93® E. YsB RANTS 
bles, Pewter, Copper Bafons, red Hamburg Cloths, Ot- 
ters-Skins, Perfian fhaggy Silk of all Colours, and Gold 
and Silver Bullion : In which Commodities the Price 
of an Ox that weighs from 800 to 1000 German Pound 
Weight, is not above four or five Rubels, and a Camel 
is not valued at more than ten or twelve Rubles. Both 
the Men and Women of this Country are robuft, large, 
and according as Beauty goes here, have handfome Fa- 
ces, being a little like thtChinefe Tartars. In the Win- 
ter both Sexes wear long Coats made of Sheeps-fkins, 
with a broad Girdle tipped with Iron. They have a 
Sort of Caps that they Cd\\ Malachaves^ which they 
can draw over their Ears in cold Weather. In Sum- 
mer feveral of them wear Coats of flight red Cloth. 
Comparatively fpeaking, their Faces and their Bodies 
look like young Devils, by Reafon that they know, or 
at leaft praftife Nothing of Walliing at any other 
Time than when they are born ; nor ever cut the Nails 
of either their Hands or their Feet. 
The Virgins whole Head of Hair flicking faft toge- 
ther in Plaits, ftands on End, and makes them look 
juft as Envy is reprefented by the Painters. The 
Women have only two Plaits which hang down 
on each Side of their Heads, adorned with all Sorts of 
Tin Figures. When any of them die they are buried 
with their beft adorned Cloaths, Bows and Arrows. 
Their Religion confifts in the worfliipping dead Bucks 
and Sheep, which are fpitted upon the Poles before 
their Doors, at feveral Times in the Year, as long as 
they continue unputrified. Their Adoration of them is 
performed by bowing the Head, whilft they fit on their 
Knees with clafped Hands, without either Prayers or fo 
much as fpeaking one Word. This is the only divine 
Service that they are acquainted with, nor will they ever 
hear of any other * They have indeed feveral Priefts, 
which when they think fit, they kill firft, and after- 
wards bury them, together with Cloaths and Money, al- 
ledging, that it is neceffary to fend them before to pray 
for them, and that left they fhould be driven to Necef- 
fity, they ought to have Money to fpend, and Cloaths 
to wear. 
If they are obliged to the taking of any Oath amongft 
themfelves, they go to the Lake Baikol., near which is a 
Hill that they efteem Sacred, to which they can ride 
in two Days. Upon this high Mountain they take their 
Oath, and firmly believe the falfe Swearer fliall never 
come down alive. To this Hill they frequently offer 
up all Sorts of flaughtered Cattle, and have paid a Ve- 
neration to it for many Years. But upon what Tradi- 
tion this Reverence is built is not known. 
17. In this Neighbourhood Mujk-Cais are alfo found, 
which are fhaped more like a Goat. This Animal is 
almoft like a young Buck, without Horns, with this 
Difference, that its Hair is a little black, and the Head 
inclines more towards that of a Wolf. The Musk is 
contained in a certain Swelling at the Navel, like a lit- 
tle Purfe, which is compofed of a thin Skin, covered 
with a very fine Hair. The Chinefe call this Animal 
Tehiam^ which is Mujk-Hart^ by Reafon of its Like- 
nefs to a Stag j but befides the Diflimilitude of the 
Head, it hath alfo two Tufks like thofe of a wild Boar, 
which flick out of its Mouth. 
Phllif Martinus., in his Chinefe Atlas, reports, that 
this Animal is chiefly found near the City of Leao, in 
the Province of Xanxi ; as alfo in that of Xenxi, and 
more efpecially in that of Hanchungfu ^ and that there 
are alfo fome in the Province of Suchuen, the fecond Di- 
vifionof Paoningfu, about the City of Kiating, near the 
fixth fortified City Tienciven j in feveral Parts of the 
Province Junnan, and feveral othet Places Weftward. 
He further gives us the following Defeription, which 
may contribute to the Satisfaction of the curious Rea- 
der. The Musk Cat, faith he, is almoft like a young 
“ Hart or Doe, only that he is fomewhat browner, 
“ and fo flow and unaflive, that the Hunter’s greateft 
Difficulty is to put him up ; for that once done, he 
is immediately ffiot, lor he fuffereth himfelf tamely to 
be killed, without either defending himfelf or ftirring. 
The Musk of which there are various Sorts of diffe- 
rent Value, is prepared from this Beaft in the fol- 
V lowing Manner % 
I D E s’j Travels Book III. 
