I 
856 TAR 
tan and Asiatic Russia, and from the Eastern ocean to the 
mountain boundary of Independent Tartary; a space com¬ 
prising, in its greatest dimensions, about seventy degrees of 
longitude, and twenty degrees of latitude. The southern and 
mountainous part of this vast track passes under the name of 
Thibet, and is commonly considered as an appendage to 
India. The western part of what is usually called Chinese 
Tartary is among the regions of the globe with regard to 
which our information is most imperfect. We have scarcely 
any knowledge respecting it, except the narratives, now by 
no means recent, of Marco Polo and Goez,with some Chinese 
maps procured by the missionaries. The most westerly coun¬ 
try, situated immediately on the other side of the Beloor 
Taugh, appears to be Cashgar, with a capital of the same 
name, forming the residence of a Chinese Amdan or viceroy. 
The great emporium of this region, however, is Yarcund, si¬ 
tuated farther to the south, and forming the rendezvous of the 
merchants from India, Cabul, and Independent Tartary. 
Proceeding eastward, the two principal kingdoms are Koten 
or Khoten, and Hami or Chamil. The former is represented 
as very flourishing, containing numerous fortified cities, and 
excelling both in agriculture and manufactures. It is parti¬ 
cularly celebrated for a species of beautifully variegated mar¬ 
ble, which bears a high price in China. Hami is also as a 
wealthy region, inhabited by a voluptuous and even dissolute 
people. In this part of Asia are also mentioned Acsu, Cialis, 
Ciarcian, Lop, and Peym. One of its most distinguishing 
features is the great desert of Shamo or Cohi, which extends 
from west to east through nearly its whole extent, and after¬ 
wards interposes between China and the Russian empire. It 
extends in this direction nearly 2000 miles. The caravans 
coast its northern border, till they come to Lop, where they 
cross from north to south, and proceed along the southern 
border to China. 
The part of Tartary situated to the west and north-west of 
China, consists entirely of desert or at least of naked plains, 
particular portions only of which afford pasture and water, 
and which is traversed by wandering tribes of Mongols, Kal- 
kas, and Eluths. 
The most eastern extremity of Tartary, bordering on the 
Pacific, consists of the country of the Mantchoo Tartars, 
which, in consequence of having given a conquering dynasty 
to China, forms now a province of that empire. It is still a 
favourite hunting residence of the emperors, who have a 
summer palace at some distance beyond the great wall, to 
which they resort during three months of the year. The 
country consists generally of very lofty mountains, covered 
with immense forests. No grain except oats can be raised in 
any quantity ; and though the latitude be only that of the 
south of France, the climate resembles that of Norway, and 
the rivers begin to freeze in September. 
Besides the before-mentioned tribes, who inhabit the re¬ 
gion properly called Tartary, a great part of the southern pro¬ 
vinces of Asiatic Russia have a Tartar population. Among 
these we may particularly distinguish the Kalmucs and the 
Baschkirs. 
The Kalmucs were formerly one of the most numerous and 
powerful people of Tartary, and they even boast of the con¬ 
queror Zingis as belonging to their nation. After various 
fortunes and wanderings, the whole body established itself in 
1723, upon the banks of the Volga from Tzaritzan to Astra- 
can. They then numbered 14,000 tents or families. They 
owned the supremacy of the czar, and even allowed him the 
confirmation of their khan. The Kalmucs have a better organ¬ 
ized form of government than most of the wandering tribes. 
They are divided into nobles or princes, whom they call 
“ white bones;” into priests or Gelums, to whom they pay 
the highest respect; and into common people, whom they 
call “ black bones." They are formed also into the clans 
called Oidouss, with each a khan at its head; and these 
khans being assembled, decide on the general affairs of the 
state, and elect a great khan, who forms the supreme head of 
the Kalmucs. The people are of a middle size, with black, 
hard, and shining hair; they have very small eyes, with a 
TAR 
piece of skin stretched externally towards the lacrymal canal, 
which gives them a physiognomy peculiar to themselves, and 
distinct from that of the other Asiatic nations. The ears stand 
out from the head; the nose is broad and flat, They encamp 
under tents of felt, which, when they change their habitation, 
are easily placed with all their effects upon the backs of 
camels or oxen. 
