E. Ysbrants 
in the middle with a Scepter in his Hand, and all the 
By-ftanders appearing with hideous Diabolical Vifages, 
and the Proportion of all thefe Images fo exadly obfer- 
ved, that they looked like the Works of European 
Mailers. 
This Turret was perfectly clofe on all Sides, with no 
Kind of Afcent without, or Entrance into it. Several 
large Heaps of Bricks lay in the City, befides a great 
many Stone Statues as big as the Life, in the Figures 
of Men and Idols, Grave-Stones, great Stone Lions, 
and Tortoifes of an uncommon Largenefs ; by all which 
this feemed to have been a Place where fome Chan or 
King had formerly refided. 
One Part of the City was divided from the other by 
an earthen Wall ; the Bulwarks were extraordinary large 
and high, and this great City had but four Ports or 
Entrances, into which ran Multitudes of Hares, as far 
as the Grafs grew, there being fcarce any Men in the 
Town, or rather Village erefted within the Town of 
late by the Tartars. 
The Chinefe relate, that many hundred Years pad, 
Utaichan, or Un-Chan, a ’Tartarian King, governed here, 
but was conquered and driven out of his Country by a 
Chinefe King. The City, as near as I could guefs, was 
above a German Mile in Circuit. 
In feveral Places amongd the Mountains we obferv- 
ed Brick Turrets handing, which feemed to be ancient 
Burying-places of the Tartars. In thefe Hills I obferv- 
ed an infinite Variety of known and unknown Plants, 
extending for the Space of feveral Miles as thick with 
Thyme and Marjoram as Grafs. 
After having travelled four Days farther, we came to 
Burgan Koton, or Idol City as it is called, which is likewife 
utterly laid wade : It takes its Name from being a Place 
where formerly only the principal Heathen Prieds lived. 
It had a Mud- Wall, mod of which is at prefent fallen 
down. In the middle of the City is a high odlangular 
Stone Turret, built in the Manner, and hung with 
feveral hundreds of fmall Iron Bells, which whenever 
the Wind rifes a little, chime with a Silver Sound, 
which is very agreeable. There was an Entrance into 
this Steeple, by which I fent fome of our People up, 
to fee what was to be found in it : They informed me, 
that in feveral dark Holes, they faw many thoufands of 
Chinefe or Heathen Idols of feveral Shapes, and that 
they were very glad they were got back again. On one 
Side of this Turret were feveral Holes, out of which the 
Stones had fallen by the Decay of Time *, and thefe 
Holes were filled with Infcriptions by the Mangols, in the 
Eajt T artarian Language, which were placed there by the 
Travellers that paded by that Way, particularly by 
their Eama\ or Prieds ; for others who cannot write fa- 
tisfy themfelves with fetting up Figures moulded in Clay. 
5. Had a Mile from hence is a Chinefe Village, 
modly inhabited by Lama‘‘s, (for where the Corps is thi- 
ther the Eagles dock) they entertaining all Tartars tra- 
velling this Way, and indrudling them in the dark Er- 
rors of their ancient Idols. We pafiTed on over fandy 
and downy Land, on which was a low Hill, with fome 
old Birch-Trees danding on it : This Hillock is accord- 
ing to their Manner edeemed facred by the Mongalians 
and the neighbouring Tartars. And thofe who travel 
by it, as a religious Offering in Honour of this Place, 
in order to obtain a good Journey, hang fomething 
which they have about their Body here, either Caps, 
Cloaths, Purfes, Boots, Breeches, Shirts, Switches, ^c. 
upon the Trees, which from the Top to the Bottom are fo 
full charged with this Trumpery, that they feem to be 
Shops •, and it is thought very fcandalous to remove any 
of them, for they mud hang and rot upon the Principle 
of their Religion. 
