p ^ ^ E. Y S B R A N T S 
^ Beginning to be made, it being very well worth the 
Pains, and they are very conveniently fituated in a Place 
where there is no Want of Wood. 
In the Year 1693, on the 8th of Jugujl, we were 
obliged to crofs the River Argun, and pafs two whole 
Days on our Way with the Merchants which were with 
us ; and on the 9th atNightjWe again travelled South Eaft- 
ward, upwards in the great 'Tartarian Wildernefs, all the 
Way betwixt Hills and Vales, and next Day reached 
the River Calahu j which being but a fmall one, we 
eafily forded it with our Horfes, Camels, and Waggons. 
This River arifes out of the Hills, and falls Weftward 
into the Argun, It was obfervable, that it was lo 
cold this Night, that the Ice froze the Thicknefs of a 
Crown-piece. 
On the 1 2th of this Month we reached the River 
Terbu, which is alfo but fmall and fhallow, and likewife 
falls Weftward into Argun. On the next Day we came 
to the River Gan, which occafioned us a very trouble- 
fome Paftage, it being fo deep by reafon of the fwollen 
W^aters, that no Camel could reach the Bottom ; fo 
that we were forced to fearch for Trees, (in this defo- 
late uninhabited W^ildernefs, where no other Hope was 
left) which having felled, we bound in Couples, to car- 
ry over our Goods and travelling Proviftons : And for 
our own Paftage we alfo made a Sort of Boats of 
fmall Twigs, which we covered with Ox-hides fewed 
together, which proved tolerable Barks, and would car- 
ry*^aboLit a thoufand Pounds Weight. The Horfes, 
Oxen and Camels were fwom over, which indeed the 
laft did very eafily j for as foon as they loofe Footing 
on the Ground, they turn themfelves on one Side, with- 
out ftirring their Feet, like a floting Leathern Bag ; 
no more Care being neceflfary, than to bind five or fix 
of them faft together by the Bridles and Tails, and let 
fome body fwim a Horfe before them, which is faften- 
ed to the Bridle of the firft, and confequently towes 
him along, without which Precaution they would drive 
feveral Miles down the Stream before they got over j 
and even notwithftanding this, they drove confiderably 
downwards. This tedious, uneafy Paftfage coft us fome 
Days Time, the River being broad, and the Tide ra- 
pid and ftrong. This River comes out of the Eaft, and 
falls Weftward into the Argun. 
Breaking up from thence on the 19th of the fame 
Month, on the 21ft we reached the River Mergeen, 
which admitted us without the leaft Uneafinefs or In- 
terruption to ford it, being but fmall and fhallow. It 
alfo comes from the Eaft, and falls Weftward into the 
Argun and thus we travelled to this Place off and on, 
betwixt Eaft and South. On the 23d we came to ano- 
ther River called Kailar, the Water of which being low, 
we paflfed it without any Trouble. This River falls alfo 
from South -South-Eaft, Weftward into the Argun. On 
the 2 5th we as eafily paftfed the River Zadun, which 
rifeth in the South-Eaft, and falls North-Weft into 
the Kailar. 
Before this Book of our Author’s was publifhed, we 
had no diftinft or clear Account at all of thefe Coun- 
tries, the very Names of which was fcarce mention’d in 
I D E sh Travels Book HI. 
our Hiftories, and the Countries themfelves appeared 
only as a vaft Defert in our Maps. Yet here v.'e find, 
that thefe Parts are very far from being either uninhabh 
table or uninhabited, and that though their Cities are 
not very thick, yet fome of them are pretty confidera- 
ble Places ; as for Inttance, Nerzinflioy, of which we 
have lately feen his Defcription, and which, though the 
very Name of it may be new and ftrange to us, is fo 
well known notwithftanding in thofe Parts of the 
World, that there are few Places more famous. In this 
City was held a Congrefs for determining the Difputes 
between the Chinefe and Ruffian Empires, the laft of 
which was in 1689, when Father Gerhillon figned a 
Treaty of Peace there, by which the Limits of both 
Empires were plainly fettled, and the River Amur m.ade 
the common Boundary on that Side. 
As this River falls into the Eaftern Ocean or Sea of 
Japan, the Ruffians were always very defirous of being 
entirely Mafters of it, and for that Reafon they attempt- 
ed, notwithftanding the Treaty, to fettle on the other 
Side of the River, fuppofing that the Chinefe would be 
fometime before they had perfedl Intelligence of this 
Infradlion of the Treaty, and that they would not in- 
cline to commence a War immediately, but rather fet 
on Foot a new Negociation, for amicably terminating 
their Differences. In this it feems the Ruffian Minifters 
were, however, fomewhat miftaken, for the Chinefe 
quickly made Complaints of the Progrefs of the Ruffian 
Troops j and finding thefe Complaints made no Im- 
preffion, they ordered their Subjeds the Mongals to 
take PoftTeffion of the Country lying on the South of 
the River Amur ; and as this intirely overturned the 
Schemes of the Court of Petersbourg, they found the 
Tafk of Negotiating turned upon themfelves, which 
was one of the principal Motives to their fending our 
Author on this Embaffy. 
The Reader, perhaps, may not be difpleafed at meet- 
ing with thefe Remarks at the Clofe of the Sedion, 
which we chofe to place here, rather than interrupt the 
Thread of our Author’s Narration, who, in this Part of 
his Travels which we have already given, has defcribed 
the Ruffian Dominions lying in AJia, with much more 
Accuracy than any other Writer whatever : The ma- 
king ourfelves acquainted, at leaft in fome Meafure, 
with thefe hitherto fo little regarded Countries, will be 
very foon found to be both of great Ufe and confider- 
able Importance, fince it is on this Side that the Ruf- 
fians are profecuting thofe Difcoveries, upon which the 
Eyes of all Europe are turned at prefent. In thefe 
Countries likewife they have, within thefe few Years, 
difcovered very rich Silver Mines, of which we have a 
Hint in our Author ; and if thefe can be wrought, it 
will quickly change the Face of Things on this Side, 
and, in the Space of forty or fifty Years, our Pofterity 
will find fome of thefe Countries reprefented in a Man- 
ner very different from that in which they have been 
heretofore fet forth. But let us now return to our Au- 
thor’s Travels, and attend him in his Progrefs through 
the Chinefe Dominions. 
SECTION IL 
