Chap. III. 
from Muscovy to China. 
us, and the following Day dined with me. During 
which Interval of Time, I caufed all neceffary Prepa- 
rations to be made for me and my Retinue, in order 
to our Proceeding on our Journey to Peking. I inform- 
ed the Mandaryn that I was ready, who immediately 
anfwered very civilly, that purfuant to the Order of his 
Amologda Chan or King, as many Coachmen or Wag- 
aoners as were neceffary were prepared to wait on me> 
if I pleafed to accept of his Company, and fet forwards 
on the 28th Inftant. Before I invite the Reader to ac- 
company me in this Journey, I think myfelf obliged 
in few Words to defcribe what appeared to me re- 
markable amongfl: the Inhabitants of this Province of 
Xixigar. 
3. About a Quarter of a Mile from this Frontier 
Town, runs the River Naun^ on which is fituate the 
City of Naunkoton, lately built, and encompaffed with 
earthen Walls, well lined, and covered on the Outfide 
with maffy Timber. The Inhabitants of this City, and 
the fix large Southern Villages fubordinate to it, are 
call’d Baori or Old Bauri ; and at prefent this Country 
is called Dm, hy Tartars which inhabit all along 
the River Nauna and Jallo to Albazin. Thefe People 
have very rich manured Lands, and all Sorts of Garden- 
Fruits, and feveral Tobacco Plantations; but their Re- 
ligion is impious and Diabolical ; for according to their 
own Report they are all Schammans or Conjurers, which 
invoke the Devil. Several Neighbours of both Sexes 
frequently affemble together about Midnight ; one of 
them lies with his Body extended on the Earth, and the 
By-ftanders with exalted Voices make a difmal Howl : 
Others beat on a Sort of Drums •, which ceafing for a 
fmall Interval, the Howl is renewed, and fometimes 
lafts for two Hours, until he that lies on the Earth, 
leems returned to his Senfes, and after a tedious 
Howling, rifes up and relates where he hath been, and 
what he hath feen and heard; after which, whatever 
any of the Company are defirous to be informed of 
concerning future Events, or other Particulars, is pro- 
pofed to him ; and while 1 ftaid there, no Night paf- 
fed without this hideous Howling of thefe Diabolical 
Minifters. 
They keep their Dead three Days in their Houfes, 
then bury the Corps in a high-rais’d Grave in the Gar- 
dens or Fields ; after which it is daily vifited by the Rela- 
tions of the Deceafed, a Hole being left open at the 
Head, to which Place they bring the Dead all Sorts of 
Victuals and Drink, conveying thefe Edibles by a Spoon 
made for that Purpofe to the very Mouth of the decea- 
fed ; but leave the Drink Handing in fmall Tin Cups 
round the Grave : This Pradfice laits for feveral Weeks, 
which ended, they bury the ftinking Carkafs, a good Way 
deeper in the Earth. 
They live in Houfes of Clay or Earth, covered with 
Reeds or fmall Bamboes, fomewhat like the Peafants 
thatched Houfes in Europe, The Walls on the Infide 
are partly white, being plaiftered with Lime. The 
Middle of the Houfe is furniflied with an eredted 
Pillar, about which are wound the Entrails of Beafts, 
by which hang a little Bow and Arrows, Pikes and 
other Arms ; to all this they fometimes, by bowing and 
Proftrations, pay an idolatrous Sort of Worlhip. Their 
Houfes are not partitioned into Chambers, nor have they 
any Garrets ; but almoft one half of the Houfe dole 
to the Walls is taken up all round, with a large Bench 
of an Ell high, and about two Ells broad, covered 
with red Matts ; under thefe Benches pafs a Chimney, 
through v/hich the Fire is kindled by the Door of the 
Houfe, and the Smoak goes out at the other Side of it. 