“ After he is taken, all his Blood Is drawn off and 
referved 5 and from under his Navel is taken off 
“ a Bladder, that is filled with Blood, or fome other 
“ odoriferous Liquor there concreted *, after which the 
“ Animal is flea’d and cut to Pieces. 
“ When the Chinefe defign to make the beft Sort, 
“ they take the hinder Parc of the Animal, beginning 
“ from the Kidneys, which they ftarap and bruife to a 
“ Jelly, which they dry, and therewith fill the fmall 
“ Bags, which they make of the Skin of the Beaft. 
“ But if they defire a flighter Sort of Musk, which 
“ fhould yet be very good, and not at all fophifticated, 
“ they then beat all the Parts of the Animal together, 
“ without any Diftindion, to a Jelly, with a little of 
“ his Blood, in a Mortar, with which, as before, they 
“ fill up the Bags made of the Hide. 
“ Befides thefe two, there is another Sort of Musk, 
“ which is alfo highly valued, chough not fo good as 
“ the precedent. This is prepared from the Fore- pare 
“ of the Animal to the Kidneys, which they parcicu- 
“ larly lay by the reft of his Body in order to make the 
“ common Musk ; fo that none of this Creature is 
“ thrown away, but all Parts of it are good ; whence 
“ it is faid to be better dead than alive.** Thus far 
Martinius ; but whether thefe Barbarians make the 
fame Ufe of the Musk-Cat as the Chinefe, is not cer- 
tainly known. 
After travelling fome Days amongft this Nation, I 
arrived at Jehufkoi, a City fituate on the River Angara, 
the Courfe of which is from the North to the South, 
but its original Source is the Baikol-Meer, about eight 
Miles diftant from this Place. This City not long fince 
was rebuilt and ftrengthned with very ftrong Fortifica- 
tions. The Suburbs are very large : All Sorts of Grain, 
Salt, Fleffi, and Fifti are very cheap here, a hundred 
Pound (German Weight) of Rye not yielding above 
feven Kopties or Styvers for round about this City, 
and to Wergolenjko, fome Miles diftant from thence, the 
Land is very fruitful, and Corn grows in great Abun- 
dance ; befides great Numbers of Ruffians have fettled 
here, and taken up fome hundreds of Villages, all 
which with great Induftry and Succefs promote Agri- 
culture. 
Oppofite to the City on the Eaft-fide is a Burning- 
Cave, v/hich for feveral Years burnt very violently, but 
now feems extinft, very little or no Smoak iffuing out at 
prefent. It is a large Cleft in the Earth, whence the 
Flame formerly afeended vehemently, which now 
ceafes ; but if a long Pole be put into it, it feels 
very warm. 
Over againft this City, where the River Jekut falls 
into the Angara and fo runs to the Meer, is a very fine 
Cloyfter. Earthquakes are here frequent in Autumn, 
which yet don’t prove very prejudicial. Here refided a 
Taiffcha or Mongalian Baron, who had put himfelf un- 
der the Proteftion of their Czariffi Majefties, and em- 
braced the Greek Chriftian Religion. 
He had a Sifter, which according to the Mongalian 
Cuftom, lived in the devoted fpiritual State, and was 
almoft enclined to receive the Chriftian Faith. When 
flie was difeourfed on that Subjeeft, ffie replied, “ I am 
“ fatisfied that the Chriftians God muft neceffarily be a 
“ ftrong God, fince he hath beaten our God out of 
“ Heaven : But he will return thither, though he fliall 
“ the fecond Time be beaten down.” When ffie en- 
ters the Chamber, ffie falutes no Perfon, as the Mon- 
galians are yet accuftom’d to do, but her Order doth 
not admit of it. She had a Rofary or String of Beads 
in her Hand, which ffie continually paffed round through 
her Fingers. I found a Lama or Prieft with her, who 
had alfo fuch a String of Beads in his Hand, accord- 
ing to the Mongalian and Calmakkian Faffiion, which he 
very fwiftly and inceffantly turned over through his 
Fingers, continually moving his Lips, as though he 
were at his private Devotions ; and with this perpetual 
telling of his Beads, his Thumb was worn through the 
Fleffi^and Nail up to the Knuckle ; which rubbing off 
by flow Degrees did not at all pain him. 
After a ffiort Stay to reft myfelf in Jekutskoi, on the 
firft of March I fet forward by Land in Sieads, to 
the 
