NATIONSADJACENT. 185 



north were produdtive of the richeft fables and other furs, and 

 inhabited by a hardy race of hunters. Had the RuJJians rendered 

 themfelves mafters of the Amur., even Katberine, the moderate, 

 might have made the Cbinefe tremble for the fate of Peking 

 itfelf. 



The Cbinefe had feveral places on the Argun of fome im- Aigun, 

 portance, fuch as Aigun^ or, as it is called by them, Sachalin 

 ula Choton, near the junction of the Seja v/ith that great river, 

 a fort from which they detached their fleets againft the Ruf- 

 fian encroachments. Tondon is another town, in Lat. 50°, where 

 the cold begins with great feverity as early as the beginning of 

 September ; later in the year the greateft rivers are frozen over. 

 Tigers inhabit even thefe high Latitudes. This country was 

 vifited and furveyed by fome of the miffionarie?, by order of 

 Kang-hi. Whoever wiflies to gratify his curiofity farther, may 

 confult Du Halde, vol. ii. p. 245, and the following pages. 



The country is full of forefts ; the millionaries were nine 

 <Jays in paffing through one. They obferved that the inha- 

 bitants of Ufuni made ufe of fledges drawn by dogs, and perfons 

 of rank have fometimes a hundred to relieve each other on long 

 journies on the fnows or frozen rivers. The river oiUfuri*^ 

 which rifijs far to the fouth, and falls into the Amur., abounds 

 with fiiii, moilly of fpecies common to Europe. Thefe ferve 

 the Tpi Tartars for food and raiment. They are very inge- Yn Tartars. 

 nious in dreffing the fkins, which they dye of various colors, 

 cut them into fhape, and few them fo neatly that they ap- 

 pear like filk. Sturgeons fwarm in thefe waters. The native 



* Du Halde^ vol. ii- map the fixth. 



Vol. III. B b Tartars 



