the name of Mongales; and indeed the ter- 

 ritory of this people, in the beginning of the last 

 century, embraced the very Mates which Zengis left 

 as a patrimony to hit successors, and comprehends the 

 most considerable and richest part of Tartary. From 

 the river Jaick, or Ural, on the weit. thrir oowessions 

 extended along the southern bounderies or Siberia as 

 far as the river Selinga on the east, and skirting the 

 empire of China, they reached on the south towards 

 the confines of the kingdom of Ava. Turning then 

 to the north-west, they were bounded by the Mogul 

 empire, Great Bucharia, and Turkestan. These ex- 

 tensive territories, however, have been greatly cur- 

 tailed by the encroachments of the Russians and the 

 conquests of the Chinese. 



The Calmucks were driven from Thibet in 1720, 

 and about forty years after, Kiang Long extended 

 his dominions as far as the mountains ot Bclur; so 

 that such of the Calmucks as refused to submit to his 

 authority, were compelled to seek for new settle- 

 ments towards the west. Many of them dispersed 

 themselves in the interior parts of Asia, and among 

 the cities of the Usbeck Tartars ; others took refuge 

 in Russia : some thousands fled to Siberia ; but the 

 greatest number accommodated themselves to the 

 Chinese sovereignty. At present the most numerous 

 and powerful of the Calmuck hordes, according to 

 Grosier, inhabit the country lying between the Cas- 

 pian sea, Muscovy, Samarcand, and Cashgar. Others 

 also occupy, with their flocks and herds, both banks 

 of the Volga, between the Irghis and the Caspian, 

 and extend their excursions on both sides of the Doa 

 and the Ural. 



Before their subjugation and dispersion, the Cal- 

 mucks were divided into three principal branches, viz. 

 the Soongares, the Coschotes, and the Torgots. Of 

 these, the Soongares were the richest and most for- 

 midable, and were engaged in almost perpetual hosti- 

 lities with the Mongales and Chinese. They resided 

 about the Balkhash lake, and its rivers Tschuy and 

 Ily ; and held in tribute the Great Kirgusian horde, 

 and the towns of Little Bucharia. The Coschotes, 

 upon the conquest of Thibet, became subject to the 

 Chinese, and still continue under the protection of that 

 power, except a smaller part which had retired to the 

 Irtish, and fell under the dominion of the Soongares. 

 Those under the dominion of China are estimated at 

 50,000, and are said to have derived their name, 

 which implies warrior or hero, from the courage 

 which they displayed in the wars of Zengis. The 

 Torgots, who had separated from the Soongares, and 

 had formed themselves into a particular horde, settled 

 at an early period among the steppes on the Volga, 

 and received from the Russians the appellation of the 

 Volgaic Calmucks. But many of them being disgusted 

 by the interference of the Russian government re- 

 specting the authority of their taish, or chan, return- 

 ed in great numbers in 1770 and 1771, over the river 

 Ural on the ice, and across the Kirgusian steppes in* 