And this Chimney in Winter ferves inftead of a Stove, 
though the Habitation is , not much warmed by it ; 
but the Inhabitants which fit on this Bench in the D.ay 
Time, and lie on it at Night, are indeed fomewhat the 
better for it. There are conflantly in thefe Dwellings 
two fixed Iron Kettles, in one of which is warm Wa- 
ter to make Tea, and the other is referved for Boiling 
ofVidluals, The Houfe is all round provided with fquare 
Windows, which are letticed with Paper inftead of 
Glals, and in warm Weather they are fet open with a 
Stick to make Way for the cool Bfeezes to pafs through 
the Apartment, 
Thefe People are generally well-fliap’d, but more 
efpecially the Women. The Men, Women and young 
Girls, wear the fame Habit as the Manftourian Tartars 
in China. The Secretaries of the Mandaryns^ which are 
in the Service of the Chan^ and are fent hither or to 
any ocher Place in Tartary, whenever they are inclined 
to Venereal Pleafures, feize for their own Ufe as many 
Wives as well as young Virgins as they likej at Plea- 
fure ; and I have frequently feen them carry off the 
moft beautiful Creatures on Waggons, as to the Slaugh- 
ter. Some Men being obliged to fend their Wives af- 
ter thefe Courtiers, boaft of it as a very particular Favour, 
that they have the Honour to have fuch a Lord for their 
Brother-in-Law ; but others, though perhaps not very 
well fatisfied with this Cuftom, for Fear of falling into 
Difgrace and being punifhed, are obliged to bear it pa- 
tiently, though a barbarous Pradice, elpecially amongft 
a polite People. 
Leaving this frontier Nation on the 28th Inffant,and 
fetting forward with the Mandaryn from Xixigar, by 
the Evening we reached a Village where we pa&d that 
Night. On the 29th we paffed through feveral Vil- 
lages/and arrived on the other Side of x[\Q.Jalo, where 
it falls into the Naunda. We forded the Jalo without any 
Difficulty, it being but fhallow, but the Naunda is very 
broad, ftrengthened with a high Sand and Earth Bank 
on each Side. The Stream is not very rapid, by rea- 
fon it is deep; its Water looks brown ; it abounds with 
Sturgeon, Jacks, and feveral Sorts of fmall Fifii ; and 
feveral Mother of Pearl Shells are found on its Shoars. 
On the 30th we turned off from the River Naunda, 
and left it on the Left ; its Courfe is farther extended 
downwards, Eaft-South-Eaft, between large Mountains ; 
but we travelled over Mountains of Sand and Earth 
till the Evening, when we firft reached the Mongalian 
Rivers. Thefe Mongalians are fubjedt to the Emperor 
of Chinn, Here we were obliged to content ourfelves 
with the Water we took out of Wells or Pits,' which 
did not indeed look very well ; and about twenty 
Huts were eredted in the open Field, and covered with 
Felts, for me and my Retinue ; in each of which Cot'** 
tages an Iron Kettle was fet on the Fire, and a Monga- 
lian appointed for our Service. 
Near this Place we found three Gofer es or fmall 
Lakes of ftanding Water, v/hich were utterly ufeiefs, 
by reafon the Water was brackifh in Tafte, and in Co- 
lour as white as Milk. Here the Land began to ap- 
pear high and mountainous towards the Weft, whilft 
Eaft and Southward the Low-downs prefented them-* 
felves to our View ; and we were forced to make ftiifc 
with Well or Pit-water, which was very bad, there be- 
ing no Rivers near. 
4. After four Days travelling without the Sight of fo 
much as one Houfe, we came to an old ruined City, 
encompaffed with a Quadrangular Mud- Wall, about a 
German Mile in its Circumference. The Land appear’d 
hitherto both Eaft and Weft as before ; and after fix 
Days more travelling over a Hilly Country utterly de- 
ftitute of Houfes, we reached another old defolate City, 
called Taimingzingh, fortified with a fquare Wall, and 
Bulwarks ; There are in it two Towers or Turrets, one 
very high and the other lefs : The largeft was an Obiagon, 
the Front of which was built with Brick, and about ten 
Fathom from the Ground, there w^as, on each of the 
eight Sides, Stones placed, on which were carved fe- 
veral Hiftories. Upon fome of them are expreffed 
fome great Perfonages or Kings, as big as the Life, 
fitting with their Feet under them, and Attendants on 
each Side of them : Others fhew us feveral Figures 
which feemed to reprefent Qreens folding their Hands 
together, with their Servants on each Side ; the Queens 
having Crowns on their Heads, and the other being a- 
dorned with Rays or Luftres, as Saints are commonly 
painted, and alfo folding their Hands ; all which feems 
to hint that this Tower muft be built by Chriftians. 
Other Parts of it reprefented Warriors with Pikes, 
after the Chinefe Manner, and the King bare-headed, 
m 
