Conquest Of Siberia, And The History Of The Transactions, Wars, Commerce, Etc.: Carried On Between Russia And China, From The Earliest Period (1842)

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'V ..V.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA, BY THE CHEVALIER DILLON, AND THE HISTORY

TRANSACTIONS, WARS, COMMERCE, Sec. Sec.

CARRIED ON BE

RUSSIA AND CHINA, FROM THE EARLIEST

PI

FROM THE

K

1)

G. F.

MULLER,

PETER SIMON PALLAS,

M.D. F.R.S. S

EMPRESS

VDEMY OF I:TC.

'

OND EDITION.

EontfOrt M)

CO.,

SCIT.

ETC.

:

LEADENHALI.

TO THE

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA, BY THE CHEVALIER DILLON, AND THE HISTORY OF THE

TRANSACTIONS, WARS, ^COMMERCE, &c. &c.

CARRIED ON BETWEEN

RUSSIA AND CHINA, FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.

TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN G. F.

OF

MULLER,

HISTORIOGRAPHER OF RUSSIA, AND OF

PETER SIMON PALLAS,

M.D. F.R.S.

COUNSELLOR OF THE BOARD OF MINES TO THE

EMPRESS OF RUSSIA,

MEMBER

OF THE IMPERIAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AT SAINT

PETERSBURG, ETC. ETC.

SECOND EDITION.

Eontfon ALLEN AND

CO.,

:

LEADENFIALL STREET.

PRINTED BY GEO. NICHOLS, EARL*S COURT, LEICESTER SQUARE. 1843.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY

SIR

HENRY POTTINGER, HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S PLENIPOTENTIARY

BART.

IN CHINA,

THIS

BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE TRANSACTIONS, WARS,

COMMERCE,

&c.

CARRIED ON BETWEEN

RUSSIA AND CHINA, IS

RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY

HIS EXCELLENCY'S

MOST HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT SERVANT,

THE EDITOR.

/.

EXPLANATION OF

SOME RUSSIAN WORDS MADE USE OF

IN

THE

FOLLOWING WORK. Baidar, a small boat.

Guba, a bay.

Kamen, a

rock.

Kotche, a vessel.

Krepost, a regular fortress. Noss, a cape. Ostrog, a fortress surrounded with pallisadoes. Ostrojf,

an

island.

Ostrova, islands.

Quass, a sort of fermented liquor. Reka, a river.

The

Russians, in their proper names of persons,

make use

of patronymics; these patronymics are formed in some cases

by adding Vitch

to the Christian

name of

Off or Eff; the former termination of condition

;

is

the father

;

in others,

applied only to persons

the latter to those of an inferior rank.

As, for

instance,

condition Ivan Ivanomtch \ Ivan the son of inferior rank,/vem Ivanoff of Ivan. J

Among persons of

Michael Alexievitcli, \ Michael the son Michael Alexeff, of Alexey. J Sometimes a surname

is

added, Ivan Ivanovitch Romanoff.

TABLE OF

RUSSIAN WEIGHTS, MEASURES OF LENGTH, AND

VALUE OF MONEY. WEIGHT.

A

pood weighs 40 Russian pounds

36 English.

MEASURES OF LENGTH. an arsheen.

16 vershocks

An

28

arsheen

inches.

Three arsheens, or seven

500 sazshens

A

feet

a fathom,* or sazshen.

a verst.

degree of longitude comprises 104| versts miles.

miles

A may

mile

is

therefore

69| English

1,515 parts of a verst

;

two

then be estimated equal to three versts, omitting

a small fraction.

VALUE OF RUSSIAN MONEY.

A

rouble

100

copecs.

Its value varies according to the exchange,

4s. 2d.

reckoned at four

*

from

3s. 8d. to

Upon an average, however, the value of a rouble

The fathom

English fathom

is

shillings.

for

6

measuring the depth of water feet.

is

the same as the

CONTENTS. CHAP.

First irruption of the Russians into Siberia

I.

Yermac driven by the Czar of

second inroad

Muscovy from the Volga,

retires to Orel, a

enters Siberia with an

settlement

and exploits

sacks

his progress

Chan

conquers his dominions

Cos-

army of

defeats

Kutchum

cedes them to the

receives a reinforcement of Russian troops

Czar is

Russian

surprised by

death

Kutchum Chan

veneration paid to

their

country

memory

and

Russian

re-enter

and conquer the

progress

stopped by the

troops evacuate Siberia

whole

his

his defeat

Chinese.

CHAP.

II.

Commencement

Russians and limits of the

Chinese

of hostilities between the disputes

two empires

concerning

treaty of Nershinsk

embassies from the court of Russia to Pekin of Kiachta

the

treaty

establishment of the commerce between

the two nations.

CONTENTS,

IV.

CHAP.

Account of the Russian and Chinese

III.

tlements upon the confines of Siberia of

Russian

the

frontier

town

description

Kiachta

Chinese frontier town Maitmatschin

set-

its

of the

buildings,

pagodas, &c.

Commerce between

CHAP. IV. sians

list

duties

the Chinese and Rus-

of the principal exports and imports

average amount of the Russian trade,

CHAP. V.

Description of Zuruchaitu

and

its

trade

transport of the merchandize through Siberia.

CHAP. VI.

Tartarian rhubarb brought to Kiachta by

merchants

the Bucharian

and purchasing

rheum which

the

yield

rhubarb in Russia

roots

method of examining different

the finest

exportation

species

rhubarb

of

price of

superiority of the

Tartarian over the Indian rhubarb.

CHAP. VII.

Table of the longitude and latitude of

the' principal places

mentioned in

this

work.

Discovery and conquest of Kamtchatka

CHAP. VIII.

of that peninsula

state

population

tribute

productions, &c.

General idea of the commerce carried on

CHAP. IX. the

New

Discovered Islands from Kamtchatka

equipment of the vessels

risks

of

the

trade,

profits, &c.

Furs and skins procured from Kamtchatka

CHAP. X. and the

New

Discovered Islands, to be disposed of

to the Chinese.

CHAP. XI.

Commencement and

progress of the

first

Russian discoveries in the sea of Kamtchatka general division of the

where

furs

CHAP. XII. first

New

Discovered

Islands,

were procured for the China market.

Voyages

in 1745,

from Kamtchatka

discovery of the Aleutian

Isles

by Michael

Nevodtsikoff.

CHAP. XIII. to Beering's

Successive voyages, from 1747 to 1753,

and the Aleutian

of the inhabitants.

Isles

some account

ilsr

CHAP.

I.

First irruption of the Russians into Siberia second inroad Yermac driven by the Czar of Muscovy from the Volga,

retires

to

Siberia with an exploits

defeats

cedes them to

enters

army progress and Kutchum Chan conquers his dominions the Czar receives a reinforcement of

Russian troops defeat

a Russian settlement

Orel,

of Cossacks

is

and death

surprised

by

veneration

their

Kutchum

paid

Russian troops evacuate Siberia the whole country

his

to

Chan

his

his

re-enter

memory and conquer

progress stopped by the Chinese.

SIBERIA was scarcely

known

to the Russians

before the middle of the sixteenth century.

For

although an expedition was made, under the reign of Ivan Vassilievitch

I.

into

the north-

western parts of that country, as far as the river

Oby, by which several Tartar tribes were rendered tributary, and some of their chiefs brought prisoners to

Moscow

;

yet this incursion bore a

greater resemblance to the desultory inroads of barbarians,

than

to

ment of empire by a

any permanent civilized nation.

establish-

Indeed

,

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

6

the effects of that expedition soon vanished

;

nor does any trace of the least communication with Siberia again appear in the Eussian history before the reign of Ivan Vassilievitch II.

At

became an object of by means of one Anika Strogonoff, a

that period Siberia again attention,

Russian merchant, salt

works

who had

established

at Solvytshegodskaia, a

some

town in the

government of Archangel.

This person carried on a trade of barter with the inhabitants of the north-western parts of Siberia,

who brought

every year to the above-

mentioned town large quantities of the choicest furs.

Upon

their return to their country, Stro-

gonoff was accustomed to send with them some

Russian merchants,

who

and traded with the

natives.

considerable

By

these

number of very valuable

procured at an easy

rate, in

and other commodities of

This

crossed the mountains,

traffic

means a

furs

exchange

were

for toys

trifling value.

was continued

for several years,

without any interruption, during which Strogonoff

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

7

rapidly amassed a very considerable fortune.

length the Czar Ivan Vassilievitch

At

II. foreseeing

the advantages which would accrue to his sub-

from

jects,

regular to

a more

establishing

commerce with these people, determined

enlarge the communication

with Siberia. troops

general and

already opened

Accordingly he sent a corps of

They followed the

into that country.

same route which had been discovered by the Russians in the former expedition, and which

was

lately frequented

vytshegodskaia.

by the merchants of

It lay along the

Sol-

banks of the

Petschora, and from thence crossed the Yugorian

mountains, which form the north-eastern boundary of Europe.

seem

to

These troops, however, do not

have passed the

Irtish,

or

to

have

penetrated further than the western branch of the river Oby. laid

Some Tartar

under contribution

;

tribes

and a

name was Yediger, consented

to

tribute of a thousand sables. tion

was not productive of any

for soon afterwards

taken prisoner by

were indeed chief,

whose

pay an annual

But

this expedi-

lasting effects;

Yediger was defeated, and

Kutchum Chan;

the latter

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

8

was a

lineal descendant of the celebrated Zinghis

Chan, and had newly established his empire in those parts.

This second inroad was probably made about the middle of the sixteenth century

;

Czar Ivan Vassilievitch assumed the

Lord of

for the title

of

the Siberian lands so early as 1558,

all

before the conquests

in that

kingdom.

made by Yermac But probably the name of

Siberia

time only confined to the

district

was

at that

then rendered tributary

;

and

as the Russians

extended their conquests, this appellation was afterwards applied to the whole tract of country

which now bears that name.

For some time

after the

above-mentioned ex-

pedition, the Czar does not appear to have

made

any attempts towards recovering his lost authority in those distant regions.

But

his attention

was

again turned to that quarter by a concurrence of incidents

;

which, though begun without his

immediate interposition, terminated in a vast accession of territory.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. in

Strogonoff,

recompense

9

for

having

opened a trade with the inhabitants of

first

Siberia,

obtained from the Czar large grants of land

;

accordingly he founded colonies upon the banks of the rivers

Kama

and Tchussovaia

;

and these

settlements gave rise to the entire subjection of Siberia,

by the refuge which they not long

wards afforded

to

Yermac

after-

Timofeeff.

This person was nothing more than a fugitive

Cossack of the Don, and chief of a troop of banditti Sea.

who

But

as

infested the shores of the Caspian

he was the instrument by which

such a vast extent of dominion was added to the

Russian to

empire,

it

will

not be uninteresting

develop the principal circumstances, which

brought this Cossack from the shores of the Caspian to the banks of the

Kama

the progress which he afterwards

;

and

made

to trace

in the

distant regions of Siberia.

By the vitch

victories

which the Czar Ivan

Vassilie-

had gained over the Tartars of Casan and

Astracan, that monarch extended his dominions

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

10

as far as the

lished

a

Caspian Sea

commerce

But

Bucharians. to those parts

by the

the

which

as the roads

side of that river,

and of the Volga,

banditti, *the

a considerable force against them.

Czar sent

Accordingly,

they were attacked and routed ; part were

made

flight.

and

Persians

merchants who traded

Don; and

were infested with those

part

estab-

were continually pillaged by the

Cossacks of the lay

with

as the

and thereby

;

prisoners,

Among

and the

slain,

rest escaped

by

the latter was a corps of six

thousand Cossacks, under the command of the above-mentioned Yermac Timofeeff.

That celebrated adventurer, being driven from his usual haunts, retired, with his followers, into

the interior part

From thence he

of

the province

of

Casan.

directed his course along the

banks of the Kama, until he came

to

Orel.

That place was one of the Russian settlements recently planted, and was governed by Maxim, grandson of Anika StrogonofF. of storming

the place,

Yermac, instead

and pillaging the

habitants, acted with a degree

in-

of moderation

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. unusual in a chief of banditti.

11

Being hospitably

received by Strogonoif, and supplied with every

thing necessary for the subsistence of his troops,

he fixed his winter quarters

His

restless genius,

;

however, did not suffer him

any length of time in a

to continue for inactivity

at that settlement.

state of

and from the intelligence he procured

concerning the situation of the neighbouring

he turned his arms toward

Tartars of Siberia, that quarter.

Siberia

was

at that time partly divided

a number of separate princes;

among

and partly

in-

habited by the various tribes of independent Tartars.

