95 ^ 
E. Ysbrants Ides’j ’Travels 
quefi: of Booty without very good Coats of Mail and 
Lancesj which they draw along by the Horfe Side, 
with their Points on the Ground. They generally live 
in the Mountains, which naturally ferve to defend them 
from Surprize. The greatefl Part of their Language 
is KalmocMan^ but they allb fpeak a great deal of the 
Crim Tartarian Idiom, which the Turks partly under- 
jftand. 
From Krafnoy along the River Jenifea^ as far down 
as Jenifeefch^ is inhabited by fome Tungezians ; but 
chiefly by Burattians. This lafl-mentioned Caftle juft 
touches on Mongalia, and borders on the Ridge of 
Rocks between Tunkinskoi and the City of Selinga, The 
Frontier Fort butting on Mongalia is not large, but 
provided with a very Itrong Garrifon, chiefly of Horfe, 
in order to defend the Weflern-fide againft the 
Mongalians^ and their fubordinate Tartars the Mirot- 
tians, Milyans, and Burattians. Near this City grows 
a Sort oi Sant alum or Sanders^ which is prodigious hard. 
The Burattians^ which are under the Protection of his 
Czarilk Majefly, formerly inhabited the Country all 
about Selinga j but by Reafon fome of them, at the 
Infligation of the Chinefe^ began to fly over to the 
MongalianSy the Remainder were, for greater Security, 
tranlplanted to the Baicajfian Lake, round which they 
now live in the Mountains, and pay their Tribute to his 
Czarifh Majeffy in Sables and other rich Furs, 
From this City to the Lake Baikal runs a continued 
Ridge of Hills, where are found very fine Sables and 
Cabardins. From the Lake Kofogel Eaftward to the 
Sandy Defert, and from thence to Dway, or the Mon- 
galian Lake^ and fo on to the Province of Argun, and 
thence again North-weft as far as the Rivers Onon and 
Sikoy, is the Circumference and Boundary of the whole 
Mongalian Territories, or, as hath been formerly faid, 
of the Jurifdidiion of the Race of Gog and Magog, 
which is governed by three Regents, the Chief of which 
Is the Kuttucht, who is alfo the High-prieft of the Na- 
tion. The fecond Brother is the Aziroi Sain Chan, and 
the third is Elidl, whofe Boundaries border on the Weft 
Tartars. The firft two Brothers infeparably hold toge- 
ther, but the third robs and plunders wherever any 
Booty is to be come at ; and is fo bold as to venture 
fometimes even to the Chinefe Wall with his Troops, 
carrying off all that comes in his Way, not fparing evert 
the Emperor of China* s Money which he fends as a cha- 
ritable Prefent to the neighbouring Tartars, to engage 
them to a firm Continuance in their Allegiance, 
otherwife call’d Koetoegt,2a\di Aziroi Sain Chan\\\% Brother, 
though their Country is of vaft Extent, have yet put 
both themfelves and that under the Protection of the 
Emperor of China, out of their great Fear of the Ba~ 
fuchtu Chan, Prince of the Kalmockians, from whom 
they fuffered very much in the Years 1688, and 1689. 
9. But to flay no longer on the Frontiers of his Czarifti 
Majefty’s Territories, and to take a Turn Eaftwards of 
Ardum Caftle, which Fortrefs is built on the Weft-fide of 
the River Argum, and garrifoned with Ruffian Forces ; 
the People inhabiting all round are Tungafi Konni, who 
pay their Tribute to his Czarifh Majefty in Sables, 
Linx, and grey Ferrets Skins, which there prove very 
fine. The Tungufians are a fierce, warlike People, and 
can^ on Occafion, from thefe Borders only, bring into 
the Field four thoufand Horfemen armed with Bows 
and Arrows •, infomuch that no roving Mongalians dare 
ride or appear hereabouts, otherwife than by Night, 
when they fometimes drive away a few Horfes and 
Cattle out of the Field. Their Winter CJoaths are 
Sheep-skins, and their Boots like thofe of the Chinefe. 
