176 SKELETON. 



mained more unmixed in all that tract of country, extending 

 from the mouth of the Danube, to beyond the Irtisch, from 

 which they so long threatened Russia, and where they have at 

 last been subdued by her. The Mongolians, however, in their 

 conquests have blended their blood with these people, and many 

 traces of this intermixture are discovered, principally among 

 the Western Tartars." 



" The Mongolian race commences to the east of this Tartar 

 branch of the Caucasian, and prevails thence to the Eastern 

 Ocean. Its branches, the Calmucks and Halkas, still nomadic 

 or unsettled, occupy the Great Desert. Thence have their an- 

 cestors, under Attila, under Genghis, and under Tamerlane, 

 spread far and wide the terror of their name. The Chinese 

 come from this race, and are not only the most anciently 

 civilized of it, but, indeed, of any nation yet known. A third 

 branch, (the Montchoux) has recently conquered China, and 

 continues to govern it. The Japanese and Coreans, and al- 

 most all the hordes which extend to the north-east of Siberia, 

 under the domination of Russia, belong also to it in a great 

 measure. If we except a few Chinese literati, the whole Mon- 

 golian race is universally addicted to the different sects of the 

 worship of Fo. 



" The origin of this great race appears to have been in the 

 Altay Mountains,* as ours was in the Caucasian; but it is impos- 

 sible to follow so well the clue of its different branches. The 

 history of these wandering people, is as fugitive as their establish- 

 ments; and the records of the Chinese, from being confined to 

 their own empire, afford us but short and vague accounts of their 

 neighbouring nations. The affinities of their languages are also 

 but too little known to guide through this labyrinth. 



te The languages of the north of the peninsula beyond the 

 Ganges, and also that of Thibet, bear some affinity to the Chinese, 

 at least, in their monosyllabic nature, and the people who speak 

 them are not without traits of resemblance to the other Mongo- 

 lian nations; but the south of this peninsula is inhabited by the 

 Malays, a much handsomer people, whose race and language arc 

 spread over the coasts of all the islands of the Indian Archipe- 



* A range in the north of Asia, about 5000 miles long.. 



