NATIONS ADJACEN T. 175 



fevere penalties, but much of it is procured, either by concealing 

 it mixed with roots of inferior quality, or by a contraband trade. 

 The Rujfian government is very attentive to the bufinefs, and 

 appoints at Kiachta perfons to infpeeT: the drug, and to rejedt all 

 that is bad. 



All this extenfive tradl has a moft elevated fituation, giving Elevated 

 rife to numbers of great rivers, which, running fouthward, water ^°"''^''''' 

 the feveral parts of India, both intra and extra Gangem : the 

 Ganges itfelf is one : the Burrampooter, or Xfampoo of the Cbinefe, 

 another, with the various contributary ftreams that fall into 

 thofe amazing rivers : the river of Artakan may be added to the 

 lift ; as to thofe of Ava, Pegu, Siam, and Cajnbodia, each of them 

 originate in the fouth of China. The elevated plains of this part 

 of Afia did not efcape the notice of Marco Polo, for he mentions 

 his journey of twelve days over one called Pajner-'; and afferts 

 that he found on thofe heights the fire to burn with difficulty, 

 by reafon of the exceffive cold and rarefaction of the air. 

 Thefe plains are on the north of CaJJjgur, and to the weft of 

 Little Bucbaria. 



The immenfe deferts of Gobi, or as the Cbinefe call them, d^sehts of 

 Shamo and Hankai, are dreadful boundaries to the north and north- ^"^•''°' 

 weft of the Cbinefe dominions. They confift of fands that move 

 with the winds like the current of a river. Nature has formed 

 three pa^igesacrofs them, by means of three chains of mountains, 

 which run from the great Tartary, and are mixed with pleafant 

 vallies amidft thefe oceans of fand. Travellers who take any 

 other courfe are liable to be overwhelmed with the torrents of 



* Bergeron, p. 31. 



fandj 



