from Muscovy to China. 
the North to the Eaft, that is, from Weygats to Amur \ 
and from the Weft from Uffa Baskina to the Monga- 
lian Country, and from thence from the Weft to the 
South. 
As for what relates to the Frontiers of Siberia in ge- 
neral, they are every where garrifoned with well armed 
Forces by his Czarifh Majefty, who are not indeed very 
folicitous to fubdue the Southern Tartars inhabiting the 
Gelifeefchian Plains to his Majefty *s Obedience, by rea- 
fon it would not turn to any great Advantage. The 
Circuit of this Kingdom of Siberia^ and the circumja- 
cent Country is very large, as appears by our accurate 
Map, with regard to which I muft acquaint the curious 
Perufer, that he ought to guide himfelt only by the De- 
grees •, but as for the Diftances betwixt Countries, Cities 
and Rivers, they are not to be expedted exafily placed 
to a Mile : For this Country having never been travel- 
led by Geographers, much lefs mcafured by Miles, I 
have only, as carefully as I poflibly could, taken the 
Altitudes with a Mathematical Inftrumenc, and from 
thence marked the Places, leaving to my Succeftbrs in 
thefe Attempts, the more thorough Search and Difco- 
very of thefe untravelled Countries. I have indeed 
broke the Ice for them, being the firft German that 
ever went through this vaft Country to, and returned 
from China. 
I muft acknowledge that 1 am obliged for the firft 
Light of a good Sketch of a general Map of thefe Lands, 
to the highly honourable and worthy Nicholas JVitfen, 
Prefident Burgher- mafter of the City of Amjlerdatn.^ 
whofe Memory will be perpetually reverenced by all the 
learned World *, he having firft difeovered to the Euro- 
peans all Siberia.^ the Cahnuckcan^ Mugnlian, and other 
Provincs, to the Chinefe Wall ; and delcribed them by a 
Map. This Map I made ufe of as a Guide throughout 
my Journey, and as a Foundation, on which to build 
that annexed to my own Book. A Abort Sketch of my 
Journey is as followeth : 
2. Firft we began our Travels in the North, in the 
Samojedian.,'^\\\c\\ he before called and IVaguliffi- 
an Countries, which are alfo under the Siberian Govern- 
ment, being fubjeft to the Waiwodes of Pelun., as far as 
the Sea. It is obfervable that there are various Sorts of 
Samojedes^ very different from each other in their Lan- 
guage or Expreffion, as are the BerefofJJdans and Pujlo- 
fer flans., which believe themfelves alfo to be the fame 
Nation : After thefe are thofe who live on the Sea- 
Coaft beyond the Eaft Side of the Oby to Truchamjko)\ 
or Mangazeijkoy \ as alfo thofe which for the greateft 
Part of the Year refide about Archangel., near tiie River 
Dwina., though indeed in Summer they let up Hutts by 
the Water-fide, and in the Winter far in the Woods : 
This laft Sort are the Scum of thofe People who for- 
merly lived together by the Sea-fide, which now are 
come to this Country. 
BeTides thefe, are the Samojedes that inhabit all along 
the Ice-CoaSt of the Province of Siberia., which are a 
People that have not much more to pretend to than a 
humane Face and Figure ; they have but a very fmall 
Share of Underftanding, and in all other Particulars 
are very like Wolves and Dogs, for they eat all Man- 
ner of dead Carkaffes, whether of Horfes, Affes, Dogs 
or Cats, which die a natural Death •, as well as Whales, 
Sea-Cows, Sea-Calves or Horfes, Cfr. which are thrown 
upon the Shoar by the Ice •, nor do they take the Trou- 
ble of Drefling thefe Meats, but devour them raw ; 
and if they had but Wings they would certainly take 
their Flight to Greenland, and diet with the white 
Bears and Malmucks (a Sort of Birds of Prey) which 
feed on the flea’d Whales Carkaffes : And notwithftand- 
all this, they inhabit a Country that richly abounds 
with wild Game, Fifti and Flefh j but moft of them 
are too idle to provide themfelves with it. 
