KALMUCS. 
101 
Kalmurs fond of it to tea. They use the hair for studnig; cushions, 
and for making ropes, packthread, feits, and very beautiful candets. 
The camels with two bunches afford a very uneasy seat to the person 
who rides them ; their trot is so heavy, and even their walk so rude, 
that he receives the most violent shocks at every step. 
. When a Kalmuc horde intends to seek a fresh pasture, w'hich in 
summer happens every six or eight days, people are sent to reconnoi- 
tre the best place for the khan or prince, for the lama, and for the hut 
containing’ the idols. These begin the march, and are followed by the 
whole troop, on these davs the women paint and dress themselves in 
their best clothes. The Kalmucs are supplied by their flocks with 
milk, cheese, butter, and flesh, which are their chief articles of food. 
They also eat the roots and stalks of many wuld plants, such as the 
bulbous chervil, dandelion, &e. Their ordinary drink is the. milk of 
mares or cows. The former when fresh has a disagreeable taste of 
garlic; but it takes, as it grows sour, a very agreeable vinous fla- 
vour; it neither yields cream nor curd, but furiiislies a very wholesome 
refreshing beverage, w'hich inebriates when taken to excess. They 
never use new milk, nor milk or water that has not been boiled. Their 
milk is boiled as soon as it is taken from the animal ; when cold, it 
is poured info a large leathern bag, where there remains as much of 
the old milk as is suihcient to turn the new sour. This commmuni* 
cates to the milk a vinous fermentation. As often as the Kalmucs 
procure much milk from the flocks, they intoxicate themselves w'ith 
the spirituous liquor which they distil from it. Mare’s milk is the 
most spirituous ; and the quantity meant to be distille“d remains 
twenty-four hours in summer, and three or four days in winter, in 
those corrupted bags, to prepare it for the operation. Cow’s -milk 
yields one-thirtieth part, and mare’s milk one-fifteenth of spirit. 
This liquor is limpid and very watery, and consequently does not 
take fire, but is capable of being long kept in glass bottles. The 
rich Kalmucs increase its strength by a second distillation. 
These people are exceedingly fond of tea and tobacco. As it comes 
to them from China by t!ie w ay of Russia, that the poor people supply 
its place with various wild plants, such as liquorice, the seed of the 
sharp^leafed dock, Tartarian maple, the roots of wild angelica, &c. 
The Kalmucs are excellent horsemen. Their arms are lances, bows 
and arrow's, poniards, and crooked sabres ; the rich have fire-arms. 
They wear, when at w'ar, coats of mail, and their helmets are gilt at 
top. Falconry and hunting are their chief amusements. Their pas- 
sion for play, especially cards, is carried to as great excess as in any 
nation. The greater part of their time is spent in diversions ; and 
how'ever miserable their manner of life may seem to ns, they are quite 
happy with it. They cannot endure for any time the air of a close 
room, and think our custom of living in houses insupportable. The 
greatest part of them arrive at a vigorous old age, their diseases being 
neither frequent nor dangerous. Men of eighty or one hundred years 
old are not uncommon, and at that age they can still endure the exer- 
cise of riding. Simple food, free air, a hardy constitution, con- 
tinual exercise, and a mind free from care, are the causes of their 
health and longevity. It is remarkable that a migratory people, whose 