Their Caps are turned up with broad Borders of Furr, 
which they can turn up or pull down as rainy or fair 
Weather gives Occafion. They wear about their Waftes 
a Girdle of about a Hand’s Breadth, faften’d with thin 
iron Plates, and an Arrow, upon which they make a 
Sort of piping Mufick. In Summer-time they gene- 
rally ride with bare Heads, fhaven all round, leaving 
only one Lock hanging behind like the Chinefe. Their 
iSummer-drefs is made of blue Chinefe Callico quilted 
with Cotton \ but as for Shirts they wear none. They 
rtaturally have very fmall, or indeed fcarce any Beards, 
Book III. 
and very firoiig 
, When they labour under Want of Provihons, they ™ 
n whole Herds or Qans out a Buck-hunting, whe®° 
they encompafs and Ihoot vaft Quantities of them and 
whatever they take, they focially divide, and lardv 
ihoot but they h.t tlieir Game. The Wives are cloathed 
Manner as the Husbands beinsr 
chiefly diftinguilhed by two plaited Locks which Ihef 
wear on each Side of the Head, and hang down on them 
Bieafts, and are tied with Silver or Tin Rings. TheV 
ntarry as many V/ives as they can keep, and buy theS 
of one another, not temg very nicely concerned at 
their having lived with another Man. They believe 
and acknowledge a God in Heaven, but they neither 
pay any Worihip, nor addrefs any Prayers to him. H 
the Night they apply themfelves to the or to'to 
by beating p Drums and performing of Exorciftnsl 
efpecially when they are going a Hunting, or upon any 
Robbing Defign, to enquire whether they are to expect 
good or ill Suejefs. Their Liquor with which they 
make merry is ^rai, a Sort of Brandy diftilled from 
Males Milk, which they fuffer to turn acid. Inftead 
of a Cauldron they draw off this Liquor in two Pots 
one fet upon the other, and well luted together, there 
b^ng a wooden Pipe in one of them. This they draw 
off twice or tp.ce, and this Operation produces good 
Brandy ; which even Girls, as well as Men and Wo- 
men, fip to that Excels, that they become infenfible and 
motionlds for a long Space of Time. Their Wives 
and Daughters ride on Horfeback, arm’d with Bows and 
Arrows as well as the Men. Their Bread is a refi- 
ned and dried Sort of Flour of yellow Lilly Bulbs of 
which they make a Sort of Pap ; befides which, they 
have no otner Bread : But they alfo eat the mentioned 
Bulbs dry out of Hand, and are utterly unpradtifed in 
and Ignorant of Agriculture. The Trade or Barter 
which fome of this Nation drive with the TarMnians 
and XiAgarfians, which live under the Chinefe Jurif- 
diclion, is chiefly trucking Furrs againft blue Callicoes, 
Linnens, and Tobacco, and proves very advantacreous 
to them, as it generally doth to all who follow it 
They believe themfelves to be the Defendants of the 
Targaftnians of Daorzi, with feveral of whom they keep 
up an amicable Correfpondence. ^ 
Near the before-mentioned Caftle of Argum, about 
half a Day’s Journey from it, amongft the Hills, is a 
Silver Mine, and it plainly appears, that formerly the 
People of Nieuchieu, or Daourzen, had feveral Foun- 
daries and Works there, which are at prefent rgn to 
Ruin. From hence to Nerzinskoy, the chief City of 
Daour, it is ten Days Journey by Land with Camels, 
and is alfo a fine Country, very conveniently watered 
with feveral running Brooks. Upon and betwixt the 
Hills grow the moft charming Herbs and Flowers 
which Imagination can fuggeft : And the Vallies are 
covered with long Grafs about half a Man’s Height. 
Tillage IS not very much pradlifed here, by reafon the 
Inhabitants are chiefly his Czarifli IVIaJefty’s Tartars . 
10. But leaving the River Argum again, and croffino- 
over the vaft River Amur, I come to the River Gorhiza^ 
which feparates the Dominions of his Czarifti Majefty 
from thofe of the Emperor of China ; from the Ha- 
ven of the Gorhiza Eaftwards to the Sea being fubjedt 
to the Chinefe, and the Weftern as well as the Northern 
Side of the faid River belonging to his Czarifti Majefty. 
If we fteer Eaftwards from the Gorhiza to the Rivers 
Tugur and Uda, which rife Northwards of the Amur, 
and fall Eaftwards into the Chinefe Ocean or Amoerf 
chian Sea, we find the Country betwixt thofe Rivers 
yields great Quantities' of black Sables, and the Shores 
of thefe mentioned Streams are inhabited by Tungu- 
zians, Alemurians, and Koreizians ; which laft Na- 
tion ieems originally to come from Coela, that Country 
lying not far diftant from thence, it being eafy to reach 
it in a fhort Day, with a favourable Wind. They are re- 
ported to have fettled along the Banks of the River Amur, 
and afterwards fpread themfelves farther. Thofe who live 
on the Sea-coaft depend chiefly on Fifliing ; but there 
are many of the Inland People very rich, great Num- 