Of the

former,

Kutchum Chan was

most powerful sovereign.

the

His dominions con-

sisted of that tract of country

which now forms

the south-western part of the province of Tobolsk;

and stretched

Oby

to

those

from, the

of the

principal residence

was

* Several authors have

banks of the

Irtish

Tobol and Tura.

and

His

at Sibir*, a small fortress

supposed the name of Siberia to

origin from this fortress, soon after it was first taken the Russians under Yermac. But this opinion is advanced by

derive

its

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

12

river Irtish, not far

upon the

from the present

town of Tobolsk, and of which some ruins are still

be seen.

to

Although

his

considerable, yet there were

which seemed

his territories

some circumstances

to ensure success to

He had

invader.

power was very

an enterprising

newly acquired a large part of

by conquest

;

and had, in a great

measure, alienated the affections of his idolatrous subjects,

by the

introduced

intolerant zeal with

which he

and desseminated the Mahometan

religion.

Strogonoff did not

fail

Yermac

of displaying to

with the

this inviting posture of affairs, as well

view of removing him from his present as because

Kutchum Chan;

against

station,

he himself was personally exasperated for

without

sufficient

unknown

to the Tartars, that fort being

Besides,

the

foundation;

for the

the

name

of

by them

of the province

southern part

latter

Siber

had

was

called Isker.

of Tobolsk, to

which the name of Siberia was originally applied, was thus denominated by the Russians before the invasion of Yermao. This denomination probably Sirjanians,

Russians.

who brought

first

the

came from the Permians and

first

accounts of Siberia to the

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. secretly instigated a large

13

body of Tartars

to

invade the Russian settlements upon the river

Tchussovaia

and had afterwards commenced

;

them with a body of

open

hostilities

forces

under the command of his cousin Mehemet

Kul.

And

against

although both these attempts had

failed of success, yet the troops

had

left

engaged in them

behind traces of havoc and devastation

too lasting to be easily effaced.

All these various considerations were not lost

upon Yermac

having, therefore, employed the

:

winter in preparations for his intended expedition,

he began his march in the summer of

the following year, 1578, along the banks of the Tchussovaia.

The want

of proper guides, and a

neglect of other necessary precautions, greatly

retarded his march, and he was overtaken by

the winter before he had progress.

And

made any

considerable

at the appearance of spring

he

found his stock of provisions so nearly exhausted, that he to Orel.

was reduced

to the necessity of returning

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

14

But

this

of

failure

success

by no means

extinguished his ardour for the prosecution of the enterprise ;

more

it

only served to

solicitous in

make him

still

guarding against the possi-

bility of a future miscarriage.

By

threats he

extorted from'Strogonoff every assistance which

the nature of the expedition seemed to require. Besides a sufficient quantity of provisions, followers,

who were

before unprovided with

arms, were supplied with muskets and nition

;

all his fire-

ammu-

and, in order to give the appearance of

a regular army to his troops, colours were

distri-

buted to each company, which were ornamented with the images of

saints, after

the manner of

the Russians.

Having thus made

all

previous arrangements,

he thought himself in a condition into Siberia.

Accordingly, in the

to force his

way

month of June,

1579, he set out upon this second expedition.

His followers amounted

to five thousand

adventurers inured to hardships, less of

danger:

men

;

and regard-

they placed implicit confidence

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

and seemed

in their leader,

with one and the same his route partly

by

to be all animated

He

spirit.

land,

15

continued

and partly by water

the navigation, however, of the rivers was tedious,

and the roads so rugged and

that eighteen

:

so

difficult,

months elapsed before he reached

Tchingi, a small town upon the banks of the

Tura.

Here he mustered

and found

his

army considerably reduced: part had been

ex-

his troops,

hausted by fatigue, part carried off by sickness,

and part cut

off in

skirmishes with the Tartars.

The whole remaining number amounted to about fifteen

hundred

effective

men

;

and yet with

this

handful of troops Yermac did not hesitate a

moment

in

advancing against

Kutchum Chan.

That prince was already in a posture of defence ; and resolved tremity.

to

guard his crown to the

Having

collected his forces,

last ex-

he

dis-

patched several flying parties against Yermac, himself remaining behind with the flower of his troops: but all these detachments were driven

back with considerable

loss;

and worsted in

16

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

many his all

successive skirmishes.

march without

Yermac continued

down

intermission, bearing

resistance until he reached the centre of his

adversary's dominions.

These successes, however, were dearly bought for his

men.

;

army was now reduced to five hundred Kutchum Chan was encamped* at no

great distance

upon the banks of the

Irtish,

with

a very superior force, and determined to give

Yermac, who was not

him battle.

be daunted

to

by the inequality of numbers, prepared for the engagement with a confidence which never forsook him action,

his troops

;

were equally impatient

and knew no medium between conquest

The event of the combat

and death.

and well-fought

obstinate

in favour of

Yermac

battle, victory declared

the Tartars were entirely

and the carnage was

Kutchum Chan * The

:

:

it is

so

general, that

himself escaped with

place where the Tartar

Tschuvatch

cor-

After an

responded' with this magnanimity.

routed,

for

difficulty.

army lay encamped was

a neck of land washed by the

spot where the Tobol falls into that river.

Irtish,

called

near the

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. This defeat proved decisive

was deserted by

knew how

his subjects

;

:

17

Kutclium Chan

and Yermac, who

improve as well as gain a victory,

to

marched without delay

to Sibir, the residence of

He

the Tartar princes.

was well aware, that

the only method to secure his conquest was to

He

get possession of that important fortress.

expected therefore to have found in that place a considerable

determined to

garrison,

their lives in its defence. late defeat

and

whom

he sent before him,

himself

upon

opposition.

quite

the

he himself

deserted:

throne

and seated

without

the

least

and

fixed his residence,

allegiance

who poured

body of

to reduce the

his triumphal entry,

Here he

the

received

it

made

soon after

A

entirely deserted.

found

fortress,

But the news of the

diffused universal consternation,

was

Sibir

troops

had

sacrifice

of

the neighbouring

in from all quarters

upon

the news of this unexpected revolution.

The

people,

Tartars were trepidity

and

so

struck with his

brilliant

exploits,

gallant

in-

that they sub-

mitted to his authority without hesitation, and acquiesced in the payment of the usual tribute.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

18

Thus

Cossack was suddenly

this enterprising

exalted from the station of a chief of banditti to the

It does not

rank of a sovereign prince.

appear from history whether

it

were

at first his

design to conquer Siberia, or solely to amass a

The

considerable booty.

the most probable conjecture. success with entire

seems

indeed,

latter,

The

rapid tide of

which he was carried on, and the

defeat

of

Kutchum Chan,

afterwards

expanded his views, and opened a larger scene to his ambition. projects,

But whatever were

he seems worthy, so

and prudence form a success

his original

far as intrepidity

basis of merit, of the final

which flowed in

upon him

was neither elated with unexpected

for

;

he

prosperity,

nor dazzled with the sudden glare of royalty:

on the contrary, the dignity of

was

as consistent

his deportment

and unaffected,

as if

he had

been born a sovereign.

And now Yermac and

his followers

enjoy those rewards which

seemed

they had

to

dearly

purchased by a course of unremitted fatigue,

and by

victories

which almost exceeded

belief.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

Not only the Sibir

tribes

in the

19

neighbourhood of

most

wore the appearance of the

reserved submission

;

un-

but even princes continued

flocking in from distant parts, to acknowledge

themselves tributary, and to claim his protection.

However,

this

calm was of short duration.

surrections were concerted

In-

by Kutchum Chan

;

who, though driven from his dominions, yet still

retained no small degree of influence over

his former subjects.

Yermac saw and present grandeur of his followers of Sibir,

felt

the precariousness of his

the inconsiderable

;

who had

had been

still

survived the conquest

further diminished

ambuscade of the enemy depend on the

number

;

affection

and

he could not

as

of his

by an

new

subjects,

he found himself under the necessity either of calling in foreign assistance, or of relinquishing

Under

his dominion.

had recourse

to the

a tender of his

upon

Czar of Muscovy

new acquisitions

condition

effectual

these circumstances he

support.

of

receiving

The B 2

;

to that

and made monarch,

immediate

judicious

manner

and in

20

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. this

measure, shows him

the arts

of negociation than

which he conducted no

less

able

in

of war.

One

of his most

Moscow

dispatched to

He had

sacks.

confidential

followers

head of

at the

fifty

was Cos-

orders to represent to the court

the progress which the Russian troops, under the

command

he was

of Yermac,

had made

artfully to add, that

was conquered

in the

name

in Siberia

:

an extensive empire of the Czar

;

that

the natives were reduced to swear allegiance to that monarch, tribute.

and consented

to

pay an annual

This representation was accompanied

with a present of the choicest and most valuable furs.

The ambassador was

received at

with the strongest marks of satisfaction

:

Moscow a public

thanksgiving was celebrated in the cathedral

;

the Czar acknowledged and extolled the good services of

Yermac

;

he granted him a pardon

for all former offences

;

and, as a testimony of

him and

his

were sent

to

his favour, distributed presents for followers.

Amongst

Yermac was

those which

a fur robe, which the Czar himself

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

21

had worn, and which was the greatest mark of distinction that could ject.

To

be conferred upon a sub-

these was added a

sum

of money, and

a promise of speedy and effectual assistance.

Meanwhile Yermac, notwithstanding the ferior

number

of

in-

did

not remain

inactive within the fortress of Sibir.

He defeated

all

attempts of

his troops,

Kutchum Chan

to

recover his

crown; and took his principal general prisoner.

He made

occasional inroads into the adjacent

provinces,

and extended

his conquests

up

to the

source of the river Taffda on one side, and on

the other as far as the district which the river

Oby above

At length Sibir.

They

its

lies

upon

junction with the Irtish.

the promised succours arrived at consisted of five

hundred Russians,

under the command of Prince Bolkosky, who

was appointed wayvode or governer of

Siberia.

Strengthened by this reinforcement,

Yermac

continued his excursions on usual activity;

sides

with his

and gained several bloody

tories over different princes,

enough

all

vic-

who were imprudent

to assert their independence.

22

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

In one of these expeditions

lie

laid siege to

Kullara, a small fortress upon the banks of the Irtish,

which

still

but he found

monarch, that proved

it

belonged to so

he was followed

at

Upon

carry

it

by storm

his return to Sibir,

some distance by that

who hung unperceived upon

his rear

prepared to sieze any fortunate

which might occur: nor was favourable

:

bravely defended by that

all his efforts to

ineffectual.

Kutchum Chan

moment it

opportunity presented

prince,

and was

:

of attack

long before a itself.

The

Russians to the number of about three hundred lay negligently posted in a small island, formed

by two branches of the

Irtish.

obscure and rainy; and the

The night was troops, who were

fatigued with a long march, reposed themselves

Kutchum Chan,

without suspicion of danger.

apprised of their situation, silently advanced at

midnight with a having forded the

river,

upon the Russians, their arms.

body of troops;

select

came with such

and

rapidity

as to preclude the use of

In the darkness and confusion of

the night, the latter were cut to pieces almost

without opposition those adversaries,

;

and

whom

fell

a

resistless

prey to

they had been accus-

23

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

tomed was

conquer and despise.

to

so universal, that only one

The massacre

man

recorded

is

have escaped, and to have brought the news

to

of this catastrophe to his countrymen at Sibir.

Yermac himself perished

by the sword of the enemy. In the hurry of surprise, he was not so much

he did not all

in the rout, though

fall

infected with the general panic, as to forget his

usual intrepidity, which seemed to be increased rather than abated by the danger of his present

After

situation.

many desperate

acts of heroism,

he cut his way through the troops who rounded him, and made Irtish.*

Being

closely

to

sur-

the banks of the

pursued by a detachment

of the enemy, he endeavoured to throw himself into a boat

*

which lay near the shore

Many difficulties

Irtish in

it

was a

catastrophe had been cut

from the

spot,

river forms a

straight line

but step-

have arisen concerning the branch of the

which Yeraiac was drowned; but

ascertained that

;

canal,

it is

now

sufficiently

which some time before

by order of that Cossack

:

this

not far

where the Vagai falls into the Irtish, the latter bend of six versts; by cutting a canal in a

from the two extreme points of

shortened the length of the navigation.

this

sweep, he

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

24

ping short, he

fell

and being

into the water,

encumbered with the weight of his armour, sunk instantly to the bottom.*

His body was not long afterwards taken out of the Irtish, and exposed, by order of

Chan, to

Kutchum

the insults which revenge

all

ever

suggested to barbarians in the frenzy of success.

But these

first

had no

transports of resentment

sooner subsided, than the Tartars testified the

most pointed indignation ferocity of their leader.

his

at

the

ungenerous

The prowess

of Yermac,

consummate valour and magnanimity,

which barbarians know how their recollection.

virtues

to prize, rose

upon

They made a sudden

tran-

*

Cyprian was appointed the first archbishop of Siberia, in 1621. Upon his arrival at Tobolsk, he enquired for several of the ancient followers of

Yermac who were

still

them he made himself acquainted with the

alive

and from

principal circum-

stances attending the expedition of that Cossack,

quest of Siberia.

