Chap. III. from M uscovY to China, 933 
ride on Horfebackj and are equally armed with Bo\V 
and Arrows, in the Ufe of which they are very expert. 
The Female Drefs is the fame with the Male of both 
which our Print drawn from the Life is an accurate Re- 
prefentation. Their common Drink is Water ^ but the 
better Sort drink Kara’ I Za^ or Black Tea, which is a 
particular Species of that Plant, the Infufion of which, 
inftead of greenifh, tinctures the Water blackifli. They 
boil it in Mares-Milk and Water, to which they alfo 
add a little Lard or Butter. They alfo draw off a Sort 
of Brandy from Mares-Milk, which they call Kunnen, 
or Arak, and is diftilled in the following Manner. The 
new Milk is firft boiled, then put into a Fat, to which 
is added fome dale Milk, and this Mixture is ftirred 
every Hour : After which this foured Milk is put into 
a Pot, and clofely covered with another Pot which fhuts 
tight upon it, into which a Reed is ftuck, and the Pot 
firmly luted, and fet over the Fire to diftill as in Eu- 
rope : But the Spirit muff be twice drawn off-, then it is 
fit to drink, being as clear, and fcrong, as Malt Spirits, 
and very foon intoxicates. It is really very furprifing 
that none of the Cows in Siberia and Dauria^ as long 
as their Calves fuck them, will ever permit themfelves 
to be milked, nor will they after the Calf is removed 
from them give any more Milk ; Which is the Reafon 
why Mares-Milk is fo much ufed by thefe People, 
which is alfo richer and more agreeable than Cows- 
Milk. 
In Spring and Autumn thefe Heathens go a Hunting, 
like the Burattians^ in order to provide themfelves 
againfl Summer and Winter with fufficient Store of 
Flefh, which they alfo as well as that Nation dry in the 
Sun. Inftead of Bread they gather the Pods of yellow 
Lillies, which they call Sarana^ and having dried and 
beaten them to Meal, they drefs them'.feveral Ways to 
eat. They are very expert at Shooting Fifh in the 
Water with a Sort of Arrows, which are round, folid, 
and about three Fingers thick at the Head at the End 
of which under the Iron Point is a Ball of Bone bored 
through, which occafions a loud whiftiing Noife in its 
Flight. Thefe Arrows are fo heavy that they do not 
ihoot them/arther at moft than fifteen or twenty Fathom, 
and chiefly* at large Fifti, as Jacks and Trouts, which 
harbour in clear Water on the rocky Ground near the 
Shores. And when thefe Arrows hie, they make a fur- 
prizing large Orifice, which looks as if it were a Gut 
given by a Hatchet. 
Thefe Heathens have a very odd Cuftom of taking 
folemn or teftimonial Oaths : An Inftance of which ap- 
pears in the following Story of two noble ‘Tunguzian 
Hoftages at Nerzinjkoy. To illuftrate which Relation, 
the Reader ought to be informed that it is ufual on thefe 
frontier Places (by Reafon a great many Sorts of People 
put themfelves under his Czarifh Majefty’s Protection, 
which live difperfed in Siberia) to keep fome Children 
of the principal Men, and if they are very great, them- 
felves in the Amandimr-atjkoy or Hoftage- Court for 
fome time, all the while providing them amply with 
Eatables and other Neceffaries ; which is done by Way 
of Security that they (hall not defert, and that when 
they' have ftaid fometime, others lhall come in their 
Places. It happening that two of thefe 'Tunguzian Hof- 
tages falling out, one accufed the other before the Way- 
wode, of having conjured his deceafed Brother to Death. 
The Waywode asked the Accufer if he would, accord- 
ing to the Tunguzian Cuftom, put the Accufed to his 
Oath? To this he anfwered in the Affirmative-, after 
which the Accufed took a live Dog, laid him on the 
Ground, and with a Knife ftuck him into the Body, juft 
under his left Leg, and immediately clapped his Mouth 
to the Wound, and fucked out the Dog’s Blood as long 
as he could come at it ; after which he lifted him up, laid 
him on his Shoulders and clapped his Mouth again to the 
Wound, in order to fuck out the remaining Blood, as the 
Print expreffes it. An excellent Drink indeed I And this 
is the greateft Oath and moft folemn Confirmation of 
the Truth amongft them ; fo that on Credit of this the 
Accufed was fet free, and the Accufer punifhed for his 
falfe Accufation. Thus far concerning the Cuftoms of 
thefe Heathens, which, barbarous and ridiculous as they 
are, plainly prove thefe People apprehend the Neceff 
fity of Oaths to determine Differences, and that Provi- 
dence will interpofe to preferve Innocence, and punifh 
Perjury* Thus we dearly difeern, that the Brutality of 
this Nation does not arife from their Want of intel- 
ledual Faculties, but from their Supinenefs, Negligence 
and Nonufag® of thofe Faculties. 