They have a Sort of Governors amongft them, to 
whom they bring their Tribute, and thefe are obliged 
to carry the fame to the Cities or Winter Places of his 
Czarifh Majefty. A Gentleman who ftaid fome time 
at Pofloi Ofer, told me, that their Hart-Sleads were very 
convenient, and that with' them they went prodigioufly 
fwift over the Mountains covered with Show. (The Fa- 
fhion of thefe Sleads, their Manner of Travelling, and 
their Buckskin Habit with the hairy Part outwards, to- 
gether with their Bow and Arrows, are expreffed in the 
annexed Print.) He added that he had feen the above- 
mentioned Governors in fuch Sleads as thefe, to which 
were fometimes harneffed fix or eight Bucks | the Go- 
vernors are commonly cloathed in Srarlet-Coats, but 
thcir Retinue in the Habit already deferibed. Their 
Arrows, inftead of being pointed with Steel or Iron, are 
only headed with the Bone of a Sea-Calf, or fome other 
Animal. 
They make a very difagreeable Figure all over, info- 
much that I may venture to affirm, that fuch affiocking 
ill looked People are not to be found on the Surface 
of the whole Earth. Their Stature is fliort and flat, 
they have broad Shoulders and Faces, flat and broad 
Nofes, great blubber hanging Lips, and frightful Eyes' 
luce thofe of the Linx. They are very brown ail over, 
their Flair is diffievelled, fome of it being red or pale, 
but moft of it is as black as Pitch ; they have very 
little Beards ; their Skin is brown and hard, and they 
are very fwife Runners. The Roebucks, which they uie 
to draw their Sleads in Winter, are horned and fhaped 
like Harts, but have crooked hanging Necks, like thofe 
of Dromedaries ; befides which, what is obferved of 
them is very particular, that they are as white as Snow in 
Winter, and greyifli in Summer ; They are fed with 
Mofs which grows on the Ground in the Woods. 
Thefe Samojedes are grofs Idolaters, who have no No- 
tion of any Religion otherwife than that, like ihtPerfans^ 
they worftiip the Sun and Moon, by bowing their Bo- 
dies Night and Morning % befides which, rhey keep neaf 
and in their Tents Idols that hang on Trees ; fome 
of them are wooden Images reprefeming human Figures ^ 
others made of Iron, to which they fhew fome Refpeeft : 
Their Tents are cover’d with Birch barks few’d together, 
and when they remove them, as &hey frequently do in 
Winter as well as Summer, they fet up the Stakes round 
with the Points together, and upon thefe they lay the 
Covering of the fore- mentioned Bark over them, leav- 
ing a Hole at the Top for the Paffage of the Smoke* 
Their Fire is made in the Middle of their Tents, round 
which they lie at Nights naked both Men and Women* 
They lay their Children in Boxes or Cradles made of 
Birch bark fewed together, filled with Shavings of Trees 
which are as fofc as Wooll, and covered with Buck-skins* 
They marry within the Degrees of Confanguinity 
without the leaft Scruple, and buy one another’s Daugh- 
ters for Wives, giving for them Bucks and Hides, and 
according to the Cuftom of feveral Eaftern Nations, they 
takers many Wives as they can keep. When they de- 
fign a Merry-making, they ftand in Couples oppofite 
to each other, throw up one of their Legs, and mutually 
clap the Soles of their Feet fo hard with their Hands that 
it may be heard at a Diftance. Inftead of Singing, they 
make a howling Noife like that of Bears, they neigh 
like Horfes, or chirrup like young Birds. They have a 
Sort of Conjurers that fhew all forts of diabolical Tricks,, 
moft, if not all of which are fraudulent Deluflons. But here 
taking our Leave of thefe monUrom Samojedes, we ffiall 
turn our Difeourfe to another and more pleafant Subjedf, 
Near this Coaft, as far as Weygats and Mefeem, are, 
all Sorts of Quadrupeds, particularly Wolves, Bears, 
Foxes, and Harts, &c. The Fowls are Ducks, Par- 
tridges, Cfc. being Snow-white in Winter, which is fo 
very fevere, that about Samojeda I have my feif feen 
Rooks and Magpies fall down dead in their Flicrht 
being killed by the piercing F'roft. * 
3. A great deal hath been faid concerning the Weygats, 
by Englifh, Danes, and Hollanders, viho with Ships have 
endeavoured to bore through this icy Channel; which 
hath been done indeed once or twice, but then thofe 
who did it were repulfed, and forced to return to their 
own Country by the . vehement Current of Ice in the 
South or Icy Sea ; of which Mr. Nicholas Witfen, Bur- 
ger-majter. of Amfierdam, treats at large, that Gentle- 
man having obtained an exadt Account of whatever is 
remarkable, from feveral Perfons who have been there j 
all which Obfervations he hath incomparably y^elf di.*, 
gefted tn his Chart of Weygats and the Sea-coafts, to 
the 