;

and the con-

Those circumstances he transmitted

to writing

;

and these papers are the archives of the Siberian history from which the several historians of that country have drawn their ;

Sava Yesimoff, who was himself one of Yermac's

relations.

followers,

He

is

carries

one of the most accurate historians of those times.

down

his history to the year 1636.

25

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

from one extreme to the other:

sition

they

reproached their leader for ordering, themselves for being the instruments of indignity to such

venerable

remains.

At length

their

heated

imaginations proceeded even to consecrate his

memory: they rites

of

Pagan

sacrifices to his

Many met with

A

to

flame of

hovering

and

all

the

offered

up

manes.

were soon spread abroad, and

implicit belief.

The touch

of his body

have been an instantaneous cure

to

for all disorders

were said

superstition,

stories

was supposed

body with

interred his

and even

;

his clothes

and arms

be endowed with the same

was represented

fire

about his tomb, and

efficacy.

as sometimes

sometimes as

stretching in one luminous body from the

same

A presiding influence

spot towards the heavens.

over the affairs of the chace and of war was attributed to his departed spirit

resorted to his

tomb

;

and numbers

to invoke his tutelary aid

in concerns so interesting to uncivilized nations.

These

idle fables,

though they evince the super-

stitious credulity of the

same

time

the

Tartars, convey at the

strongest

testimony of

their

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

26

"veneration for the

memory of Yermac

;

and

this

veneration greatly contributed to the subsequent progress of the Russians in those regions.*

With Yermac

expired for a time the Russian

The news

empire in Siberia. death no

of his defeat and

sooner reached the garrison of Sibir,

than an hundred and

the sad re-

fifty troops,

mains of that formidable army which had gained such a series of almost incredible victories, tired from, the fortress,

Notwithstanding this

its

design

Mos-

upon that

which a variety of favorable circum-

country;

still

concurred to render a flattering object

of Russian ambition.

* Even

Siberia.

disaster, the court of

cow did not abandon

stances

and evacuated

re-

so late as

veneration for the

Yermac's sagacity had

the middle

of the next century, this not subsided. Allai,

memory of Yermac had

a powerful prince of the Calmucs,

is

said to

have been cured

by mixing some earth taken from and in tomb Yermac's water, drinking the infusion. That prince is also reported to have carried with him a small portion of the of a dangerous disorder,

earth, whenever he engaged in any important enterprise. This earth he superstitiously considered as a kind of charm and was persuaded that he always secured a prosperous issue

same

;

to his affairs

by

this precaution.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

new and commodious

discovered

march of troops

The

gions.

routes for the

those inhospitable re-

across

rapidity with

the territories of

27

which he had overrun

Kutchum Chan,

taught the

Russians to consider the Tartars as an easy prey.

tributary

who had been rendered

the tribes

of

Many

by Yermac, had

testified

a cheerful

acquiescence under the sovereignty of the Czar

and were inclined

upon the

first

all resistance

renew

to

their

;

allegiance

Others looked upon

opportunity. as unavailing,

and had learned,

from dear-bought experience, to tremble at the very

name

of the

when

The

of a Russian.

country, proved

united,

natural strength

not to be

irresistible

was considerably weakened by

intestine commotions.

Upon

its

the retreat of the

garrison of Sibir, that fortress, together with the

adjacent district, was seized by Seyidyak, son of the former sovereign,

had dethroned and put

whom Kutchum Chan

to death.

Other princes

availed themselves of the general confusion to assert

independency; and

Kutchum Chan was

able to regain only a small

portion of those

dominions, of which he had been stripped by

Yermac.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

28 Influenced

by these motives, the court of

Moscow, sent a body of three hundred troops into Siberia,

Tura

who

penetrated to the banks of the

as far as Tschingi almost without opposition.

There they built the

fort

of

Tumen, and

re-

established their authority over the neighbourdistrict.

ing

Being soon afterwards reinforced

by an additional number of

troops, they

were

enabled to extend their operations, and to erect the fortresses of Tobolsk, Sungur, and Tara.

The

and other

erection of these

was

fortresses

soon attended with a speedy recovery of the

whole

territory,

which Yermac had

reduced

under the Russian yoke.

This success was only the forerunner of greater acquisitions.

The Russians pushed

conquest far and wide

:

still

their

wherever they appeared,

the Tartars were either reduced or exterminated.

New

towns were built, and colonies were planted Before a century had well elapsed,

on

all sides.

all

that vast tract of country,

now

called Siberia,

which stretches from the confines of Europe

to

the Eastern Ocean, and from the Frozen Sea to

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

29

the present frontiers of China, was annexed to the Russian dominions.

A

still

been won

larger extent of territory ;

and

all

had probably

the various tribes of inde-

pendent Tartary which

lie

between the south-

eastern extremity of the Russian

empire and

the Chinese wall, would have followed the fate of the Siberian hordes, if the power of China

had not suddenly interposed.

CHAP. Commencement of Chinese

II.

between

hostilities

Russians

the

and

the two empires

disputes concerning the limits

of embassies from the Court of of Nershinsk Russia to Pekin Treaty of Kiachta establishment of the commerce between the two nations. treaty

TOWARDS the middle of the seventeenth tury,

the

Russians

were

rapidly

cen-

extending

themselves eastward through that important territory,

which

Amoor.*

on each

lies

side

They soon reduced

dent Tungusian hordes

;

and

of the

several

river

indepen-

built a chain of

small fortresses along the banks of the above-

mentioned Albasin,

river, of

and

which the principal were

Kamarskoi

Ostrog.

afterwards, the Chinese under * it

is

Amoor

is

the

name given by

called Sakalin-Ula

Not long

Camhif conceived

the Russians to this river

;

by the Manshurs, and was formerly

denominated Karamuran, or the Black River, by the Mongols.

f Camhi was the second emperor of the Manshur who made themselves masters of China in 1624.

The Manshurs were gusian Tartars, whose

originally

an obscure

territories lay

tribe of the

race,

Tun-

South of the Amoor, and

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

31

a similar design of subduing the same hordes.

Accordingly, the two great powers of Russia and

China, thus pointing their views to the same object, unavoidably clashed;

and

broke out into open

jealousies

and

hostilities

about the year 1680.

laid siege to

intrigues,

after several

The Chinese

Kamarskoi Ostrog, and

though

repulsed in this attempt, found means to cut off several straggling

parties of Russians.

These

animosities induced the Czar Alexey Michaelovitch to send an embassy to

Pekin

measure did not produce the desired

;

but

this

The

effect.

Chinese attacked Albasin with a considerable force

:

having compelled the Russian garrison

bordered upon the kingdom of

Leaotong.

They began

to

Corea, and the province of

emerge from obscurity

beginning of the seventeenth century. chief,

About

at the

that time their

Aischin-Giord, reduced several neighbouring hordes

;

and,

having incorporated them with his own tribe, under the general name of Manshur, he became formidable even to the Chinese. Shuntschi, grandson of this chief, by an extraordinary concurrence of circumstances, was raised while an infant to the throne

of China, of which his successors

still

continue in possession.

Shuntschi died in 1662, and was succeeded well

known from

by Camhi, who

is

the accounts of the Jesuit missionaries.

For an account of the revolution of China, Descr. de la Chine, Bell's Journey to Pekin.

see Duhalde,

32

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

to capitulate,

Russian

forts

they demolished that and

upon the Amoor

;

the

all

and returned,

own

with a large number of prisoners, to their country.

Not long

old

;

and constructed a new

name

sooner

of Albasin.

apprised

marched

down

a body of

hundred Russians advanced along the

sixteen

Amoor

their departure,

after

of

instantly

before

fort,

under the

The Chinese were no

their

return,

towards that

than

and

river,

sat

Albasin with an army of seven

thousand men, and a large train of

They battered the new fortress without

they

being able to

make

without attempting to take besieged, though not

it

artillery.

for several weeks,

a breach,

by storm.

much annoyed by

skilful operations of the

and

The

the un-

enemy, were exhausted

with the complicated miseries of sickness and famine

make

;

and notwithstanding they continued

to

a gallant resistance, they must soon have

sunk under their

distresses,

not voluntarily retired,

in

if

the Chinese had

consequence

treaty being set afoot between the

of a

two courts of

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

Moscow and Pekin.

For this purpose the Russian

ambassador Golowin had

left

Moscow

so early

accompanied by a large body

as the year 1685,

of troops, in

33

enforce respect to his embassy.

The

difficulty of

procuring subsistence for any considerable ber of

men

and

order to secure his person,

num-

in those desolate regions, joined to

the ruggedness of the roads, and the length of the march, prevented his arrival at Selenginsk until the year

1687.

From thence messengers

were immediately dispatched with overtures of peace to the Chinese government at Pekin.

After several delays, policy,

occasioned

and partly by the posture of

partly

affairs in

by the

Tartar country through which the Chinese were to pass,

ambassadors

of June, 1689.

them

at Albasin

to that fortress,

left

Pekin in the beginning

Golovin had proposed receiving ;

but while he was proceeding

the Chinese

sented themselves at the escorted by such

ambassadors pre-

gates

of Nershinsk,

a numerous army, and such a

formidable train of

artillery, that

c

Golovin was

34

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

constrained,

from motives of

the negociation almost upon their

The open

conclude

to

fear,

own

terms.

conferences were held under tents, in an

plain, near the

town of Nershinsk

;

where

the treaty was signed and sealed by the plenipotentaries of the

two

posed to ratify

it

dors

to

offered

by

When

courts.

it

was pro-

oath, the Chinese ambassa-

swear upon a

crucifix;

but

Golovin preferred their taking an oath in the

name

of their

This treaty

own Gods.

first

checked the progress of the

Russian arms in those parts dations of an important

and

;

laid the foun-

and regular commerce

between the two nations.

By

the

first

and second

articles,

the south-

eastern boundaries of the Russian empire were

formed by a ridge north of the

of

mountains,

Amoor from

stretching

the sea of Ochotsk to

the source of the small river Gorbitza,* then by *

There are two Gorbitzas

;

the

first

falls

into the

Amoor,

near the conflux of the Argoon and Shilka; the second

falls

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

35

the

Amoor, and

that river to lastly

influx

into

by the Argoon, from

Shilka up to

By

its

the

its

who were

junction with the

source.

fifth article,

was granted to

its

all

reciprocal liberty of trade

the subjects of the two empires,

provided with passports from their

respective courts.

This treaty was signed on the 27th of August, in the year 1689, under the reign of Ivan

and

Peter Alexiewitch, by which the Russians

lost,

exclusively of a large territory, the navigation of ,

the river Amoor.

was not been

The importance

at that time understood

felt since

into the Shilka.

;

of this loss

and has only

the discovery of Kamschatka, and

The former was meant by

the Russians ; but

the Chinese fixed upon the latter for the boundary, and have carried their point. Accordingly the present limits are

from those mentioned in the

different

from the

treaty.

They

somewhat

are carried

where the Shilka and Argoon unite to form the Amoor, westward along the Shilka, until they reach the mouth point,

of the western Gorbitza; from thence they are continued to the source

of the

and along the chain of alteration the Russian limits are

last-mentioned river,

mountains as before.

By

this

somewhat abridged.

c 2

36

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

of the islands between Asia and America.

The

products of these new-discovered countries might,

by means of the Amoor, have been conveyed by water into the there

is

district of

Nershinsk, from whence

an easy transport by land to Kiachta

whereas the same merchandise,

after

:

being landed

at Ochotsk, is

now

carried over a large tract of

country, partly

upon

rivers of difficult navigation,

and partly along rugged and almost impassable roads.

In return, the Russians obtained what they long and repeatedly aimed

at,

a regular and

permanent trade with the Chinese. between Russia

menced

the beginning of the

century.

At

first

and China com-

intercourse in

The

seventeenth

that period a small quantity of

Chinese merchandise was procured, by the merchants of

Tomsk and

the Calmucs.

other adjacent towns, from

The rapid and

profitable sale of

these commodities encouraged certain wayvodes of Siberia to attempt a direct and open nication with China.

For

this

commu-

purpose several

deputations were sent at different times to Pekin

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

37

from Tobolsk, Tomsk, and other Russian

settle-

ments: these deputations, although they failed of obtaining the grant of a regular commerce,

were nevertheless attended with some important

The general

consequences.

good

reception

which the agents met with, tempted the Russian merchants to send occasional traders to Pekin.

By

these

means a

faint connection

metropolis was kept alive

with that

the Chinese learned

:

the advantages of the Russian trade, and were gradually prepared for

ment.

was

its

subsequent establish-

This commerce, carried on by intervals,

the river Amoor.

by the

hostilities

upon

But no sooner was the

treaty

entirely suspended

of Nershinsk signed, than the Russians engaged

with

extraordinary

branch of

traffic.

were soon found Peter

I.

enlarging

favourite

this

The advantages

of this trade

be so considerable, that

to

an

conceived it.

in

alacrity

idea

Accordingly, in

of

still

1692,

farther

he sent

Isbrand Ives, a Dutchman in his service, to Pekin,

who

requested and obtained, that the

liberty of trading to China,

treaty

was granted

to

extended to caravans.

which by the

individuals,

late

should be

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

38

In consequence of sive caravans

this

arrangement, succes-

went from Russia

to Pekin,

where

a caravansary was allotted for their reception

and

all their

expenses during their continuance

in that metropolis defrayed

The

China.

and the to the

;

by the Emperor of

right of sending these caravans,

profits resulting

from them, belonged

crown of Russia.

