i i CHINESE T ART ARY. 



Chinese empire from Balk and Great Bucharia, and the Calmucs sub- 

 ject to China from the Kirguses of Independent Tartary. 



Lakes. ...There are several lakes in this country : among which are 

 those of Balkash or Tengish, and Zaizan,each about one hundred and 

 fifty miles in length ; as also Kokonor, or the Blue Lake, which has 

 given its name to a tribe of Mogul Tartars. 



RivERS....The principal of these is the Amur; called by the Tar- 

 tars Sagalian Oula, or River Sagalian, probably because it falls into 

 the Eastern Ocean opposite the island Sagalian. It is also called, 

 Bear its source, the Kerlon, and the Argoon ; it is a very large river ; 

 the length of its course being above one thousand eight hundred 

 miles. The other rivers are the Songari, the Nonni, the Yarkand, 

 and the Hi, which latter falls into the lake of Balkash. 



Climate, soil, PRosucE.-.The great elevation of this country ren- 

 ders the climate much colder than in others under the same parallel: 

 sven in summer it freezes so hard as to produce ice of considerable 

 thickness, which is caused as much by the north-east wind blowing 

 continually over this vast plain, but little sheltered with trees, as by 

 the prodigious quantities of saltpetre which impregnate the earth at 

 the depth of four or five feet J and it is not uncommon to dig up clods 

 of frozen turf and heaps of icicles. The trees are neither numerous 

 nor well grown, but there are some forests. Here are immense tracts 

 of pasturage ; and the soil, were it cultivated, would no doubt be 

 found sufficiently productive of most kinds of grain ; agriculture, 

 however, is not entirely neglected by the Southern Manchews, who 

 raise some wheat. 



Animals. ...Among the various animals of this country, the most 

 remarkable are the wild horses, and wild asses, which are very nu- 

 merous here. The horses and cattle are in great plenty, and sold at 

 low prices. The bos grunniens of Linnaeus, or grunting ox, which in- 

 habits Tartary and Tibet, has a tail of uncommon beauty, full and flow- 

 ing, of a glossy and silky texture. These tails are a considerable ar- 

 ticle of exportation from Tibet : the Indians fasten small bundles of 

 the hair to a handle, which they use for fly-flaps ; the Chinese dye 

 tufts of it with a beautiful scarlet, to decorate their caps ; and the 

 Turks employ it as ornaments to their standards, by some erroneously 

 called horse-tails. 



Inhabitants, manners, customs. ...The Mogul Tartars are in their 

 persons generally short and stout; with broad faces, flat noses, small 

 oblique eyes, thick lips, and a scanty beard, as they continually thin 

 it by plucking out the hairs by the roots. Their ears are very large 

 and prominent, their hair black, and their complexion of a reddish or 

 yellowish brown ; but that of the women is fair, and of a healthy rud- 

 diness ; they are extremely quick of sight and apprehension, are na- 

 turally easy and cheerful, and scarcely ever experience either care or 

 melancholy. They are very hospitable to each other, and likewise to 

 strangers who put themselves under their protection. Their dress con- 

 sists of a flat yellow bonnet, the whole head being shaven except one 

 lock of hair ; wide trowsers ; a vest of light stuff, with narrow sleeves ; 

 and a girdle which supports the sabre, knife, and implements for 

 smoking tobacco : the outer garment is of cloth, with wide sleeves, 

 and linen is wound about the feet, over which are drawn buskins of 

 leather, generally black or yellow ; shirts are unknown. The dress of 

 the women is the same with that of the men, only that, instead of the 

 outer garment, they wear a gown without sleeves. They have gene- 

 rally long hair, which they plait in tresses. 



