Chap. III. from Muse 
Jigion is Pagan, though indeed they partly incline to 
the Mahometan, which they have borrowed from the 
Crim Tartars, with whom they formerly converfed very 
much. ^ j I /-V7 
6. The Country betwixt the Rivers foboi and Oby, to 
jhe Jawufchowa Ofev, is inhabited by K.alnwckians. This 
Ofer or Lake plentifully abounds with hard Salt, and 
lies under the Kalmockian Jurifdidion ; notwithftanding' 
which about twenty or twenty five Dochenicks, or Ruffian 
Veffels, guarded by a Convoy of 2500 well armed Men, 
come annually from Tobolesk, up the River Irtis, from 
whence they travel by Land to this Ofer or Lake, where 
they dig up the Salt like Ice from the Shore, and load 
their sSps with it. Indeed they generally have fome 
Skirmiflies with the Kalmockians, who will not allow of 
this Praflice : But yet, whether they will or not,- they 
are forced to fuffer it. 
Inclining lower down from this Jamufawaian Lake, 
near the River Irtis, lies the City of korre, adjoining to 
the. River Lara: This is the laft Frontier Place which 
belongs to his Czarifh Majefty, bordering on the Terri> 
tones of the Kalmockian Prince Bujiuchan, The Inha- 
bitants of which are called Barabinfy, and flretch them- 
felves Eaftwards from the City of forre, to the River 
Oby, oppofite to the River ‘Ton, and the City of Loms- 
koy. This Country of Barnabu is paffable in Summer 
as well as Winter j but chiefly in the latter i For the 
My at Surgut and Narin being unpaffable in the Win- 
ter, Travellers- generally go this Way to Siberia, by 
f^omskoy and J enufeefehs . This Nation, vyhich is called. 
Barabinfy, confifls of a Sort of Kalmocks which pay Tri- 
bute equally to the Czar, and the Bujiuchan. ^ They 
have amongfl; them three Governors or Taifchi 5 ^ the 
firil of which is called Karfagaz, the fecond Baikifch •, 
and the third Baiduk : Thefe three Lords receive the 
Tribute of the Barabinzes, and bring the Czar his Por- 
tion. The Karfagaz^ the firft of them, brings his Part 
to the City of kora-, Baikifch, his Portion to the Ruf- 
fan Caftle of feluwa ; and Baiduk, the Remainder to 
the Gaflfe of Kulenba : All of, thefe Tributes being paid 
in Furrs. Thefe are an infolent villanous Sort of Peo- 
ple j they live in low built wooden Houfes, like thofe 
of the Siberian Tartars ; they are not at all acquainted 
with the Ufe of Stoves or Ovens, but make Ufe of a 
Sort of Chimnies or rather Smoak-hcles. When their 
Wood is burnt, they flop the Smoak-hole, and warm 
themfelves by the Coals as long as any Heat remains in 
them. 
Their Houfes are ranged into Villages •, they fet up 
hich Hutts in the Summer, but in Winter retire into 
th^ir warm wooden Dwellings. They are tolerably 
skilful in Agriculture, and fow Oats, Barley, Miller, 
and Buck-wheat, but are not fond of either Rye or 
Rye-bread : And though they like the Tafte of it well 
enough, yet they chew it fo awkwardly, and roll it up- 
on tlieir Tongues as if they had Dirt in their Mouths, 
and fpitting it out-, ferape the Remainder off their 
Tongue as after a Thing which they cannot fwallovv. 
They 4 feep their Barley in Water, dry it a little, and 
then threfli off the Husk ; after which they dry, or ra- 
ther fry it in a very hot Iron Pan or Kettle ; by which 
Manao’cment it becomes as hard as Bone and this is 
their Bread which they daily eat, and is fo hard and 
dry, that it crafhes betwixt their Teeth. They alfo eat 
tfmSaranna or Bulb of yellow Lillies, dried, ftamped, 
and boiled .with Milk, as a Sort of Milk-pap. They 
drink Kumis, a Sort of Brandy extrafted from Mares- 
Milk ; and Karaza, i. e. Karatcha, or black Tea, which 
is brought thither by the Bucharians. 
Their Arms are thofe common to the greateft Part 
of the Tartars, viz. Bows and Arrows. They keep 
trreat Numbers of Cattle, particularly Horfes, ' Camels, 
Cows and Sheep : But neither keep or will eat Hogs. 
