NATIONS ADJACENT. i8i 



afterwards Airnamed The Greats and that ol Kang-hi. The po- 

 litic Rujjians had long been endeavoiing to make themfelves 

 in.ill:ers of the important navigation of the river Amur, which 

 in time might have given them the commap.d oi x.\\t Japcniefs 

 and Cblneje feas. This the Cbinefe forefaw, attacked and took a 

 fort called Albajin, built by the RuJJlans. They levelled it to the 

 ground, and carried the garrifon prifoners into China. This 

 brought on an embaiTy from the Riijp.ans. Gallozvln, governor 

 of Siberia-) was the embaiiador,. attended by a moll fplendid 

 train. So San, captain of the life guard and minifler of ftate, 

 and T'ong Jau-ye, maternal uncle to the emperor, were embaf- 

 fadors on the part of the Cbinefe, both men of the higheft rank, 

 and to them were added four others of the firft diftindlion. The 

 cunning of the Cbinefe was aflilled by the fubtlety of the Jefuits, 

 for Kang-bi added to the negotiators Father Gerbillon and Fa- 

 ther Pereyra. The Cbinefe minifters had a fuite fnferior indeed 

 in magnificence ; but what gave the greater weight to the ne- 

 gotiation wa , that the wife Kang-bi had added ten thoufand. - 

 men befides the efcort, and which were attended by a fleet of 

 feventy-llx veffels, each carrying a piece of artillery. The Ruf- 

 fians had fixed on Alb'ifin as the place for fettling the bufinefs; 

 but to their furprife, the Cbinefe appeared fuddenly before Nerl- 

 fJiinf., or, as they call it, Nf-cbu^ encampexl near the placCj 

 and the whole bufinefs was tranfaited under tents. All this gave 

 argument irrefiibble. The treaty was concluded. The Cbinefe 

 offered to fwear to the performance on the crucifix. Gallozvin. 

 chofe that they IhouLi fwear by their own gods ; and both 

 couched the facred appeal in thefe terms (imprecating the 



Divine; 



