f 
E. Y s B R A N T s I D E s’j Travels 
the River Ohy ; by which it plainly appears, that from 
Weygats to the Icy or Holy Cape, the Sea is utterly un- 
navigable with Ships, and fhould a fecond Chriftopher 
Columbus appear, and point out the Courfe of the Hea- 
vens, he could not yet drive away thefe Mountains of 
Ice : For God and Nature have fo invincibly fenced the 
Sea-fide of Siberia with Ice, that no Ship can come to 
the River Jenifea^ much lefs can they come farther 
Northwards into the Sea. Not to mention the Yoyd.^Q 
from the Icy or Holy Cape, round Japan and Jedzo, I 
ihall only infert what I have colledled from the Informa- 
tions of the Ruffians, who feveral Times have failed 
through the Streights of Weygats to the Ohy. 
We go, fay they, with our Koiskt, (a Sort of Barks 
fitted for the Sea) to the Streights of Weygats, to fifh for 
Sea-calves, and if they do not meet with great Quantities 
of Fifh, we fail diredlly into the Weygats j but if the Wind 
blows from the Sea, ihe whole Coaft is covered with Ice, 
and we are obliged to put into fome of the Greeks or 
little Rivulets which run inland, and withal not to ven- 
ture too far, but flay there till the Wind turns about and 
blows from the Shore towards the Sea ; upon which 
thefe Streights are fo perfedfly cleared of all their Ice, 
that it foon drives feveral Miles out of Sight at Sea •, and 
making ufe of that Opportunity, we fail along the Coafl 
till the Wind turns contrary, when we are again forced in, 
in Search of a Creek to fhelter us ; which if we fail 
of, the Bark is fhatter’d to Pieces by the Clots of Ice. 
About fifty Years paft, the Siberian Rvffiians had 
free Liberty to fetch their Provifion, as Corn, Meal, 
from the Sea-ports, and to carry their Siberian 
Commodities thither through the Weygats, fuppofing that 
they paid the proper Toll to his Czarifh Majefty : But 
thefe Siberians abufed their Sovereign’s Favour to a very 
great Degree, and made ufe of it to bring in great 
Quantities of Goods i by other Ways and Rivers into 
Rufjia by Stealth, whereby his Majefty fuftered very 
much in his Revenue ; for which Reafon, ever fince, 
the Importation of any Goods through the Streights of 
Weygats have been abfolurely prohibited ; but all are 
obliged to be brought over Berefova, the Kamenskoy, or 
the rocky Rojas % which Paffages are not attended with 
fmall Difficulties, for when they leave Berefova, the 
Carriers are obliged to cut their Boats (v/hich are cut 
out of a Tree) acrofs in two, and in thofe half Boats 
draw themfelves and their Goods over the high Moun- 
tains, and having fpent fome Days in this irkfome Way 
of Travelling, till they are come to the North-fide, they 
again fatten their Boars together, flopping the Joints 
clofe with Mofs, and therewith purfue their Voyage to 
Archangel, or the other Places in Ruffiia fituated on the 
River Ohy. 
4. I fhall now turn my Difcourfe to the Rojas, or 
Ridge of the World j which is a vaft Quantity of Rocky 
Hills, that in their parting, according to the exafteft 
Obfervation, make a Sort of Ridge or Rojas. This 
Bridge begins from Retzerkay Ofer, or Rezerfe Lanis, 
and extends, without any Divifion, through the Pro- 
vince of Wergaturia, under ^ which is comprifed the 
Wergatoerfchian Wolok’, and this Mafs of Hills is no 
otherwife to be travelled than by drawing over it. From 
thence it runs Southward by the Caftle of Utka, to the 
Uffiinian Tartars Country, out of which Mountains the 
River Ujjy, and Eaftward the River Nitra, Tuna, &c. 
originally rife, and the laft falls North- Weft ward, into 
the Kama. From hence this mountainous Ridge takes 
its Courfe Southwards, to the Kalmockian Borders, out 
of which Rojas, the large River Jaica, fo rich in Fifh, 
rifes Weft wards, and difembogues itfelf into the Caffi 
pian Sea, and the River Tobol rifes out of the North 
Side of it. its Courfe Eaftward s is along the Kal- 
muckian Country, and the Borders of Siberia, paffing 
by Afero Saifan, and Ofer Kalculan, two Lakes 5 from 
the firft of which the vaft River Oby fprings, and from 
the fecond Irtis. From this great Lake Ofer Kalculan, 
this Ridge of Mountains turns oft again Southward, 
where the River Jenifea rifes, which difcharges itfelf 
into the Tartarian Icy Sea. 