In the mean time,

private merchants continued as before to carry

on a separate trade with the Chinese, not only at Pekin,

but also at the head quarters of the

Mongols.

The camp

was generally

to

of these roving Tartars

be found near the conflux of

the Orchoii and Tola, between the southern frontiers of Siberia

and the Mongol

kind of annual

was held

Russian and

fair

desert.

at this spot

Chinese merchants,

brought their respective goods

A

by the

where they for

continued until they were disposed

sale, of.

and This

rendezvous soon became a scene of riot and confusion,

and repeated complaints were

trans-

mitted to the Chinese Emperor of the drunkenness and misconduct of the Russians.

complaints

made a

still

These

greater impression from

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

39

a coincidence of similar excesses, for which the Russians at Pekin had become notorious.

Exasperated by the frequent representations

Camhi threatened

of his subjects,

to expel the

Russians from his dominions, and to prohibit

them from carrying on any commerce, China

as in the country of the

untoward

These

as well in

Mongols.

circumstances

occasioned

another embassy to Pekin, in the year 1719. Leff Vassilievitch

Russian guards,

a captain of the

Ismailoff,

who was

sent ambassador

upon

this occasion, succeeded in the negotiation,

adjusted every difficulty to the

both

At

parties.

his departure

satisfaction of

he was per-

mitted to leave behind Laurence Lange,

had accompanied him

to

who

Pekin in the character

of agent for the caravans,

superintending the

and

for the

conduct

of

purpose of

the Russians.

His residence, however, in that metropolis was but short

;

for

he was soon afterwards compelled

by the Chinese

to return.

His dismission was

owing, partly, to a sudden caprice of that sus-

40

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. T|

picious people,

and partly

to a misunderstanding,

which had recently broke out between the two some Mongol

courts, in relation to

A

bordered upon Siberia. these Mongols protection

of

small

who

tribes

number of

had put themselves under the Russia,

and were immediately

demanded by the Chinese; but the Russians refused

compliance,

article in the

under pretence

no

that

treaty of Nershinsk could, with

any appearance of probability, be construed extending to the Mongols. incensed at this refusal;

was

still

The Chinese were

and their resentment

inflamed

further

as

by the disorderly

conduct of the Russian traders, who, freed from all

control

by the departure of

their agent,

had

indulged, without restraint, their usual propensity to

excess.

incidents

Camhi

This concurrence of unlucky

extorted,

in

1722,

an order

from

for the total expulsion of the Russians

from the Chinese and Mongol

territories.

These

orders were rigorously executed; and all inter-

course

between the two nations immediately

ceased. Affairs continued in this state until the year

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

when

1727, sinski,

the Count Sava Vladislavitch Ragu-

a Dalmation, in the service of Russia, was

His orders were,

dispatched to Pekin. events, to

the

to the

southern

Mongol of

frontiers

empire in that quarter mission of

at all

compose the differences between the

two courts relating settle

41

renewing

;

and

tribes;

to

the Russian

to obtain the per-

the trade

with

China.

Accordingly, that ambassador presented a

new

plan for a treaty of limits and commerce to

Yundschin, son and successor of Camhi;

which the

frontiers of the

finally traced as

by

two empires were

they exist at present, and the

commerce established upon a permanent

basis,

calculated to prevent, as far as possible, all future

sources of misunderstanding.

This plan being

approved by the Emperor, Chinese commissioners

were immediately appointed

to

negotiate with

the Russian ambassador upon the banks of the

Bura, a small river which flows, south of the confines of Siberia,

into the Orchon, near

its

junction with the Selenga.

At

this conference, the old limits,

which are

mentioned in the treaty of Nershinsk, were con-

42

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

tinned from the source of the Argoon westwards

mountain Sabyntaban, which

far as the

as

situated at a small distance from the spot

the

conflux

of the

Kemtzak form separates

the

two

Yenisei:

Russian

the

territory of the

this

dominions

who

Mongols,

where

Uleken

rivers

is

and

boundary from

the

are under the

protection of China.

Is all

was likewise

stipulated, that for the future

should be transacted between

negotiations

the tribunal of foreign affairs at Pekin, and the

board of foreign

affairs at St.

Petersburg

;

or in

matters of inferior moment, between the com-

manders of the

The

most

frontiers.*

important

articles

relating

to

commerce, were as follow:

A

caravan was allowed to go to Pekin every

three years, on condition of

its

not consisting of

* This article was inserted, because the Chinese Emperor,

from a

ridiculous

idea

of

superiority,

had contemptuously

refused to hold any correspondence with the court of Russia.

43

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

more than two hundred persons; during

their

residence in that metropolis, their expenses were

no longer

be defrayed by the Emperor of

Notice was to be sent to the Chinese

China. court

to

immediately upon their arrival

where an

frontiers,

accompany them

The of

officer

was

to

at

the

meet and

to Pekin.

privilege before

carrying on

enjoyed by individuals

a promiscuous

traffic

in

the

Chinese and Mongol territories was taken away,

and no merchandize belonging

was permitted

be brought for

to

sale

with this regulation, the privilege of

commerce

to

individuals,

two places of resort

were appointed on the confines of called Kiatchta,

which

it

beyond the

For the purpose of preserving, con-

frontiers.

sistently

to private persons

Siberia:

one

from a rivulet of that name near

stands;

and the other Zuruchaitu:

these places a free

trade

was reciprocally

at in-

dulged to the subjects of the two nations.

A

permission was at the same time obtained

for building a

Russian church within the pre-

44

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. of

cints

their

caravansary

and

;

for

the

celebration of divine service, four priests were

allowed to reside at Pekin.*

was

extended

also

to

The same favour

some Russians

scholars-)*,

purpose of learning the Chinese tongue

for the

;

in order to qualify themselves for interpreters

between the two nations. *

The

Russian Church at Pekin was built for the

first

accommodation of the Russians taken prisoner? at Albasin. These persons were carried to Pekin, and the place appointed for their habitation in that city

name

it

still

was called the Russian

They were

retains.

so well

received

Street,

a

by the

Chinese, that, upon the conclusion of the treaty of Nershinsk,

And, as they they refused to return to their native country. intermarried with the Chinese women, their descendants are quite naturalized;

only the

and have, for the most

language,

part,

adopted not

but even the religion of the Chinese.

Hence, the above-mentioned church, though it still no longer applied to the purpose of divine worship :

exists, is its

priest

was transferred to the Church, which was built within the walls of the caravansary. -)-

The good

perceived.

A

effects

of this institution have already been

name

Russian, whose

is

Leontieff, after having

is returned to He Petersburg. has given several translations and extracts of some interesting

resided ten years at Pekin,

Chinese publications, viz. Part of the History of China; the Account of the Towns and Code of the Chinese Laws ;

Revenues, &c. of the Chinese Empire, extracted from a Treatise of Geography, lately

account of this Extract tersburg.

is

printed

at

Pekin.

A

short

given in the Journal of St. Pe-

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

45

This treaty, called the treaty of Kiachta, was, 911

the fourteenth of June, 1728, concluded and

ratified

by the Count Ragusinski

and

three

Chinese plenipotentaries upon the spot, where

Kiachta was afterwards built all

transactions since carried

it is

:

the basis of

on between Russia

and China.

One

innovation in the

mode

of carrying on

the trade to China, which has been introduced the accession of

since

Catherine place.

II.

the

present

Empress,

deserves to be mentioned in this

Since the year 1755 no caravans have

been sent

was owing

to Pekin.

to a

Their

first

discontinuance

misunderstanding between the

two courts of Petersburg and Pekin, in 1759. Their disuse, after the reconciliation had taken place, arose

The

from the following circumstances.

exportation and importation of

many

prin-

cipal commodities, particularly the most valuable

were formerly prohibited

furs,

and

to

individuals,

solely appropriated to caravans belonging to

the crown. trade

to

By

these restrictions the

China

was

greatly

Russian

shackled

and

46

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

The

circumscribed.

many

excellent

Empress (who,

regulations which

amidst

characterise

her reign, has shewn herself invariably attentive

the improvement of the Russian com-

to

merce) abolished, in 1762, the monopoly of the

and

fur trade,

renounced

subjects the exclusive privilege

enjoyed these

have

of

sending

concessions

favour of

in

which the crown

caravans

the

her

profits

of

been considerably increased -

Pekin.

to

:

the

By trade

the great

expense, hazard, and delay, of transporting the

merchandize occasionally from the frontiers of Siberia to Pekin,

Kiachta

is

now

has

been retrenched;

rendered

the

Russian and Chinese commerce.

centre

of

and the

CHAP.

III.

Russian and Chinese settlements upon the description of the Russian frontier confines of Siberia town Kiachta of the Chinese frontier town Maitmatschin

Account of

its

BY

the

buildings, pagodas,

fyc.

the last-mentioned treaty

that the

it

was

stipulated,

commerce between Russia and China Accord-

should be transacted at the frontiers. ingly two spots were

marked out

for that

purpose

upon the confines of Siberia, where they border upon the Mongol

desert;

one near the brook

Kiachta, and the other at Zuruchaitu,

The

des-

cription of the former of these places forms the

subject of this chapter.

This settlement consists of a Russian

and

Chinese town, both situated in a romantic valley,

surrounded by high, rocky, and for the most part,

well-wooded mountains.

intersected

This valley

by the brook Kiachta, which

Siberia, and, after

is

rises in

washing both the Russian and

48

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

Chinese town,

falls

into the Bura, at a small dis-

tance from the frontiers.

The Russian

settlement

is

called

from the above-mentioned brook:

Kiachta,

it lies

in 124

degrees, 18 minutes longitude from the isle of

Fero,

and 35 degrees north

distance of

5514

versts

latitude,

at

the

from Moscow, and 1532

from Pekin.

and a small suburb.

It consists of a fortress,

The is

which

fortress,

a

square

is

built

upon a gentle

with

enclosed

palisadoes,

rise,

and

strengthened with wooden bastions at the several angles.

There are three

are constantly stationed

the north,

:

gates, at

which guards

one of the gates faces

a second the

south

towards

the

Chinese frontiers, and a third the east close to the brook Kiachta.

The

principal public build-

ings in the fortress are a

wooden church, the

governor's house, the custom house, the magazine for provisions,

and the guard house.

It

contains also a range of shops and warehouses,

barracks for the garrison, and several houses

49

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

longing to the crown; the latter are generally

These

inhabited by the principal merchants. buildings are mostly of wood.

The suburb, which wooden wall covered frise,

is

with

surrounded

a

at the top with chevaux-de-

no more than a hundred and

contains

twenty houses, very irregularly built

same number of gates

as the fortress,

Without

also guarded.

high road leading

;

this suburb,

it

which are

upon the

Selenginsk, stand

to

has the

a few

houses, and the magazine for rhubarb.

This settlement

is

but indifferently provided

with water, both in quality and quantity; for although the brook Kiachta it

flows

summer, scarcely Its

by the that,

is

dammed up

fortress, yet it is so

unless

sufficient

stream

is

after

heavy

as

shallow in rains,

it

is

supply the inhabitants.

to

troubled and unwholesome, and

the springs which rise in the neighbourhood are either foul or brackish

:

from these circumstances,

the principal inhabitants are obliged to send for

water from a spring in the Chinese

D

district.

50

The

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. soil

or rock,

of the adjacent country

and extremely barren.

is

mostly sand

If the frontiers

of Russia were extended about nine versts more

south to the rivulet of Bura, the inhabitants of

Kiachta would then enjoy good water, a soil,

and plenty of

fish,

all

fruitful

which advantages

are at present confined to the Chinese.

The

garrison of Kiachta consists of a

of regular soldiers,

and a certain

company number of

Cossacks; the former are occasionally changed,

but the

latter are fixed inhabitants of the place.

It is the province of the

commander

to inspect

the frontiers, and, in conjunction with the president of the Chinese merchants, to settle affairs

of an inferior nature

;

all

but in matters of

importance recourse must be had to the chancery of Selenginsk, and to the governor of Irkutsk.

The Russian merchants, and the agents of the Russian

trading

company,

are

the

principal

inhabitants of Kiachta.

The

limits

westwards from this settlement to

the river Selenga, and eastwards as far as Tchi-

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. are

koi,

51

bounded with chevaux-de-ftise, placed

there to prevent a contraband trade in cattle, for

the exportation of which a considerable duty

paid to the crown. frontiers,

is

All the outposts along the

westwards as far as the government of

Tobolsk, and eastwards

to

the mountains of

command

snow, are under the

of the governor

of Kiachta.

