CALMUCS CALONNE. 



817 



afterwards divided between two brothers of their 

 princely family. The costumes of the Calmucs vary 

 with the different tribes. The following cuts repre- 

 sent several of the more characteristic. Figs. 1 and 2 

 belong to the Calmucs in general ; fig. 3 is that of a 

 Calmuc prince ; and figs. 4, 5, and 6 more particu- 

 larly represent the Calmucs of the Wolga. 

 1. 



In the 17th century, and the beginning of the 18th, 

 the Soongar horde subjected a great part of the other 

 Calmuc tribes, especially the Khoschot, Derbet, and 

 Khoit, and carried on bloody wars, both with the 

 Mongols and with the Chinese empire, which ter- 

 minated in their entire subjugation and dispersion. 

 They were regarded as the bravest, richest, and most 

 powerful horde. The Derbet Calmucs, whose pas- 

 ture grounds were originally situated in the region of 

 the Koko-Noor, departed thence on account of the 

 Mongol disturbances towards the Irtish, and separ- 

 ated into two parties. One of them became united 

 with the Soongars, and was finally destroyed with 

 them. The other settled on the Ural, Don, and Wol- 

 ga, and the majority of them joined the Torgots, but 

 afterwards separated from them. The Torgot (Wol- 

 gaic) Calmucs seem to have been formed into a dis- 

 tinct horde, later than the other Calmuc branches. In 

 the very beginning, they separated from the restless 

 Soongars, and settled on the Wolga ; for which rea- 

 son, the Russians, to whom they submitted in 1616, 

 called them the IVolgaic Calmucs. But, the oppres- 

 sion of the Russian government having excited dis- 

 satisfaction among them, they returned to Soongary 

 in 1770, and put themselves under the Chinese pro- 

 tection. Here, however, strict measures were at first 

 adopted against them. All these different tribes were 

 formerly, or are at present, under the rule of their 

 own khans, who are tributary to the government un- 

 der which the horde lives. There is also a colony of 

 baptized Calmucs, to which the Russian government 

 has granted a fertile territory, with the city Stavropol, 

 in the Orenberg district of the government Ufa. This 

 colony has been much augmented of late. In the 

 same district, there is likewise a small colony of Mo- 

 hammedan Calmucs, formed of proselytes which the 

 Kirghises have made and received among themselves. 



CALNE, a town in Wiltshire, situated on the river 

 Marlow, 91 miles from London. The inhabitants are 

 chiefly occupied in the woollen trade. Population in 

 1831, 4,795. 



C.ALOiMEL. See Mercury. 



CALONNE, Charles Alexander de, a French states- 

 man, was born in 1734, at Douai, where his father 

 was first president of the parliament. He studied at 

 Paris, devoted himself to the duties of an advocate at 

 Artois, went as attorney-general (procureur general) 

 to the parliament of Douai, and was, in 1763, ap- 

 pointed maitre des reguetes, in 17G8, intendant of 

 Metz, and afterwards of Lille. This was his situation 

 on the death of Louis XV. The minister'Maurepas, 

 returning from a long exile, had placed successively 

 in the office of minister of finance, Tin-got and 

 Necker, Fleury, and Ormesson. In November, 

 1783, after the death of Maurepas, they were suc- 

 ceeded by C., who found the finances already in 

 disorder. At first, he followed the system of loans 

 which was begun before him ; though his first ope- 

 rations were calculated only for the moment, and 

 the national debt rested on no good security. As a 

 provision for the deficiencies, the only means was a 

 new system of taxation, and C. proposed it. To 

 secure countenance for levying heavy taxes, he 

 suggested calling an assembly of the notables, 

 chosen from the most respectable members of the 

 two first orders, the magistrates and the heads of 

 the most important municipalities. On the 22d of 

 February, 1787, the notables held their first session 

 at Versailles. The report of the minister of finance 

 was impatiently expected. He delivered it with all 

 the abiKty of which he was capable ; but this could 

 not diminish the ill impression of his explanations. 

 The deficit of 115 millions was greater than had been 

 feared. C. traced the origin ot this from the admin- 

 istration of Terray ; asserted that it amounted then to 



