ifi4 



CHINA. 



by the junaion of the Onoa and the Scbilkay to the. weft oi Nert- 

 pyinjk. From thence it flows eafteiiy, takes a vaft bend fouthernly, 

 and then returns to the north-eaft, and falls through a mouth 

 four or five leagues wide into the lower part of the Tea of 

 Ocbotzk^ oppofite to the great ifland Sacbalin, in Lat. 53^ The 

 Tartars call the river Sachalhi ida, or the black riv.er ; the Cbi~ 

 nefey Helong Kiang, or the river of the black dragon ; and the 

 Ruffians, the Jmur. It was firft known to them in 1639, by 

 means of fome Cofacks, fent on an expedition towards the river 

 IVitim. According to Bu Halde'^^', it is navigable for large barks 

 for the fpace of five hundred leagues. 



The Rtiffians were charmed with the difcovery of a river 

 which report made to fling up gold and filver ; and its neigh- 

 borhood to abound with the moft pretious fables, cattle, fruit, 

 and grain ; and its inhabitants to be clad in nothing but damaflc 

 and gold brocades : in fliort, it was reprefented as a land of Ca^' 

 naan. The Ruffian colonifts of the neighboring places migrated 

 thither in crowds, and depopulated their former country. They 

 Fort Albusin, founded a fort in Lat. 53', which they called Albafitiy the Chineje, 

 Jakfa, from the river near which it was feated. The CbineJ'e 

 burnt it in 1680 ; but it was refounded, and at length ftrongly 

 garrifoned, till it gave fuch ferious caufe of jealoufy to that na- 

 tion as to bring on the treaty which occafioned its total demoli- 

 tion. It is no wonder that they were alarmed : the borders of 

 the river were remarkably fertile, had numbers of large cities, 

 and a moft populous territory ; befides, the mountains to the 



• Vol. ii. p 311. 



north 



