434 
CALMUCKS. 
CHAP. 
XV. 
Conse- 
crated En- 
signs of the 
Calmuck 
Law. 
pursuer. If she dislike him, she rides, to use 
the language of English sportsmen, “ neck or 
nothing ,” until she has completely effected her 
escape, or until the pursuer’s horse becomes 
exhausted, leaving her at liberty to return, and 
to be afterwards chased by some more-favoured 
admirer. 
We visited one of their largest camps, near 
the town. The earth all around their tents was 
covered with the mutilated carcases of dead 
rats, cats, dogs, suslics, and bobacs : the limbs of 
horses were placed upon upright stakes, drying 
in the sun. Their dogs are fierce and nume- 
rous. A dreadful storm had happened during 
the preceding night: we found the Calmuchs 
in considerable distress, owing to the havoc the 
tempest had made among their tents: some of 
these it had unroofed, and overthrown others. 
Their High Priest, in a yellow dirty robe, was 
walking about to maintain order. To each tent 
was affixed a small flag-staff, with an ensign of 
scarlet linen, containing, in sacred characters, 
the written law of the Calmucks. By means of 
an interpreter, who accompanied us upon this 
occasion, we were told that such banners were 
always erected in times of general calamity, as 
preventions of theft, and of intrusion upon each 
other’s property. Many of the banners which 