The Baschkirs inhabit the southern part of the provinces 
of Oufa and Orenburg, with part of Tobolsk, between the 
rivers Belaia, Kama, Volga, and Oural. They seem to have 
been established here from a very early period, and submitted 
to Russia at the time of the conquest of Kazan. By the 
enumeration of 1770, the Baschkirs were found to consist of 
27,000 families, divided into 14 cantons. 
TARTAS, a small town in the south-wsst of France, de¬ 
partment of the Landes, situated on the declivity of a hill, 
watered by the Douze. It contains about 3200 inhabi¬ 
tants, who carry on a traffic in corn and wine; 14 miles 
north-west of St. Sever, and 18 west-by-south of Mont de 
Marsan. 
TARTAS, a river of Asiatic Russia, in the government of 
Tobolsk, which falls into the Om, near Tartaskoi. 
TARTASCH, a small town of European Turkey, in Mol¬ 
davia ; 63 miles south-west of Jassy. 
TARTASKOI, a small town of Tobolsk, in Asiatic Russia 
situated at the junction of the two rivers Om and Tartas; 40 
miles west-south-west of Kainsk. 
TARTH, a small river of Scotland, in Peebles-shire, which 
rises in the parish of Kirkurd, and joins the Lyne, a little 
below Droichill castle. It abounds with fine trout. 
TARTINI (Giuseppe), of Padua, a famous violin com¬ 
poser, was born at Pirano, in Istria, in 1692. His father, 
having been a great benefactor to the cathedral church at 
Parenzo, had been ennobled in reward for his piety. Giu¬ 
seppe was intended for the law, but mixing music yrith his 
other studies during the course of his education, it soon 
grew too powerful for the rest, and tyrannized over the whole 
circle of sister sciences. In 1710, he was sent to the uni¬ 
versity of Padua to pursue his studies as a civilian; but 
before he was twenty, having married without the consent 
of his parents, they wholly abandoned him, and obliged 
him to wander about in search of an asylum; which, after 
many hardships, he found in a convent at Assisi, where he 
was received by a monk his relation, who, commiserating 
his misfortunes, let him remain there till something better 
could be done for him. Here he practised the violin, to 
keep off melancholy reflections; but being discovered by 
a Paduan acquaintance, differences were accommodated, 
and he settled with his wife at Venice for some time. 
His first book of solos was engraved at Amsterdam, 1734 ; 
the second at Rome, 1745; and he produced above two 
hundred of these compositions; his concertos, likewise 
amount to two hundred. 
Tartini seems to have had a larger portion of genius 
and knowledge of composition as a mere instrumental 
composer, than any other author who flourished during the 
first fifty or sixty years of the last century. Though he 
made Correlli his model in the purity of his harmony, and 
simplicity of his modulation, he greatly surpassed that com¬ 
poser in the fertility and originality of his invention; not 
only in the subjects of his melodies, but in the truly canta- 
bile manner of treating them. Many of his adagios want 
nothing but words to be excellent pathetic opera songs. 
His allegros are sometimes difficult; but the passages fairly 
belong to the instrument for which they were composed, 
and were suggested by his consummate knowledge of the 
finger-board, and powers of the bow. He certainly repeats 
his passages, and adheres to his original motivo, or theme, 
too much, for the favourite desultory style of the present 
times; but it must be allowed that by his delicate selection 
and arrangement of notes, his passages are always good. 
He died on the 26th of February, 1770, to the great regret 
of the inhabitants of the city of Padua, where he had re¬ 
sided nearly fifty years. 
M. de 