21. I was obliged to fray fome Weeks at Nerzinjkoy^ 
and furnifli myfelf with Camels^ Horfes, Oxen, Provi- 
fion and ail other Neceffaries for the Profecution of my 
Travels. All which being carefully performed, I fet 
forwards from thence in God’s Name, on the i8th of 
Jnly^ paffed the following Day by the River Borfehofka 
over the Schilka^ and after ten Days travelling, on the 
third of Augujl fafely arrived at the Caftle of Argunjkoy ; 
which is the laft Fort and utmbft Frontier of the Czar’s 
Dominions, towards the Eaft Country. This Fortrefs 
is waflied by the River Argun^ which flows from South- 
weft to North-Eaft, and falls into the River Amu?\ and 
divides his Czarifh Majefty’s Territories from thofe of 
the Emperor of China : And on the other, or Eaftern. 
Side of the River, the great uninhabited Tartarian Wil- 
dernefs hath its Beginning. I was obliged to ftay here 
fome Days, to get a good Number of Carts with two 
Wheels, for the fiirther Purfuit of my Journey ; and 
this was the firft Time that this Way from Argun through 
Tartary was ever travelled with W^aggons. 
The Way from Nerzinjkoy hither was moftly over 
high, ftony, and mountainous Land, though in fome 
fcactered Places interfedfed by fine large Valleys, and 
little Rivulets, which Intervals are richly overfpread 
with all Sorts of fine Herbs, Flowers, Grafs, lofty Ce- 
dars, and Woods of Birch-trees. This Country is alfo 
very populous, by Reafon the Tunguzians (which, though 
Heathens, are all fubjedf to his Czarifh Majefty) live in 
great Multitudes throughout all Parts of this Country 
where there are Rivers, and pay a voluntary Tribute to 
that potent Emperor. 
In feveral fcattered Places in the Valleys, I obferved 
Hundreds of old, and, in Part, fallen Caftles, built 
with Rock-ftones, which, as the tunguzians told me, 
were built by feveral Warriors long fince, when the 
Mungalian and Weftern Tartars made joint Incurfions 
into this Kingdom of Nieuebeu. Which Monarchy, ac- 
cording to their Computation, comprehended the whole 
Land from Nerzinjkoy to Nieucheu^ as the Chinefe call 
it, and from the River Amur down to the Albanian 
Mountains and Leaoting. And it is not long fince that 
Waggon Wheels bound with Iron, and large Milftones, 
were found in this Country ; from whence I conjedture* 
that the Nieucheuers, which border on the faid Province 
of Leaoting^ formerly followed their Trade and manual 
Employments in this Ruffian Bauria, fince they make 
ufe of thefe Waggon-wheels bound with Iron, which 
are no v/here elle to be found amongft the Monga- 
lians^ &c. 
I alfo faw feveral Tunguzian Tombs covered with 
many Stones, by which great Snakes were placed, and 
feveral dead and putrified Horfes upon them. Befides 
which, I obferved that the River Argun feparates two 
very different Sorts of Lands. On our Way to this 
River, the Hills abounded with Woods, but on the 
other Side of it Nature varies, and very few or fcarce 
any Woods are to be feen, but only inconfiderable Num- 
bers of fcattered dry Trees. 
About eight Miles from Argunjkoy^ from which I 
departed the 5th of Augufty the River Zerehrenkoy'y or 
the Silver River, called in the Mongalian Dialeft Mon~ 
gagoly falls into the River Argun. This Silver River is 
fo called, becaufe that formerly, about two Miles up 
that Water, there were Silver Mines, out of which the 
Nieucheuers and Mongalians dug immenfe Quantities of 
that Mettal, and great Numbers of Pits, in which the 
Mectal was melted, are at at prefent to be feen -, but 
thefe Mines, by the Courfe of Time, and lying un- 
wrought for many Years, are now fallen in, and co- 
vered with the Hills which have tumbled upon them. 
Notwithftanding all which, I brought a Proof of their 
Mettal into Mufeovyy and doubt not but to reftore 
them, if his Czarifh Majefty would immediately order 
a Begin^ 