Farther Southwards this Rojas or Ridge of Hills in- 
dices in the Shape of an Elbow to the North-Eaft and 
South. It runs along by the River Jenlzea Northwards, 
and Southwards by the Ofer or Lake Kofogol, out of 
which rifes the Kiver Selenga, which falls into the Lake 
Baikal, ^ From hence the Rojas extends to the 
Hefert, in the Iflangahan Country, and being interrupt- 
ed by fome Days Journey through the mentioned De- 
fart, proceeds onwards to the South, as far as the Chinefe 
great Wall, and then turns off Eaftwards to the Ca- 
reefchian Sea, as is delineated in our Map. 
5. But to come to the Defcription of the People of 
thefe Provinces, and to inform the Reader to w'hom 
they are Tributaries. The Country from Relim to 
Wergaturia, all along by the River Zujawaja, to the 
Province of Uffinia, is moftly inhabited by the Wogu- 
lifchian Fleathens, whofe Tenets and Manner of living 
are already above defcribed. The River Kugu?' where 
the Uffiinian Habitations begin, rifes out of the Uffinf- 
chian Jurifdidlion, betwixt the Rivers Zufawaja and 
Uffia, and falls into the Kama. On this laft River is 
fituate the City called Kungun, in which his Czarifti 
Majefty hath a Garrifon. Thefe Uffinfchian Tartars, as 
aifo another Sort called Baskinzians, inhabit near the 
City of Oeffa, and live difperfed in Villages and Towns,, 
all which are well built after the Ruffimn Faffiion, along 
the Weftern Shoar of the River Kama, and by the 
Wolga Side, alm.oft as far as the Cities Sarat and Sa~ 
rapul, both which are fituate on the River Wolga, and 
garrifoned by his Czarifh Majefty, in order to the col- 
Jetling of his Tribute,- and to keep the Tartars in Avve. 
This Tribute they pay in Furrs and Honey; and are a 
Sort of People that will not bear being too roughly 
handled by their Governors, but if fo treated by them 
are fure to rebel, of which there have been feveral In- 
ftances formerly ; but for a long Time they, have not 
been guilty of any Difloyalty. 
South- Weftwards, in the Diftrift of Afracan, there 
are alfo other fmall Clans or Hords of that Nation, who 
being an independant People, in Conjunftion with the 
Kalmockians bordering on Ajlracan, rob and pillage in -the 
Province of Siberia. Befides which, by Way of fup- 
plimental Maintenance, they apply themfelves to the 
Tillage of the Ground, chiefly for the Produdlion of 
Barley, Oats, and Buck- wheat : And as foon as the 
Corn is reaped, they prepare a iT^teftiing-Floor in the 
Field, threffi it out, and flow it in the Barn. This 
Country as plentifully flows with Honey as any Part of 
the World. Moft of the Men’s wearing Cloachs are 
made of Ruffan white Cloths, the Coat being about 
the fame Faftiion with thofe of the Mufcovite Peafants, 
with long Flaps hanging down on their Backs. The 
Women, when the Seafon is not too cold, cover the 
upper Part of their Body with a Shift only, which is 
curioufly ftitched with Silk of all Colours by Way of 
Stripe, from the Top to the Bottom ; and about the 
lower Part of their Body they wear Petticoats, and a 
Sort of Shoes which not only cover their Feet, but 
reach above their Ancles, Their Head-drefs confifts in 
a Sort of Fillet about a Hand- breadth, which they wear 
on their Foreheads, and fatten it behind. This Fillet is 
ftitched with Silk of feveral Colours, and adorned with 
a Sort of variegated Glafs, in Imitation of Coral, which 
is ftrung, and hangs dangling near the Eyes. Some 
have thefe broader than others, as being full two Spans 
long, and of one Hand Breadth, and ftitched through 
with Silk ; thefe look like a thin Plank, and are adorn- 
ed with Corals of all Sorts of Colours, which cover their 
Forehead. When they go abroad, they cover their 
Head-drefs with a fquare Linnen Handkerchief, ftitched^ 
with Silk, and edged with Silk Fringe. 
Thefe Uffinfchian, as well as the Kafkierfchian Tartars, 
are a valiant, warlike People ; they lit their Horfes well, 
and carry no other Arms than Bows and Arrows, in the 
Ufe of which they are extraordinary dextrous. They 
are vigorous and large Men, their Shoulders are broad, 
and they ffiffer their Beards to grow to a good Length. 
The Hair of their Eye-broyvs is fo very thick and long, 
that it hangs over their Eyelids, and generally runs fo 
far CFofs the Forehead as to unite the two Eye-brows. 
They have a Language peculiar to themfelves, yet 
can partly underftand the Af racan Tartars. Their Re- 
ligion 
