744 



BUCHAREST BUCK ARIA. 



244 students. It lias declined since the present hos- 

 jxxlar Ghika, a unlive of Waladiia, took possession of 

 its funds in 1825. The trade in wine, skins, and 

 other products of the country, is very brisk. May 

 28, 1812, a peace was concluded here between Russia 

 and the Porte. 



Bucharest, Peace of, May 28, 1812, between Rus- 

 sia and the Porte. In November, 1806, the emperor 

 Alexander took up arms for the protection of Molda- 

 via iiiui \\ alacliia. ami on account of the violation of 

 the free navigation of the Hosphorus. He occupied 

 Moldavia, UJHHI which the Porte declared war against 

 Russia, Jan. 7, 1807. An armistice, however, was 

 agreed upon at Slobosia, Aug. 24, 1807, in conse- 

 quence of the jieace of Tilsit, oy which the Russians 

 evacuated the principality. After the expiration of 

 the mice, in April, 1808, it was tacitly continued ; but 

 when Napoleon, in the congress at Erfurt, had agreed 

 to the union of the two principalities with Russia, the 

 Russian court opened a congress, to deliberate upon 

 peace at Jassy, in Feb., 1809, and demanded the ces- 

 sion of both principalities by the Turks, and the re- 

 moval of the British ambassador from Constantinople. 

 Upon this, the Porte broke off the negotiations, and 

 in April, 1809, the war was renewed. The Russians 

 advanced to Bulgaria, and, after two bloody cam- 

 pnigns. remained masters of the Danube. The Porte 

 now offered terms of peace, A congress was opened 

 at B. in Dec., 1811. Napoleon soon after turned his 

 arms against Russia, and concluded an alliance with 

 Austria, March 14, 1812, by which both powers gua- 

 ranteed the integrity of the Porte. He also did all in 

 his power to induce the Porte to continue the war. 

 But the interposition of Great Britain and Sweden, as 

 well as the concessions of Russia, and the distrust of 

 the Porte towards Napoleon, brought to a conclusion 

 the peace of B., which was signed, on the part of the 

 Russians, by Andri Italinski, Sabanejeff, and Jos. Fon- 

 ton, May 28. The Porte gave up to Russia all Bes- 

 sarabia and a third of Moldavia, with the fortresses of 

 Choczim, Bender, Ismail, and Kilia, so that the Pruth, 

 as far as to its confluence with the Danube, became 

 the boundary between the two powers, and from 

 thence the left bank of the Danube as far as Kilia, 

 and even to its entrance into the Black sea. The 

 Russians gave back the remainder of their conquests. 

 In Asia, the boundaries were established as before the 

 war. The Porte granted the Servians, who had 

 fought for their independence as allies of the Russi- 

 ans, a full amnesty, with the right of administering 

 their internal aflairs themselves, and of raising, in the 

 way which they should judge best, the small tax 

 which the Porte imposed upon them. The Servians, 

 however, would not accept these conditions, and con. 

 tinued the contest, but were soon overpowered by the 

 Turks. 



BCCHARIA, GREAT ; a country of Central Asia, lying 

 between the parallels of 35 and 44 N. lat., and from 

 GO" to 72 E. Ion. It comprehends the three provinces 

 of Bucharia Proper, Samaracand, and Balkh, corres- 

 ponding to the country of the nomade Scythians, Sog- 

 diana, and Bactriana of ancient geography. It forms 

 the south-eastern part of Tartary, and, being occupied 

 chiefly by the Usbeck Tartars (q. v.), is sometimes 

 called Usbeckistan. The original inhabitants, or 

 TaujiAs, a Persian colony, are handsomer than the 

 Tartars, and still speak the Persian language. They 

 live in cities, and carry on a trade with Russia, China, 

 Hindostan, and Persia. There are also many Jews in 

 the country. The rivers are the Gihon or Oxus, the 

 Sir, or Jaxartes, and the Sogd. The Bucharians or 

 Taujiks lead a frugal life, their food consisting chiefly 

 of rice, wheat, millet, and, above all, fruits, such as 

 melons, grapes, and apples : they are fond of horse- 

 flesh, but it is expensive, and beef is more used. 