The most round called

the

elevated of the mountains that survalley of

by the

and which

Kiachta,

is

Mongols, Burgultei, commands

the Russian as well as the Chinese town; for this reason, the Chinese, at the conclusion of the

frontier

last

this

treaty,

demanded the

cession

of

mountain, under the pretext that some of

their deified

summit. quest,

back

ancestors were

buried upon

The Russians gave way

and suffered the boundary

to

its

their re-

be brought

to

to the north side of the mountain.

The Chinese town

is

called,

by the Chinese

and Mongols, Maimatschin, which D 2

signifies for-

52

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

tress of

commerce.

The Russians term

the

it

Chinese Village (Kitaiskaia Sloboda) and also Naimatschin, which schin.

forty

It

is

yards

and nearly

a corruption of Maimat-

is

situated about

a hundred

and

south of the fortress of Kiachta, parallel to

it.

Midway between

this

place and the Russian fortress, two posts about

ten feet high are planted, in order to of the two empires:

frontier

with Russian,

the

one

other with

is

mark

the

inscribed

Manshur

cha-

racters.*

Mainatschin has no other

wooden

wall,

broad

feet

;

fortification

than a

and a small ditch of about three

the latter was

dug

in the year 1756,

during the war between the Chinese and the

The town

Calmucs. length

is

is

of an oblong form

seven hundred yards, and

four hundred.

On

Upon

by a

;

on the Russian

side

ornamented on the top with a

pile

breadth

;

over each

the mountain to the west of Kiachta, the limit

again marked earth,

its

each of the four sides a

large gate faces the principal streets *

its

;

by

a heap of stones

cross,

is

and

and on the Chinese

of stones in the shape of a pyramid.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. of these gates there for the

53

a wooden guard house

is

Chinese garrison, which consists of Mon-

gols in tattered clothes,

Without the frontiers,

gate,

and armed with

which looks

to

clubs.

the Russian

and about the distance of eight yards

from the entrance, the Chinese have raised a

wooden

so constructed as to intercept all

screen,

view of the

streets

from without.

This town contains two hundred houses and

about twelve hundred inhabitants. principal

crossing

streets

each

angles, with to south.

It

has two

of about eight yards

other

in

the

broad,

middle at right

two by-streets running from north

They

are

not paved, but are laid

with gravel, and kept remarkably clean.

The houses

are spacious, uniformly built of

wood, of only one feet

are

high,

story, not

plastered

and whitewashed;

constructed round a

seventy feet square, which vel,

more than fourteen

court yard of about is

strewed with gra-

and has an appearance of neatness.

house consists of a

they

sitting

Each

room, some ware-

54

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

houses, and a kitchen.

wealthier sort the roof

meaner

made

streets

of plank

but in

;

covered over with

habitations, of lath,

Towards the

turf.

is

In the houses of the

most of the houses

have arcades of wood, projecting forwards from a penthouse, and supported by

the roof like strong

The windows

pillars.

are large,

after

the European manner, but on account of the

dearness of glass and Russian

talc,

are generally

of paper, excepting a few panes of glass in the

room.

sitting

The streets

sitting :

it is

room looks seldom towards the

a kind of shop, where the several

patterns of merchandize are placed in recesses, fitted

up with

shelves,

and secured with paper

doors for the purpose of keeping out the dust.

The windows little

paintings,

Chinese paper. clay rises sit

;

are

generally

ornamented with

and the walls are hung with

Half the

the other half

is

floor is of

covered with boards, and

about two feet in height.

in the day time

hard beaten

and sleep

side of this raised part,

Here the family at night.

By

the

and nearly upon the

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

same

level, there is

which

and

cylindrical

excavation,

heated with small pieces of wood.

is

From

a square brick stove, with a

perpendicular

straight

55

the bottom of this stove a tube descends, carried

is

zigzag under the boarded floor

above mentioned, and from thence to a chimney

which opens

into

the street.

although the stove

vance,

is

the flame visible, yet the room in the

least

scarcely

By

this contri-

always open and is

never troubled

degree with smoke.

There

is

any furniture in the room, excepting

one large dining table in the lower part, and

two small lackered ones upon the raised one of these tables

is

floor

:

always provided with a

chafing dish, which serves to light their pipes

when

In

the stove

this

is

not heated.

room there

are several small niches

covered with silken curtains, before which are placed lamps that are lighted upon festivals; these niches contain painted paper idols, a stone or metal vessel, wherein the ashes of incense are collected, several small

flowers

draw

:

ornaments and

artificial

the Chinese readily allow strangers to

aside the curtains,

and look

at the idols.

56

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

The Bucharian* merchants

inhabit the south-

west quarter of Maimatschin.

Their houses are

not so large nor commodious as those of the Chinese,

although

the greatest part of

them

carry on a very considerable commerce.

The has

Surgutsch6i, or governor of Maimatschin,

the

of the

care

as well as

police,

commerce

direction of all affairs relating to is

generally

Mandarin,

a

person of

He

punishment.

by the

rest

a

* "

The

featherf

hanging

from

cap,

the

and by

behind.

The

stuffs,

and half

silks,

spun and raw cotton,

skins, precious stones, gold dust,

ammoniac, &c." of

in

chief merchandizes which the Bucharians bring to

Russia, are cotton,

lamb

distinguished

crystal button of his

peacock's

himself

a

sent here as a kind of

is

is

he

:

oftentimes

rank,

who has misbehaved

another station, and

the

all

unprepared nitre, salSee Russia, or a complete Historical Account

the nations that compose that empire, vol.

ii. p. 141, a very curious and interesting work lately published. In china the princes of the blood wear three peacock's feathers, nobles of the highest distinction two, and the lower -J-

class of the nobility one.

It is

also a

drive a carriage with four wheels.

mark of high rank

The governor

chin rode in one with only two wheels.

to

of Maimats-

All the Chinese wear

buttons of different colours in their caps, which also denote the rank.

CONQUEST OF SIBEKIA. Chinese give him the signifies

title

57

Amban, which

of

and

commander-in-chief;

no

one

him without bending the knee,

appears before

which posture the person who brings

in

petition

must

remain

governor's answer.

the

which

presents

he receives the

until

His salary he

a

is

not large

;

from

receives

but the

merchants amount annually to a considerable sum.

The most remarkable Maimatschin theatre,

are,

the

public buildings in

governor's

house,

the

and two pagodas.

The governor's house and better furnished;

is

larger than the others,

it is

chamber where the court of

distinguished by a justice is held,

and

by two high poles before the entrance ornamented with

The

flags.

theatre

is

situated close to the wall of

the town near the great pagoda

;

it

is

a kind of

small shed, neatly painted, open in front, and

merely spacious enough to contain the stage; the audience stand in the street.

Near

it

are

58

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

two high

upon which large

poles,

Chinese inscriptions

On

are

flags

on

hoisted

with

festivals.

such occasions the servants belonging to

the merchants play short burlesque farces in

honour of their

The

idols.

smallest of the two pagodas

building, standing

upon

pillars,

a wooden

is

in

the centre

of the town, at the place where the two principal streets

It

cross.

is

on

adorned

stories,

a Chinese tower of two the

columns, paintings, and

The

first

story

is

with small

iron

little

bells,

&c.

square, the second octangular.

In the lower story

god Tien, which

outside

is

a picture representing the

according

signifies,

to

the

explanation of the most intelligent Chinese, the

most high god, who rules over the thirty-two heavens. idol

The Manshurs,

it

is

said,

call

this

Abcho; and the Mongols, Tingheru heaven,

or the sitting

He

god of heaven.

is

represented

with his head uncovered, and encircled

with a ray* of glory, similar to that which *

When Mr.

Pallas obtained permission of the governor to

see this temple, the latter assured

him

that the Jesuits of Pekin

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

59

surrounds the head of our Saviour in the Catholic paintings

and flowing;

his hair is long

;

Roman

he holds in his right hand a drawn sword, and his left

is

extended as in the act of giving a

On

benediction.

one side of

this

figure

two

youths, on the other a maiden and a grey-headed old man, are delineated.

The upper

story

the

contains

of

picture

another idol in a black and white chequered cap, with the

sons and a

same

little

in this temple,

figures of three

old man.

young per-

There are no

altars

and no other ornaments excepting

these pictures and their frames.

It is

opened

only on festivals, and strangers cannot see

it

without permission.

The

great

situated

pagoda,

before

the

governor's house, and near the principal gate, and

their converts adored this idol.

From whence he ingeniously

conjectures, either that the resemblance

between

the representations of our Saviour by the

the occasion of this assertion

;

Roman

this idol,

and

Catholics,

was

or that the Jesuits, in order to

excite the devotion of the converts, have, out of policy, given to the picture of our Saviour

Chinese.

a resemblance to the Tien of the

60

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. the

to

looking

south,

is

magnificent than the former.

allowed to see difficulty,

it

at all times,

more are

Strangers

without the least

provided they are accompanied hy one

of the priests,

who

are always to be found in the

This area

area of the temple.

with chevaux-de-frise the

and

larger

south,

surrounded

entrance

the

:

is

through two gates,

is

with a small

In the inside of

building between them.

building are two recesses with

from

rails

this

before them,

behind which the images of two horses as large as life are coarsely

saddled

human

and

moulded out of clay and

bridled,

figures dressed like

;

attended

they are

by

two

grooms: the horse

to the right is of a chesnut colour, the other is

dun, with a black mane and

tail;

the former

is

in

the attitude of springing, the latter of walking.

Near each horse a banner of yellow with

painted

silver dragons, is displayed.

In the middle of turrets surrounded

of cast iron, which large

silk,

wooden

this

area are two

with galleries is

;

wooden

a large bell

struck occasionally with a

mallet,

hangs

in

the

eastern

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. turret; the other contains

an enormous

size,

61

two kettle drums of

similar to those

made use

in the religious ceremonies of the Calmucs.

of

On

each side of this area are ranges of buildings, inhabited by the priest of the temple.

This area communicates by means of a hand-

some gateway with the inner

which

court,

is

bordered on each side by small compartments

open in

front,

of

inside

with

these

before

rails

them

;

in the

compartments the legendary

stories of the idols are exhibited in

historical paintings.

At

a series of

the farther extremity

of this court stands a large building, constructed in the

The it

is

same

inside

style of architecture as the temple. is

sixty feet long,

and

thirty broad

stored with ancient weapons,

ments of war of a prodigious scythes,

and

shields,

coats

long pikes, of arms,

size,

and

;

instru-

such as spears,

with broad blades,

and military ensigns,

representing hands,* dragons' heads, and other

carved figures.

*

All these warlike instruments

These hands resemble the manipulary standards of the Romans.

62

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

are

richly

and ranged in order upon

gilded,

scaffolds along the wall.

Opposite the entrance

a large yellow standard, embroidered with foliage

and

silver dragons, is erected

kind of

altar, there is

;

under

a series of

it,

upon a

little

oblong

tables, bearing Chinese inscriptions.

An

open

gallery,

flower-pots,

armoury this

leads

adorned on both sides with

from the back door of the

to the colonnade

of the temple.

In

colonnade two slate tablets are placed, in

wooden frames, about broad,

six feet

with long inscriptions relating to the

building of the temple. plates

high and two

Before one of these

a small idol of a hideous form stands

upon the ground, enclosed

The temple

itself is

ing, richly decorated

in a

wooden

case.

an elegant Chinese build-

on the outside with columns

lackered, and gilded carved work, small bells,

and other ornaments peculiar architecture.

Within there

is

to

the Chinese

a rich profusion

of gilding, which corresponds with the gaudiness of the exterior.

The

walls are covered thick

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

63

with paintings, exhibiting the most celebrated exploits of the principal idol.

This temple contains stature,

sitting cross-legged

three recesses, which

The

five idols of

principal

fill

idol

a colossal

upon pedestals in

the whole northern side.

is

seated

in

alone,

the

middle recess, between two columns, entwined with gilded dragons.

Large streamers of

hanging from the roof of the temple,

silk,

veil in

some measure the upper part of the image. His name is Ghedsur, or Ghessur Chan;* the Chinese

him Loo-ye,

call

or the

and most

and the Manshurs, Guanloe, or the

ancient;

superior god.

He

is

of a gigantic

size,

human

passing more than four-fold the *

first

sur-

stature,

call him by this name of and although they do not reckon him among

The Mongols and Calmucs

Ghessur Chan

;

their divinities,

him

yet they consider

as a great

hero, the

Bacchus and Hercules of Eastern Tartary, who was born at the source of the Choango, and who vanquished many monsters.

They have deeds.

in their language a very long history of his heroical

His

title,

in the

Mongol tongue,

Zeeghi Essin Ghessur Bogdo Chan

;

is

as follows

:

Arban

the king of the ten points

of the compass, or the monarch Ghessur Chan.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

64

with a face glistening like burnished gold, black

He

hair and beard.

head,

and

is

wears a crown upon his dressed

richly

in

moulded out of

fashion: his garments are not clay, as those of the other idols

of the finest

kind of

tablet,

;

girls of

but are made

holds in his hands a

which he seems

Two

deep attention. sembling

He

silk.