Their Country abounds with fine Sables, Martins, Squir- 
rels, Ermins, Foxes, Hyena’s, Beavers, Minks, Otters, 
tfc. in which they pay their Tribute. This Country 
extends from Tora to the Rivers Oby and Tom % is not 
mountainous but plain even Land, abounding with 
Woods of beautiful Cedars, Larch-Trees, Birch and 
Pitch-Trees, which are interfered by feveral Chryital- 
, 'VoL,n. N^exxxv. 
ovY to China. 95 J 
line running Streams. In the Habits of both Men and 
Women, they follow the Numgolfchian and Kalmcckiaii 
Fafhion ; and marry as many Wives as they can main- 
tain. When they go into the Woods in order to hunt 
furred Animals, they carry their Saltans along with 
them ; which is a rough Image, as well carved in Wood 
as they can do it with a Knife: This they cloath in a 
Stuff Drefs of all Sorts of Colours, in Imitation of the 
Habits of the Ruffian Women, and place him upright 
in a fmall Cafe, and carry him upon a particular 
Slead, both made for that Purpofe ; and to him they 
offer up their firft Capture of what Sort of Beaft foe- 
ver it prove. 
When they have killed great Numbers of their GamCj 
they return Home vtvy merrily, mount their Idol in his 
Cafe, to the higheft Place in the Houfe, and hang him 
behind and before, above and below, with Sables, Mar- 
tins and all Sorts of Furrs, in order to exprefs their 
Acknowledgments to him for rendring their Hunting- 
fo fuccefsful , and all thefe rich Furrs muft hang there 
to be fpoiled and putrified, they believing it a moft un- 
pardonable Crime to take off or fell any of thefe dedi- 
cated Hides •, whence it is that we daily fee fo many 
fine Skins placed by thefe Images^ that are eaten up by 
the Worms, v/hicli it is indeed a great Pity are not bet- 
ter employed. 
7. Crofiing the River Oby from hence, we come to 
Tomskoy, which is alfo a Frontier Place belonging to the 
Czar, fituate on the Buzuk, and is a very fine and vaft 
large City, ftrongly garrifoned by Ruffan and Coffackiaiz 
Soldiers, to prevent the Incurfions of the Tartars into 
Siberia \ and in the. Suburbs over the River live great 
Numbers of Bucharftan Tartars, who pay Tribute to 
his Czarifh Majefty. This City lies on the River Tom, 
which rifes in the Kalmockian TerricorieSj and from 
hence tlie Subjeefts of the Bufuchtu Chan, and the Bu-^ 
charfians, drive a very confiderable Trade to China, fe- 
veral Ruffian Merchants being concerned and fharing 
with them. This Way to China is very expeditious, 
it being pra6ficable to go thither in twelve Weeks, and 
return back in as fhort a Time; but it is withal expo- 
fed to the greateft Inqonveniencies and Difficulties 
in the World ; for the Travellers are obliged to carry 
all Neceffaries allong with them upon Camels, nay even 
Water and Wood to drefs, their Viftuals. They go di- 
reftly through Kalmockia, and through Cokoton, a G&i- 
nefe City without the Wall. But it is utterly impoffible 
for Ruffians or other Nations to travel this Road, by 
Reason that it is infefted with feveral Gangs of Rob- 
bers, which fet on the Paffengers, and very often de.* 
prive them of all that they have gained by fo tedious 
and fatiguing a Journey. 
From Tomskoy down to the City of janifeefeh is utterly 
defolare and uninhabited Land ; the Country is an even 
Plain, on which appear fome fcattered Thickets: Alfo 
all about the two Rivers Kia and Zuwin, to as far as 
the Cities Kufnezkoy and Krafnajar, is very little or not 
at all inhabited, any w-here befides the Frontiers. The 
firft peopled Country we find here is that of the KirgL 
zens, which are the Subjefts of the Bufuchtu Chan. The 
City of Krafnajar is very large, and defended by a 
ftrong Garrifon of Coffacks placed in it by his Czarifb 
Majefty, and they are always obliged to keep a very 
ftrift Guard to prevent the Incurfions of the Ktrgizens^ 
for which Reafon twenty Horfes both Day and Night 
ftand conftantly Sadled and Bridled, in the Market- 
place, before the Governor’s Houfe ; For the Kirgizens, 
though at Peace with the Siberians, are a People who 
are never to be trufted. For frequently when they are 
' not expedted, they come in Parties, and fteal both Men 
and Horfes under the very Walls of the City, and out 
of the neareft of the Siberian Villages; But the Cojfacks 
generally make.fevere Reprizals on them, by often 
killing and carrying off, feveral hundreds of Men and 
Horfes from their Hords or Clans. 
8, Thefe Kirgizens extend their Habitations South- 
Eaftwards as far as the Mongalian Diftridfs, They are 
a warlike Nation, being generally vigorous, tail, and 
broad-faced Men, fome what like the Kalmockians. Their 
Arms are Bows and Arrows, but they never go out in 
I r K Queft 