Tea and wine, the former flavoured with anise, are 

 their principal drink: they intoxicate themselves wiin 

 opium, and their bread is not fermented. Besides 

 these articles, which, except tea, are produced in the 

 country, the principal vegetable productions are the 

 Judus tree, the rhubarb, assafoetida, c. B. is sup- 

 posed to be the native country of the camel, and a 

 large shaggy variety, called Ink, has the peculiarity 

 of blowing a large bladder from its mouth when it 

 litters a cry. Other varieties of the camel and drome- 

 daries, fine horses, and asses, of various sorts, abound. 

 Sheep and cows are scarce. Several rare birds are 

 found here, particularly the tetrao paradoxus. This 

 bird resembles the partridge of the desert, except in 

 the structure of its feet, which consist of one large toe, 

 placed between two diminutive ones, resting on a 

 hard sole, and enabling it to run with great speed 

 over the dry, gritty sand. The province of Balkh, 

 which is described by geographers as forming a part 

 of B., lies on the south of the Oxus, and belongs, at 

 present to the Afghans. The two provinces on the 

 north of that river form the Transoxana, famous in 

 Arabian and Tartar history, under the Arabian name 

 Maweralnahr (beyond the river), where Timur receiv- 

 ed the homage of so many conquered princes. His 

 descendants were driven out by the Tartars in the 

 15th century. The government, as in other Moham- 

 medan states, is despotic. The population, extent, and 

 revenue of the state have not been ascertained. 

 (Eversmann's Reise nach Buchara, Berlin, 1823; El- 

 phinstone's Caubul; Meyendorf 's Journal (in French,), 

 Paris, 1826.) Bucharia, or Bochara, a large and po- 

 pulous city, has often disputed with Samarcand the, 

 title of capital. Its population has been stated at 

 from 100,000 to 200,000. The streets are so narrow, 

 that a loaded camel fills the space from side to side. 

 The houses are low, and built of mud and brick. 

 The number of mosques is said to be 360, and that of 

 medreses, or schools, 285. It has always been dis- 

 tinguished for the study of theology and Mohamme- 

 dan law. B. is the commercial emporium of Central 

 Asia for the Hindoos, Afghans, Persians, Russians, 

 Chinese, and Arabians. The trade is carried on by 

 caravans, and there are ten large caravansaries in the 

 city. The caravans bring Russian and English manu- 

 factures from the Russian towns, and return silk, 

 wool, Cashmere shawls, indigo, &c. About 500 

 camels bring silk and woollen cloths, shawls, &c., from 

 Meschid and Herat, and Russian manufactures are 

 carried back in return. China ware and tea from 

 Cashgar, and shawls, calicoes, muslins from Caubul 

 and Cashmere, are the other principal articles of im- 

 port. A description of the city is contained in the 

 work of Meyendorf, above referred to, who was at- 

 tached to the Russian mission to B. in 1820. 



Bucharia, Little, as it is improperly called, lies east 

 of Great Bucharia, stretching from 73 to 100 E. Ion., 

 and from 38 to 44 N. lat. It is very imperfectly 

 known, but appears to be bounded on the north and 

 east by the Calmuck country, on the south by Thibet, 

 and on the west is separated from Great Bucharia by 

 the Beloor mountains. It is a very elevated country, 

 forming a portion of the great central plateau of A sia, 

 which constitutes a sixth part of the old continent, yd 

 shrouds from the curious philosopher its mineral, ani- 

 mal, and vegetable production. The climate is very 

 rigorous, owing to the great elevation of the country. 

 It was overrun, in 1683, by the Calmucks, who were 

 subdued by the Chinese in 1759. Little is known of 

 the origin and manners of the native inhabitants, who 

 still form the principal part of the population. The 

 divisions into provinces are very differently stated by 

 different authors. Cashgar, with a town of the same 

 name, Yarkand, also with a town of the same name, 

 which, by some, is thought to be the capital of Little 