Chinese

the

to read

with

small female figures, re-

about fourteen years of age,

stand on each side of the idol, upon the same pedestal

At

;

one of which grasps a

the right-hand of the idol

lie

roll

of paper.

seven golden

arrows, and at his left a bow.

Before the idol

rounded with

rails,

is

a spacious enclosure, sur-

within which stands an altar

with four colossal figures, intended probably to represent the principal mandarins of the deified

Ghessur.

Two and

judges,

of these figures are dressed like

hold

before

similar to that in the

The two other armour the

left

;

them small

tablets,

hands of the principal

idol.

figures are accoutred in complete

one wears a turban, and

carries,

upon

shoulder, a large sword sheathed, with

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

65

The other has a hideous

the hilt upwards.

copper-coloured face, a large belly, and grasps in his right

Although

hand a lance with a broad

all

blade.

the remaining idols in the temple

are of an enormous size, yet they are greatly

surpassed in magnitude by Ghessur Chan.

The

first

called

Maooang,

and

or

the

the right

Otschibanni of

is

the

He

has three ghastly copper-coloured

six

arms; two of his arms brandish

Mongols. faces,

idol in the recess to

two sabres crossways over the head; a third bears a looking square,

glass,

and a fourth a kind of

which resembles a piece of

The

ivory.

two remaining arms are employed in drawing a bow, with an arrow laid upon discharged. breast,

it,

ready to be

This idol has a mirror upon his

and an eye in his navel: near

placed two small figures

and the other a

The next

little

idol in the

;

it

are

one holds an arrow,

animal.

same recess

is

called

by

the Chinese Tsaudsing, or the gold and silver

66

CONQUEST OF LIBERIA. and'

god;

He

by the' Mongols Tsagan-Dsaiiibala:

wears a black cap, and -

is

dressed, after the

Chinese 'fashion, in sumptuous robes of state;

he bears in

him

his

hand a small jewel

also stand' twcr little figures,

Near

casket.

one of which

holds a truncated 'branch.

In the recess to the called

left is

the

God Chusho,

by the Manshurs Chua-schan, and by the

Mongols Galdi, or the Fire God.

He

is

sented with a frightful fiery reddish face in

repre;

clad

complete armour he wields a sword

half

drawn out of the scabbard, and seems on the point of

starting

attended by two is

crying

;

up

little

from his

He is of whom

seat.

halbadiers, one

and the other bears a fowl upon

his

hand, which resembles a sea-pheasant. ' :

The

other idol in the same recess is the god

of oxen, Niu-o.

He

appears to be sitting in a

composed posture;' he darin,

and

his head. idols,

'

r

is

He

is

habited like a

distinguished has, in

Man-

by a crown upon

common with

a mirror upon his breast.

the other

The Chinese

.CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

him

to

be the same with the Yamandaga

the < Mongols; and

.of

67

said his

it is

Manshurish

name

is

which

relates to the history of Ghessur, is Bars-

Chain Killova

Batir, the

his

;

name,

Mongol

Hero of Tygers.

Before these several idols there are tables, or altars,

on which cakes, pastry, dried

flesh, are placed,

on

festival

offered

and prayer days

Tapers and lamps are

up.

;

on

whole carcases of sheep

particular occasions even

are

and

fruit,

burning day and night before the

idols.

kept

Among

the utensils of the temple, the most remarkable is

a vessel shaped like a quiver, and filled with

flat

pieces of cleft reed, on

which short Chinese

These devices are taken

devices are inscribed.

out by the Chinese on, new-year|s day, and are considered as oracles, which foretel the good or ill

whom

luck of the person, by

for the following year.

table a hollow

which

all

persons

This

lies also

upon a

wooden black lackered helmet,

wooden hammer, temple.

There

they are drawn,

devotion strike with a

of

whenever

helmet

is

E 2

they

enter

regarded with

the

such

68

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

peculiar awe, that no strangers arc permitted to

handle

although they are allowed to touch

it,

even the idols themselves.

The

day of the new and

first

moon

full

appointed for the celebration of worship.

each of those days no Chinese ever

is

Upon make

fails to

his appearance once in the temple;

he enters

without taking

off

his

before his face,

bows

his

cap*, joins

five

hands

times to each idol,

touches with his forehead the pedestal on which the idol

and then retires.

sits,

tivals are

held in the

which answers as well as is

first

to February.

Their principal

month

fes-

of their year,

It is called

by them,

by the Mongols, the white month

;

and

considered as a lucky time for the transaction

of business the temples

at that time they hoist flags before

;

;

and place meat upon the

tables of

the idols, which the priests take away in the evening, and eat in the small apartments of the interior court.

*

They do not

On

these solemnities plays are

take off their caps out of respect

the Chinese, as well as other Eastern nations,

mark of

disrespect to uncover the

it is

;

for

among

reckoned a

head before a superior.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

69

performed in the theatre, in honour of the the pieces

are generally satirical,

idols

:

and mostly

written against unjust magistrates and judges.

But although the Chinese

have such

few

ceremonies in their system of religious worship, yet they are remarkably infected with superstition.

Mr. Pallas gives the following description

of their behaviour

moon.

eclipse of the

in

which the

at

Maimatschin during an

At

the close of the evening

eclipse appeared, all the inhabitants

were indefatigable in raising an incessant uproar,

some by hideous

others

shrieks,

wood and beating cauldrons the ;

ened by striking the

bell

by knocking

din was height-

and beating the

drums of the great pagoda.

kettle

The Chinese

sup-

pose, that during an eclipse the wicked spirit of

the

air,

called

attacking the

by the Mongols Arachulla,

moon; and

that he

hideous

shrieks

away by these

Another instance of superstition

is

frightened

and

fell

is

noises.

under the

observation of Mr. Pallas while he was at Mai-

matschin.

A

fire

broke out in that town with

such violence that several houses were in flames

70

CONQUEST OF

None

SIBERIA.)

of the inhabitants, however, attempted- to

extinguish

it;

the_y stood:. indeed in. idle conster-;

nation round the fire occasionally water

;

and some of them sprinkled-

among

the flames, in order

to sooth the fire; god, who., as they imagined,

chosen their houses as a

Indeed

sacrifice.

had

if the,

Eussians had -not exerted themselves in quenching the

the whole place would probably

fire,

have been reduced to ashes*.

'

Mr.

This account of Kiachta and Maimatschin Pallas's

travels

description

is

',

taken from'

the journal

of his 1

of the

worship

in

Every circumstance relating to the

Siberia.

through

religious

of Kiachta,

Eastern nations

is

in

itself

so

would not be unacceptable to my readers to give a translation of the above passages respecting the Chinese pagodas and idols although in a work treating interesting, that I

thought

it

:

of the

new

with them.

discoveries,

and the commerce which

is

connected

In the above-mentioned journal the ingenious author

continues to describe, from his

own

observations, the manners,

customs, dress, diet, and several 6th3r paptic&lars relative '.to the

Chinese

;

which, although exceedingly curious and interesting,

are foreign to

my

present purpose, and would have been incom-

patible with the size of the present work.

No

writer has placed the religion and history of the Tartar

nations in a

page

more

explicit point of

view than Mr. Pallas

;

every

in his interesting journal affords striking proofs of this

assertion.

He

has lately thrown new lights upon this obscure 1

subject, in a recent publication concerning the TaYtars,

who

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. inhabit parts of Siberia, that country first

volume appeared

history,

and the

and the Chinese in

wall.

territory

Of this

which

71 lies

excellent

between

work the

1776, and contains the genealogy,

laws, manners, and customs, of

this extraordinary people,

as they are divided into Calmucs, Mongols,

and Burats.

The

second volume describes, with 'minuteness and accuracy, the and religious ceremonies which distinguish the votaries

tenets

of Shamanism from the followers of Dalai-Lama, the two great sects into

which these

tribes are distinguished.

CHAP. Commerce between

the

IV.

Chinese and Russians

principal exports and imports

duties

of the amount average of list

Russian trade.

the

THE merchants

of Maimatschin

come from the

northern provinces of China, chiefly from Pekin,

Nankin, Sandchue, and other principal towns.

They and

are not settled at this place with their wives

families

that there

:

is

for it is a

not one

remarkable circumstance,

woman

in Maimatschin.

This restriction arises from the policy of the Chinese government, which totally prohibits the

women from having the slightest intercource with foreigners. No Chinese merchant engages in the trade to Siberia

These persons mutually

who

has not a partner.

relieve each other.

One

remains for a stated time, usually a year, at

Kiachta ; and when his partner arrives with a fresh

cargo

returns

of Chinese merchandize,

home with

he then

the Russian commodities.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

73

Most of the Chinese merchants understand the

Mongol tongue,

cial affairs are

which language, commer-

in

Some few

generally transacted.

indeed speak broken Russian, but their pronunciation

is

and

so soft

delicate, that it is difficult

comprehend them.

to

They

are

pronounce the R, but instead of

L

an

;

it

not able to

make use

of

and when two consonants come together,

which frequently occurs in the Russian tongue, they

divide

them by the

a

interposition of

This failure in articulating the Russian

vowel.

language seems peculiar to the Chinese, and

is

not observable in the Calmucs, Mongols, and other neighbouring nations.

The commerce between Chinese

is

the

entirely a trade of barter, that

exchange of one merchandize

*

is

off;

among them except

current

The Chinese have no gold

always paid in bullion

taken

;

an

The

own

nor indeed could the Chinese receive

specie

is,

for another.

Russians are prohibited to export their

should that prohibition be

and

Russians

it,

coin,

even

for

no

bullion.*

or silver coin. These metals are

and for the purpose of ascertaining the

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

74

And

the Russians find

it

more advantageous

to

take merchandize" in 'exchange, than to receive bullion at the Chinese standard. ;

method of transacting business

The

Chinese, merchant comes

The common is

as

first to

follows.

Kiachta,

and examines the merchandize he has occasion for in the

warehouse of the Russian; trader; he

then goes to the house of the

latter,

and adjusts

weight, every Chinese merchant is constantly provided with a As gold is very scarce in China, silver is the pair of scales.

gr6at vehicle of commerce. the Russians draw large

When

several authors affirm that

of silver from

quantities

China,

they mistake an accidental ^currenee for a general and standing fact During the war between the Chinese -and Calmucs, the

former had occasion to purchase at Kiachta, provision, horses, and camels, for which they paid silver. This traffic- brought such a profusion of that metal into Siberia, that its price was greatly reduced below its real value. pound of silver was, at that period, occasionally sold at the frontiers for eight or But nine roubles, which at present fetches fifteen or sixteen.

A

since the conclusion of these wars, by the total reduction of the Calmucs under the Chinese yoke, Russia receives a very small quantity of silver from the Chinese.

The silver imported to Kiachta is chiefly brought by the Bucharian merchants, who sell cattle to the Chinese in exchange for that metal, which they afterwards -dispose of to the Russians for

European manufactures.

Gold-dust

obtained from the same merchants those metals procured at Kiachta to deserve mention.

is

;

is also occasionally the quantity however of

so inconsiderable, as scarcely

The whole sum imported

1777, amounted to only 18,215 roubles.

to Kiachta, in

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

75

Both

the price over a dish of tea.

parties next

return to the magazine, and the goods in question are there carefully sealed in the presence of

the Chinese merchant.

over

they

both repair

When to

this

ceremony

is

Maimatschin; the

Russian chooses the commodities he wants, not forgetting inspection.

to

guard against fraud by a

He

strict

then takes the precaution to

leave behind a person of confidence,

who remains

in the warehouse until the Russian goods are delivered,

when he

returns to Kiachta with the

Chinese merchandize.

The

principal

which

commodities

exports to China are as follow

Russia

:

FURS AND PELTRY. It

would be uninteresting

to

enumerate

all

the furs and skins brought for sale to Kiachta,

which form the most important portation

article of ex-

on the side of the Russians.

The

most valuable of these furs are the skins of sea-otters, beavers, foxes, wolves, bears,

Bucha-

rian lambs, Astrachan sheep, martens,

sabks,

ermines, and grey squirrels

76

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

The

greatest part of these furs

drawn from Islands

:

Siberia

and the

this supply,

however,

and skins are

New is

Discovered

not alone fully

adequate to the demand of the market at Kiachta. St.

Foreign furs are therefore imported to

Petersburg,

frontiers.

and from thence sent alone

England

furnishes

to

the

a large

quantity of beaver and other skins, which she

draws from Hudson's Bay and Canada.

CLOTH. Cloth forms the second article of exportation

which Russia exports

The

coarse sort

the finer sort sian,

is

is

to China.

manufactured in Russia

;

foreign, chiefly English, Prus-

and French.

