By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 171 



by the Calmuc Tartars, and which from time to time have been 

 plundered by the wandering hordes of that people, and their sepul- 

 chral character fully proved.^ We learn from M. de Stehlin, 

 Secretary of the Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburgh, that these 

 Bougres or barrows are not found beyond the latitude of 58°, but 

 only in the Southern parts of Siberia, and that they are generally 

 constructed of earth, thrown up in the form of a cone, but flat on 

 the summit. They are of all dimensions ; the circumferences of 

 some are of 30 Russian toises, others 50, 100, or even 500 toises : 

 their altitudes are also various, some of 5, 6, 12, 20, or even 30 

 Russian toises, each toise measuring seven English feet. In all 

 that have been opened, decayed or burnt human bones were inva- 

 riably found ; but about one hundred years since a thorough 

 examination of the largest of all was made ; the oflBcer in charge 

 of the excavations supposing that the barrow of largest dimensions 

 most probably contained the ashes of the prince or chief: nor was 

 he mistaken : for after removing a very deep covering of earth 

 and stones, the workmen came to three vaults, constructed of stone 

 of rude workmanship ; the central one which was the largest, contain- 

 ing the remains of the prince with his spear, sword, bow and quiver : 

 a smaller one to the East, containing the remains of the princess, 

 distinguished by her female ornaments, chains, and bracelets ; and 

 that to the West, the skeleton of the chieftain's horse, with bridle, 

 saddle and stirrups. Many more of the larger tumuli were opened, 

 and many curious articles found with the human remains : but the 

 above, as the largest, was the most remarkable : the position of the 

 bodies was always found to be the same; they were laid with 

 the head to the East or S.E.^ 



And now we come to the Steppes of Issim ; and near the river 



' See Strahlenberg's History of Russia and Tartary, pp. 4, 325, 330. Also 

 Bell's Journey from Petersburgh to Pekin, vol. i., p. 209, and Archaeologia, 

 vol. ii., 33, page 222 — 235. Some account of Tartarian Antiquities, in a letter 

 from Paul Demidoff, Esc[., at Petersburgh to Mr. Peter Collinson, September 17, 

 1764. 



^ Archaeologia, vol. ii., p. 222 et seq : also p. 263 et seq : containing Governor 

 Pownall's account of the same. See also some description of the Scythian or Tar- 

 tarean barrows and the finding of human bones therein, in " Lost Solar System 

 of the Ancients discovered," vol. ii., p. 246. 



