BUG 



the extfnfive and fertile country of Bucliaria feems to liave 



b'.-cii divided i'.itofevei-al governments, under nunuroiis Khans. 

 All the great towns, both of Great and Little Bucliaria, 

 froai the borders of Kliarafni as far 33 China, are inhabited by 

 tl'.e Bnkhars, or del'cendants of the ancient iJoffefTors, ealhd 

 [iy the Tartars, Tadjiks, l^hcfearc well made and very fair, 

 allowar.ce being made for the climate ; they have generally 

 larcje, black, a)id lively eyes ; their countenances are open, 

 tlu ir nofes aquiline, theirhair black, and tlicir beards bufliy. 

 'I'he women are generally tall, and \vtll-(]iaped, with fine 

 conipl'. xions, and very beautiful features. Both nv n and 

 women wear calico flnfts and drawers ; over which ihe nun 

 wear a veil of qinlted iilk, or calico, reacliing to the mid-leg, 

 and tied about the middle with a lilk-ciape girdle or falli. 

 In winter they are covered with a long cloth gown, faced and 

 liu'd with fur. The head is co ered with a round cloth 

 bonnet, having a large fur border; and fonie wear turbans. 

 Their boots refenible the Perfian buflcins, and they poifcfs a 

 Angular art of preparing horfe-hides for t! is ufe. The 

 women wear long gowns that are fnll and loofe ; their hair 

 hangs in trcITeS, and is adorned with pearls and other jewels. 

 Tlieir bonnets are finall, flat, and coloured. The Bucharians 

 are a commercial people; and their caravans travel through 

 the whole continent of Afia, and traffic with Ruflia, Thibet, 

 China, India, and Perfia. Ruffia contains feveral colonies of 

 Bucharians, who are fettled in many large towns of the 

 fouthern provinces, and maintain a conftant communication 

 with the merchants of their own country. The»r principal 

 marts are Tonifl<, Kiacla, and Orenburg, which is the moil 

 confitlerable. Their caravans are expofed to pillage from 

 the Kirgufe Tartars, through whofe country they are obliged 

 to pafs. Their exports are gold and filver, chiefly in Perfian 

 coins and Indian rupees, gold-duft found in the fand of the 

 rivers of Bucharia, precious Rones, particularly rubies, lapis 

 lazuli, fpun and raw cotton, cotton Ruffs in great abundance, 

 both Indian and Bncharian, half-filks, unprepared nitre, 

 native fal-ammoniac, lamb-flcins, raw filk in fmall quantities, 

 rhubarb, and large droves of flieep and horfes, wliich arc 

 bought for fale by the Kirghufe Tartars. Pallas fays, that 

 above 6o,coo Iheep and io,coo horfes are yearly fold at 

 Orenburg. The Bucharians receive in return cloth, leather, 

 beads, and trinkets, hardware, indigo, cochineal, S:c. The 

 Bucharians never bear arms ; but on this account tliey are 

 deipiled by the Tartais, as a cowardly and weak people. 

 The Jagatay Tartars, who are the defcendants of the Tar- 

 tars who lirll poffeffed this region, are now compriftd under 

 the general name of Uft>eks. The LiRieks are commonly 

 reputed the moR civilized of all the Mohammedan Tartars, 

 although, like the rell, they arc great robbers. Both men 

 and women are clothed, like the Perfians, as low as their 

 boots ; and the chiefs wear plumes of wh.ite heron feathers 

 on their turbans. Their moR delicious diflies confiR of 

 " pilla.v," which is rice Rewed in broth, and horfe-flclh. 