An

arshire of foreign cloth fetches, according

to its fineness,

from two to four roubles.

Camlets.

Calimancoes.

Druggets.

White

flannels,

both Russian and foreign.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

The remaining Rich

77

articles are,

stuffs.

Velvets.

Coarse linen, chiefly manufactured in Russia.

Russia leather.

Tanned hides. Glass ware and looking glasses.

Hardware, namely, knives,

scissors, locks,

&c.

Tin.

Russian Cattle,

talc.

chiefly

camels,

horses,

and horned

cattle.

The Chinese

also

pay very dear

for hounds,

grey-hounds, barbets, and dogs for hunting wild boars.

Provisions.

Meal.

The Chinese no

longer import such

large quantities of meal as formerly, since they

have employed the Mongols to cultivate the lands lying near the river Orchon, &c. &c.

List

of the most valuable commodities

procured from China.

78

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

RAW AND MANUFACTURED The

exportation of raw silk

China under pain of death

:

is

SILK. .

prohibited in

large

quantities

however are smuggled every year into Kiachta, but not sufficient to answer the demands of the Russian merchants.

A pood

of the

hundred and

best sort

fifty

roubles

;

is

estimated at one

of the worst sort at

seventy-five.

The manufactured fashions,

and

silks are

of various sorts,

dam-

prices, viz. satins, taffaties,

masks, and gauzes, skeins of silk died of

all

colours, ribbands, &c. &c.

RAW AND MANUFACTURED COTTON. Raw cotton is imported in very large tities;

a great part of this commodity

quanis

em-

ployed in packing up the china ware, and by these means

of

is

conveyed into the inland part

Russia without any additional expense of

carriage.

A

pood

to 12.

sells for

from 4 roubles,

80.

cop

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

Of

79

the manufactured cotton, that which the

Russians called Kitaika,- and the English Nankeen, has the most; rapid

durable, and, in- proportion, to

cheapest of

It -is the

sale..

most

goodness, the

its

the ..Chinese stuffs;

all

-

it

is

stained

brown, green, and black.

red,

TEAS. The

which are brought into Russia are

teas

much

superior in flavour -.and quality to those

which are sent original

to

Euroge

-from.

goodness of the teas

same in both

cases

;

but

it is

is

Cantqn.

The

probably the

conjectured, that

the transport by. sea considerably impairs the .,

aromatic flavour of the plant.

now become luxury,

is

so favourite

This commodity,

an object of European

esteemed by the Russian merchants

the most profitable article of importation.

At Kiachta a pound tea*

is

estimated at

Common

ditto at

Inferior at *

At

roubles.

.

of the best

2 roubles. 1

40 copecs.

Petersburg, a pound of the best green tea fetches three

x

80

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

PORCELAIN OF ALL SORTS.

For some years past the Chinese have brought Kiachta parcels of porcelain, painted with

to

European prints

figures,

with copies of several favorite

and images of the Grecian and

Roman

deities.

Furniture,

Japan cabinets

particularly

cases, lackered

and varnished tables and

and

chairs,

boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, &c. &c. Fans, toys, and other small wares. Artificial flowers.

Tiger and panther skins. Rubies,* but neither in large quantities nor of great value.

White

lead, vermillion,

and other

colours.

Canes.

Tobacco. Rice.

Sugar Candy. *

Rubies are generally procured by smuggling and by the same means pearls are occasionally disposed of to the Chinese, ;

at a very dear rate.

Pearls are

much sought for by

and might be made a very profitable

article.

the Chinese

;

81

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. Preserved ginger, and other sweet-meats.

Rhubarb.

Musk. It is very difficult

to

procure the genuine

Thibet musk, because the Chinese purchase a

bad

sort,

which comes from that

they adulterate

with which

Siberia,

which

brought from

is

Thibet.

draws

Russia

Chinese trade.

disposed of in

Many

and

furs

carriage

would

into

are of such

little

most value

not answer the expense of

Russia;

which are sold

skins,

a very profitable manner.

easterly parts of Siberia,

price,

its

of these furs procured from the

that they

the

this traffic, its natural pro-

and particularly

ductions,

are

By

from

advantages

great

to the

while

the

richer

Chinese at a very high

would, on account of their dearness,

dom meet with dominions.

furs,

purchasers

in

the

sel-

Russian

In exchange for these commodities

the Russians receive from China several valuable articles of

commerce, which they would other-

wise be obliged to buy at a F

much

dearer rate

82

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

from the European powers,

the great dis-

to

advantage of the balance of their trade.

I

have before observed, that formerly the

exportation and importation of the most valuable goods were

prohibited to individuals;

at

present only the following articles are prohibited.

the

Among

and

fire-arms

exports,

artillery

;

gunpowder and ball; gold and silver, coined and uncoined stallions and mares skins of ;

;

deer, rein-deer, elks,

and horses

and

potash, rosin, thread,

the imports,

salt,

;

beavers' hair,

tinsel lace:*

among

brandy, poisons, copper-money,

and rhubarb.

The

duties

paid by the Russian merchants

are very considerable;

chandize

is

great part of the mer-

taxed at 25 per cent.

Furs, cattle, and provisions, pay a duty of 23

per cent.

Russian manufactures, 18 per cent.

* Tinsel lace profit, for

is

smuggled

they pay nearly as

to the Chinese with considerable

much

for

it

as if

it

was

solid silver.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

One of

all

per cent,

is

83

deducted from the price

also

goods for the expense of deepening the

river Selenga;

and 7 per

cent, for the

support

of the custom-house.

Some no duty.

articles,

both of export and import, pay

The exported

are, writing, royal,

post paper, Eussia cloth of cloth.

excepting peasants satins,

raw and stained

all sorts

and

colours,

The imported

are,

cottons, porcelain, earth-

enware, glass corals, beads, fans,

all

musical in-

lackered and

struments, furniture,

and

ornaments, needles, white lead,

enamelled

rice,

preserved

ginger, and other sweet-meats.

The importance

of

from the following table

this

trade

will

appear

:

Table of exportation and importation at Kiachta this year. ROUBLES.

Custom-house duties Importation of Chinese goods to the value of

Of gold and

silver

COP.

481,460. 59j

1,466,497.

3|

11,215.

Total of importation

F 2

1,484,712.

3|

84

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. COP.

ROUBLES.

Exportation of Russian com1,313,621. 35.

modities

From

this

that the total

table

it

appears,

sum of export and

import amounts to

In trade

2,868,333.

this calculation, is

however, the contraband

not included, which

as this year

was not

is

very large

;

and

so favourable to this traffic

as the preceding ones,

we may

venture to

esti-

mate the gross amount of the average trade China

at near 4,000,000 roubles.

to

CHAP. Description of Zuruchaitu the

THE merce

and

its

trade

Transport of

merchandize through Siberia.

general

account of the Russian

com-

China has been given in the preceding

to

because almost the whole

chapter,

The

confined to Kiachta.

which was

chaitu,

V.

traffic

is

description of Zuru-

also fixed

by the

treaty of

Kiachta for the purpose of carrying on the same trade, will

be comprised, of course, in a narrow

compass.

Zuruchaitu

49. 20 N. X

is

situated in 137 longitude,

latitude,

and

upon the western branch of

the river Argoon, at a small distance from source.

It

is

its

provided with a small garrison,

and a few wretched barracks, surrounded with chevaux-de-frise. this place

shinsk,

;

No

merchants are settled at

they come every

summer from Ner-

and other Russian towns,

in order to

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

86

meet two

parties of

Mongol

troops

are sent from the Chinese towns

:

these troops

Naun and Mer-

ghen, and arrive at the frontiers about July.

They encamp near Zuruchaitu upon the other side of the river

Argoon, and barter with the

Siberian merchants a few Chinese commodities,

which they bring with them.

Formerly the commerce carried on at Zuru-

more considerable ; but

chaitu was is

so trifling, that

tioned.

it

at present it

hardly deserves to be men-

These Mongols furnish the

district of

Nershinsk with bad tea and tobacco, bad

and some

tolerable cottons.

They

silks,

receive

in

return ordinary furs, cloth, cattle, and Russian leather.

This trade

lasts

about a month or six

weeks, and the annual duties of the customs

amount upon an average roubles.

gols retire

to

no more than 500

About the middle of August the Mon;

part proceed immediately to China,

and the others descend the stream of the Amoor as far as its

mouth, in order

to observe if there

has been no usurpation upon the

limits.

At

the same time the Russian merchants return to

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. Nershinsk,

and,

were

it

not

The Russian commodities land from Petersburg and

are transported

Moscow

the merchants

down

the Irtish

the small

for

would remain uninhabited.

garrison, Zuruchaitu

From thence

87

by

to Tobolsk.

may embark upon

to its junction

with the

then they either tow up their boats, or

Oby

sail

;

up

Marym, where the Ket, which they ascend to Ma-

the last-mentioned river as far as

they enter

koffskoi Ostrog.

dize

is

carried

that place the

merchan-

about ninety versts by land to

The merchants then ascend

the Yenisei. river,

At

that

the Tunguska, and Angara, to Irkutsk,

cross the lake Baikal,

and go up the

river Se-

lenga almost to Kiachta.

It is a

work

streams of so

of such difficulty to ascend the

many

rapid rivers,

that this na-

vigation eastwards can hardly be finished in one

summer ;* *

Some

for

of these rivers are only navigable in spring,

the snow water frozen.

which reason the merchants com-

is

melting

;

when

in winter, the rivers are in general

88

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

monly

prefer the

rendezvous

is

way by

Their general

land.

the fair of Irbit near Tobolsk

;

from thence they go in sledges during winter to Kiachta, where they arrive about February, the season in which the chief commerce

on with the Chinese.

They buy

is

carried

in their route

the furs they find in the small towns, where

all

they are brought from the adjacent countries,

When

the merchants return in spring with the

Chinese goods, which are of greater bulk and

weight than the Russian commodities, they proceed by water ; they then descend the streams of most of the rivers,

namely,

the Selenga,

Angara, Tunguska, Ket, and Oby, to tion with the Irtish

;

its

junc-

they ascend that river to

Tobolsk, and continue by land to

Moscow and

Petersburg.

Before the passage from Ochotsk to Bolcheresk

was discovered

in 1716, the only

communication

between Kamtchatka and Siberia was by land ; the road lay by Anadirsk to Yakutsk. *

The

furs,

The

furs*

which are generally landed upon the eastern

coast of Kamtchatka, are either sent by sea to Bolcheresk, or

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

Kamtchatka and of the eastern

of

conveyed from

that

peninsula

89 isles

are

now

water

by

to

Ochotsk; from thence to Yakutsk by land on horseback, or by rein-deer; the roads are so very bad, lying either through a rugged mountainous or through

country,

lasts

journey

marshy

forests,

Yakutsk

least six weeks.

at

that the is

upon the Lena, and is the principal town, where the choicest furs are brought in situated

their as

way

from Kamtchatka

to Kiachta, as well

from the northern parts of Siberia, which lay

upon the

rivers Lena,

At

Yana, and Endigirka.

Yakutsk the goods are embarked upon the Lena, towed up the stream of that river as far as Vercholensk,

or

still

farther

to

Katsheg

from

;

thence they are transported over a short tract of

land to the rivulet Buguldeika,

down that stream

to the lake Baikal, across that lake to the

of the Selenga, and

up that

mouth

river to the neigh-

bourhood of Kiachta. are transported across the Peninsula in sledges drawn

by dogs.

The

the usual

latter

mode of

conveyance

is

only used in winter

travelling in that country.

In

;

it is

summer

there

is

no

conveyance, as the Peninsula contains neither oxen, horses, or rein-deer.

90

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. In order to give the reader some notion of that

which the merchan-

vast tract of country, over dize

a

list

is

frequently transported by land carriage,

of the distances

is

here subjoined.

From Petersburg to Moscow Moscow to Tobolsk Tobolsk to Irkutsk Irkutsk to Kiachto

.

734

.

.

2385

.

.

2918

.

.

versts.

"

471

6508

...

From

Irbit to

From

Irkutsk to Nershinsk

Tobolsk

.

Nershinsk to Zuruchaitu

From Ochotsk Yakutsk

From

to

Yakutsk

to Irkutsk

1129

370

" "

.

.

927

.

.

2433

Selenginsk to Zuruchaitu

Zuruchaitu to Pekin

.

Kiachta to Pekin

.

The Chinese

420

.

850

"

1588

"

.1532

transport their goods to Kiachta

It is four or five days upon camels. journey from Pekin to the wall of China, and

chiefly

forty-six

from thence across the Mongol desert

to Kiachta.

CHAP. Tartarian rhubard brought

to

VI. Kiachta by the Buchanan

method of examining and purchasing the roots different species of rheum which yield the finest rhubarb

merchants

price of rhubarb in Russia

exportation

superiority

of

the Tartarian over the Indian rhubarb.