At lad we came to the River, which is called Schara 
Murin or T^//(3te; iAry? j which proceeds from the Wed, 
and falls Eadward into the River Karga : It is about 
thirty Fathom broad, and fordable with Camels and 
Horfes. Advancing farther we came to the River 
Logaa, which rifes in the South, and falls into the 
mentioned Schara Murin. The Land here on each 
S^e is rocky, but in the Valleys are fome fine Villa- 
ges, and wdi cultivated Grounds, Profecuting our 
I D E s’j ^Travels Book III, 
Journey we came to a large Village, in which was an 
old fallen Chinefe Idol-Temple, without any Idols in it j 
as alfo another in which a great Lord lived, who was 
married to one of the reigning Emperor of Chinal% 
Daughters. After this we reached a fmall City called 
Kara-Katon or Black City : Which is Quadrangular, 
and encompaffed with Oaken Pallifadoes driven into 
the Ground which ferve rather to defend it from Ty- 
gers and Leopards than the Enemy : The Land all 
about being covered with high Rocks, on which grow 
Thickets of Oaks, and great Quantities of Grafs, where 
Multitudes of thofe Beafts harbour, as well as wild Swine 
and Harts ; for which Reafon, from hence to the great 
Wall, is thought fo dangerous, that no Perfons venture 
to travel it by Night ; And all the Horfes, Affes, Ca- 
mels, and Cows have Iron Bells faftned about their 
Necks, which fomewhat frightens the Tygers. The 
Inhabitants told us alfo, that frequently. Men that have 
only gone amongfl the Hills in Day time, have been 
torn to Pieces : Wherefore the Mandaryn cautioned me 
to give Order that none of my Attendants fhould ven- 
ture to turn out of the Road, or go amongfl the Hills, 
that they might not be devoured by thefe wild Beafts, 
who by Day harbour on the Mountains Tops, and by 
Night go in Search of their Prey, and are then excef- 
fively bold and ravenous. 
6. The Emperor of China annually in Augufi comes 
a Tyger-Hunting to this Place, accompanied with two 
or three thoufand of the beft Archers in Tartary, and a 
Party of Lancers. When the Tygers are to be put up, 
the Emperor himfelf goes to the Foot of the Hill along 
with the Men that attend him armed with Lances, 
Bows, and Arrows, who inveft: the Hill, and befet ic 
very well up to the Top ; and when they find the Ty- 
gers there, they feeing themfelves befet, endeavour by 
Leaping to break through the Croud, but are hunted 
with Drums and Bells till they come to the Place where 
the Emperor himfelf is, who fhoots down the Game 
with Bow and Arrow, without any Hazard of his Per- 
fon ; for if there happen but the leaft Danger, he is 
encompaffed with fo many Men, that they eafily defend 
him from the wild Beaft with their Lances, The Em- 
peror paffes fome Weeks in this Sport ; by Intervals 
putting up alfo fome edible wild Game, as Swine, 
Harts, Roebucks, Hares, befides Wolves and Foxes. 
And this I have heard not only from the Inhabitants, 
but from the Jefuits, two or three of which were obli- 
ged to go this Progrefs with him. 
We obferved hereabouts, in the Fields and Trees, a 
Sort of Birds, in Size and Shape very like a Heron, 
the Feathers of which are very beautiful, their Neck and 
Bread: being white, their Wings and Tail of a bright 
Scarlet, their Flefti firm and very good Meat ; we faw 
alfo another Bird which was as big as a Parrot, his Bill 
crooked, his Tail a full Ell long, and chequered with 
all Sorts of fine Colours, but he is fo very wild that he 
will not differ any to come near enough to take him : 
Here are likewife Partridges with long Tails and beau- 
tiful variegated Feathers. 
Not far from hence we came to a fteep Rock, the 
Afcent of which was very crooked and winding, and 
was for above two hundred Fathom hewn through by 
Men, and a Way cut which was feven Fathom broad, 
probably for the Covenience of Travellers, the other 
Side of this Rock, by Reafon of the deep Morafs, be- 
ing impaffable. We paffed hereabouts continually by 
fteep Rocks, furniftied with Oaks and Limes, and in 
the Vales Cheftnut and large Nut-trees as well as Vinea 
grew wild. From hence we went forwards and came 
to a very high Rock, ftiarp-pointed at the Top, and, 
by reafon of its Steepnefs, impoffible to be climbed : 
On one Side of which, about half Way up, is an Idol 
Temple hewn out of the Rock : Ic hath four Windows, 
and inftead of Idols, we faw four Stone Statues in a 
fitting Pofture. Ic is not a little to be wondered how 
it was poffible for Men to come there, and perform 
fuch a great Piece qf Work ; the Rock on that Side 
being fo extraordinary fteep, that a Moufe cannot get 
up it. This Temple, according to the Report of the 
Inhabitants, hath been built feveral hundred Years. 
7. Oq 