 Their common drink is kumifs and arak, both made of 

 mare's milk. Their language is a mixture of the Turkilh, 

 Perfian, and Mongolim tongues. Their arms coiifiR of the 

 fabre, dart, lance, and bow, of a larger lize than ordinary, 

 which they manage with much Rrength and dexterity. For 

 fome time paR they have ufed mnikets. When they go to 

 war, many of their cavalry wear coais of mail, and a little 

 buckler for defence. They value themfelves on being the 

 moft robuR and valiant of all the Tartars ; and even their 

 women, who lurpafs the other 'J'artars in beauty, are not 

 averfe from warfare, but will fometimes attend their liuRiands 

 to tlie field. Although many of thefe inhabitants of Bu- 

 charia refide io huts in the lummer, yet in winter they in- 

 Jiabit the towns and villages. The religion of the Ufbeks 



B U C 



and Bucharians is tli« MaJiometan of the Sonni feQ ; ard 

 the government of the Khans is dcfpotic. The amounl t{ 

 their popul.ition is not precifely afcertained ; but it is jjro- 

 bable that upon an emergency an army of loo.oco men 

 might be mnftered. We liave no accurate ftatement of the 

 revenue of thefe fertile provinces ; but it is not improbable 

 that the revenue of Great Bucharia is at leaR equal to that 

 of Khorafan, which, by Mr. Hanway's r.ccount, is eqnal to 

 half a million ilerlir.g annually. The climate in general 

 appears to be excellent ; the heat even of the foiitliein pro- 

 vinces being tempered by the high mountains capped wiiH 

 peipetual fnow ; and the proximity of the Sibeiian defcrta 

 and the lolty Alps, renders the fun much more tempciatc 

 than that of other countries, fuch as Spain, Greece, and 

 Afiatic Tuikey in the f.ime parallel. Tlic face of the 

 country prelenta a great variety ; but though there are 

 numerous rivers, hills, and mountains, there fccnis to be a 

 deficiency of wood. Near the rivers the foil is proiludtive, 

 fo that the grafs feimetimes exceeds a man's height ; and in 

 fome parts confiderable induRry is flicwn in the cultivation of 

 rice and other grain. In the haiids of any other perfons be- 

 fides thefe of the Tartars, this country might rival any- 

 European region. There is not a more floui ifliing or a more 

 delightful country, fays a famotis Arabian geographer, than 

 this, efpecially the diRrid of Bokhara. From the ancient 

 caRle of this city a fcene of luxuriant and beautiful verduie 

 prefents itfelf c-n every fide of the country ; fo that tlie 

 fpeclator would imagine the green of the earth aiid the azure 

 of the heavens were united ; and as there arc green fields in 

 every quarter, fo there are villas inteifperfed among the 

 green fields. In all Khorafan a d Maweralnahar there are not 

 any people more long-lived than thofe of Bokhara. The 

 rivers and lakes of this country are numerous and confiderable 

 in fizc ; and its mountains are lofty and extcnfive. For the 

 principal rivers, fee Am t', SocD, Morgab, Kisile-Daria» 

 Dehash, &c. ; and for the principal range of mountains, 

 fee Belur. 



The cities in Great Bucharia generally give name to the 

 provinces, or receive their appellation from them. In the 

 north is the province of Fergana, the capital of which is 

 Andeg?n. The other chief provinces are the weRtrn part 

 of Shafli, and a diRiiift called by M. d'Anville Ofuiflma, 

 from a town of the fame name, and by Ebn Haukal, Sc- 

 truflitah. The moR fertile province is Sogd ; and next to 

 this are Vafli, Kotlan, and Kilan. The Alpine region that 

 fepaiates this country from Little Bueharia, is Belur ; and 

 the moR fouthern provinces aie Tokareflan and Gaur. 

 The chief city of Great Bucharia is Samarcand, and vying 

 with this for dignity is Bokhara. Sie each of thefe articles 

 rcfpcftivcly. Sec alfo Palk, Zciuf, Badakshan, Ter.meb, 

 Sec. 



Bucharia, LitlU, is fo called, not becaufe it is more 

 limited in extent than Great Bucharia, being in reality much 

 larger ; but bccanle it is inferior to it as to the number and 

 importance of its cities, the quality of its fiiil, and the 

 amount of its populatior\ This country correfpondu to 

 the " Scythia extra Imaum" of the ancients, and to the 

 " Serica" of Ptolemy, The Scythians beyond the Imaus 

 are def:ribed by this geographer as rcRrldled to a confined 

 Rrip of tenitoiy o\\ the euRern fide of the Imaus, and 

 divided by an imaginary line from the Seres, who were 

 undoubtedly the people of Little Bitcharia. But i-s 

 ancient knowledge here terminated, it is probable that 

 the Scythians beyond the Imaus not only held the eaf- 

 tern ridges of thefe mountains, as a barbarous race con- 

 tinues to do without moleRing the induRiy of the d'R.Tnt 

 plains, but that ihey were diffufed along the ridge of 

 3 M r. Alak, 