EUROPE

is

and the East

supplied with rhubarb from Russia Indies.

known by the name we used to import

The former

is

generally

of Turkey rhubarb, because it

from the Levant in our

commerce with the Turks,

who procured

through Persia from the Bucharians. still

retains its original

And

now brought

to

it

name, although instead

of being carried, as before, to Constantinople, is

it

it

Kiachta by the Bucharian

merchants, and there disposed of to the Russians.

This appellation it

is

is

indeed the most general ; but

mentioned occasionally by several authors,

under the different denominations of Russian, Tartarian, Bucharian, and Thibet rhubarb.

This

92

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

sort is exported

pieces, freed

from Russia in large roundish

from the bark, with a hole through

the middle;

they are

of a yellow

externally

and when cut appear variegated with

colour,

lively reddish streaks.

The other

sort

is

Indian rhubarb, and

is

procured from Canton

in longer, harder, heavier, pieces,

than the former;

and has somewhat but,

by the druggists

called

it

less of

and more compact is

more

astringent,

an aromatic flavour

on account of its cheapness,

is

;

more generally

used than the Tartarian or Turkey rhubarb.

The government itself

barb

;

of Russia has reserved to

the exclusive privilege of purchasing rhuit is

brought to Kiachta by some Bucha-

rian merchants, to supply the

for furs.

who have

entered into a contract

crown with that drug in exchange

These merchants come from the town

of Selin, which

lies

south-westward of the Koko-

Nor, or Blue Lake, towards Thibet. all

the towns of Little Bucharia,

Yerken, Atrar, &c. are subject

viz.

Selin,

and

Kashkar,

to China.

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

The

best rhubarb

93

purchased at Kiachta

is

produced upon a chain of rocks, which are very high, and for the most part destitute of

they

large

are

;

north of Selin, and stretch as far as the

lie

The good

Koko-Nor.

by

wood

roots

and thick stems.

are distinguished

The Tanguts, who

employed in digging up the

enter

roots,

upon that business in April or May. As fast as they take them out of the earth, they cleanse

them from the

soil,

and hang them upon the

neighbouring trees to dry, where they remain until

a

sufficient

quantity

is

after

procured;

which they are delivered to the Bucharian mer-

The

chants.

roots are

sacks, carefully preserved

and are in

this

wrapped up in woollen from the least humidity,

manner transported

Kiachta

to

upon camels.

The hibited ties.

exportation of the best rhubarb

pro-

by the Chinese, under the severest penalIt

quantities, it

is

is

procured,

however,

in

sufficient

sometimes by clandestinely mixing

with inferior roots, and sometimes by means

of a contraband trade.

The College

of

Com-

94

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

merce

at

Petersburg

receive this drug,

it

empowered

solely

and appoints agents

Much

for that purpose.

choice; for

is

care

is

at

to

Kiachta

taken in the

examined, in the presence of

is

the Bucharian merchants,

by an apothecary, commissioned by government, and resident at Kiachta.

All the worm-eaten roots are rejected;

the remainder are bored through, in order to ascertain

their

soundness,

which appear in the are cut away.

and

all

the parts

damaged or decayed By these means even the best least

roots are diminished a sixth part,

and the refuse

burnt, in order to prevent

being brought

is

its

another year.*

Linnaeus has distinguished the different species of rhubarb by the

names of Rheum Palmatum,

R. Rhaponticum,

R. Rhabarbarum,

R. Com-

pactum, and R. Ribes.

*

who

When Mr.

Pallas was at Kiachta, the Bucharian merchant,

supplies the

crown with rhubarb, brought some pieces of

white rhubarb, which had a sweet taste, and was equal in effects to

the best sort.

its

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

95

Botanists have long differed in their opinions,

which of these several species

is

the true rhubarh;

and that question does not appear satisfactorily cleared up.

to the notion it is

which

is

supposed to be the

to

he

as yet

However, according

most generally received,

Rheum Palmatum

;

the

seeds of which were originally procured from

a Bucharian merchant, and distributed to the principal botanists of Europe.

Hence

this plant

has been cultivated with great success; and

now

very

common

is

in all our botanical gardens.

The learned Doctor Hope,

professor of medicine

and botany in the University of Edinburgh, having made

trials

of the powder of this root,

same doses in which the foreign rhubarb given, found no difference in its effects and

in the is

;

from thence conclusions have been drawn with great appearance of probability, that this

is

plant which produces the true rhubarb. this inference does not appear to

conclusive; peated,

for the

and with

same

trials

similar success,

the

But

be absolutely

have been

upon the

re-

roots,

of the R. Rhaponticum and R. Rhabarbarum.

96

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

The

leaves of the R.

Rhaponticum are round,

and sometimes broader than they are

This

long.

found abundantly in the loamy and dry

species

is

deserts

between the Volga and the Yaik,* towards

the Caspian Sea. that the

It

was probably from

name Rha, which

pellation of the river Volga,

is

this sort

the Tartarian ap-

was

first

applied by

the Arabian physicians to the several species of

The

rheum. these

warm

roots,

however, which grow in

plains are rather too astringent

therefore ought not to be used in cases

opening medicines are required. call it

and

where

The Calmucs

The young which appear in March or

Badshona, or a stomachic.

shoots of this plant, April, are

are

;

deemed a good

anti-scorbutic;

used as such by the Russians.

the Volga.

The

seeds of this species produced

at Petersburg plants of a

the wild ones

:

The R.

not to be found to the west of

is

Rhaponticum

and

much

greater size than

the leaves were large, and of a

roundish cordated figure.

*

The Yaik falls

the east of

theV

into the Caspian Sea, about four degrees to

olga.

97

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

The R, Rhabarbarum grows

in the crevices

of bare rocky mountains, and also upon gravelly soils

it is

:

vallies of the

Lake

particularly found in the high

more

romantic country situated beyond

Baikal.

Its

end of April; and the whole

month

buds do not shoot before the it

continues in flower during

of May.

The

stalks of the

raw by the Tartars they produce upon most persons, who are unaccustomed leaves are eaten

to

:

them, a kind of spasmodic contraction of the

throat,

which goes at

however,

off in a

few hours

every meal,

habituated to this kind of

make

;

it

returns,

become

until

they

diet.

The Russians

use of the leaves in their hodge-podge,

accordingly, soups of this sort affect strangers in

the manner

the stalk

is

above mentioned.

In Siberia

sometimes preserved as a sweet-meat ;

and a custom prevails among the Germans of introducing at their tables the buds plant,

as

well

as

of

the

of

this

Rheum Palmatum,

instead of cauliflower.

The R. Rhaponticum which commonly grows near the torrents has, as well as the R. Rhabar-

G

98

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

barum

of Siberia, the upper part of

commonly

rotten,

roots

from too much moisture:

ac-

a very small portion of the lower

cordingly,

extremity

its

The Russian

use.

is fit for

College

of Physicians order, for the use of their military hospitals, large quantities of these roots to

dug up the

in Siberia,

name

which are prescribed under

of Rhapontic.

But the persons em-

ployed in digging and preparing instructed for that purpose, that

are frequently

drawn up in the snows,

be

lost.

it

its

are so

ill

best juices

These roots ought

to

be

spring, soon after the melting of

when

the plant retains

all

its

sap

and strength; whereas they are not taken out of the ground before August,

when they

are

wasted by the increase of the stem, and the expansion of the leaves. are no sooner

roots

Add

to this, that the

taken up, than they are

immediately sliced in small pieces, and thus dried

;

by which means the medicinal

qualities

are sensibly impaired.

For the same were of such

roots,

little

which in

efficacy,

this instance

when

dried with

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

99

proper precaution, have been found to yield a

The

very excellent rhubarb.

process observed

for this purpose,

by the ingenious Mr.

was

The

as follows:

roots,

Pallas,

immediately after

being drawn out, were suspended over a stove,

where being gradually from the earth

dried, they

were cleansed

by these means, although they

;

were actually taken up in autumn,

they so

nearly resembled the best Tartarian rhubarb in colour, texture,

and purgative

qualities, that

they

answered in every respect the same medicinal purposes.

A German

apothecary,

similar trials with the

the

named

same

Rheum Rhabarbarum and

Zuchert,

made

both on

success,

R. Rhaponticum,

which grow in great perfection on the mountains in the

neighbourhood of Nershinsk.

He

formed plantations of these herbs on the declivity of

a rock,* covered with one foot of good

* In order to succeed fully in the plantation of rhubarb, and to procure

sound and dry

roots,

a dry, light

foundation, where the moisture easily niters necessary.

G 2

soil

with a rocky

off, is

essentiall

100

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

mould, mixed with an equal quantity of sand

and

gravel.

If the

summer proved

dry,

the

plants were left in the ground; but if the season

was

rainy, after

them

drawing out the

roots,

then replanted them.

By

this

left

to dry,

and

method of

cul-

some time in the shade

for

he

he produced in seven or eight years very large and sound roots, which the rock had prevented from penetrating too deep and when tivation

;

they were properly dried, one scruple was as efficacious as half a

From

drachm of Tartarian rhubarb.

the foregoing observations

it

that there are other plants, besides the

Palmatum, the

roots

Rheum

whereof have been found

to

be similar both in their appearance and

to

what

is

follows,

called the best rhubarb,

effects,

And indeed,

upon enquiries made at Kiachta concerning the form and leaves of the plant which produces that drug,

it

seems not to be the

E>.

Palmatum, but a

species with roundish scolloped leaves,

probably the

when he was to a

It.

Rhaponticum

;

for

and most

Mr.

Pallas,

at Kiachta, applied for information

Bucharian merchant of Selin-Chotton, who

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

now

supplies the

101

Crown with rhubarb

and his

;

description of that plant answered to the figure

of the

Rheum

description

was

truth of this

stiU further confirmed

travellers

Mongol

The

Khaponticum.

who had been

by some

in the neigh-

bourhood of the Kokor-Nor and Thibet, and had observed the rhubarb growing wild upon those mountains.

The experiments others,

upon the

also

roots

and R. Rhaponticum,

made by Zuchert and of the R. Rhabarbarum

sufficiently prove, that this

valuable drug was procured from those roots in

But

great perfection.

Palmatum were

as the seeds of the

Rheum

received from the father of the

above-mentioned Bucharian merchant, as taken

from the plant which furnishes the true rhubarb,

we have

reason to conjecture; that these three

species, viz. R.

Palmatum, R. Rhaponticum, and

R. Rhabarbarum,

when found

and

in a dryer

milder Alpine climate, and in proper situations, are indiscriminately

drawn up whenever the ;

of the plant seems to promise a fine root.

size

And

perhaps the remarkable difference of the rhubarb,

102

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

imported to Kiachta, criminate certain

is

method of

it is,

occasioned by this indis-

that these plants

Most

them.

collecting

grow wild upon the

mountains, without the least cultivation;

and

those are esteemed the best which are found

near the Koko-Nor, and about the sources of the river

Koango.

Formerly the exportation of rhubarb was confined to the

Crown

and no persons

of Russia ;

but those employed by government, were allowed the permission of sending this

it

to foreign countries;

monopoly, however, has been taken

and the

free exportation of it

burg granted duty.

College

to all

It is sold

of

is

at St. Petersburg.

St.

Peters-

persons upon paying the

in the

Commerce,

Sovereign, and

from

off,

first

for

instance

the

profit

by the of

the

preserved in their magazines

The

current price

is

settled

every year by the College of Commerce.

It is received

from the Bucharian merchants at

Kiachta, in exchange for furs;

and the prime

cost is rated at 16 roubles per pood.

By adding

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. the pay of the commisioners

103

who purchase

and of the apothecary who examines

it,

and

it,

allowing for other necessary expenses, the value of a pood at Kiachta amounts to 25 roubles;

add

to this the carriage

Petersburg, and

it is

from the frontiers to

calculated that the price of

a pood stands the Crown at 30 roubles. largest exportation of rhubarb ever

Russia, was

made

St.

in the year 1765,

The

known from when 1350

poods were exported, at 65 roubles per pood.

EXPORTATION OF RHUBARB FROM

ST.

PETERSBURG.

In 1777, 29 poods 13 pounds, at 76| Dutch* dollars, or

91 roubles 30 copecs per pood.

In 1778, 23 poods 7 pounds, at 80

ditto, or

96 roubles.

In 1778, 1055 poods were brought by the Bucharian merchants

to

Kiachta

;

poods 19 pounds were selected. * If 1

we reckon a Dutch dollar, upon an 20 copecs.

rouble

of which 680

The

interior

average, to be worth

104

CONQUEST OF SIBERIA.

consumption of the whole empire of Russia, for 1777, amounted to only 6 poods 5 pounds.*

The

of

superiority

Tartarian rhubarb,

this

over that procured from Canton, arises probably

from the following circumstances

1.

The southern

parts of

of

proper for the growth

:

China are not so this

plant

as

the

mountains of Little Bucharia.

2.

There

is

in receiving

from

the

merchants,

not so exact an examination made

it

from the Chinese at Canton, as

Bucharians

at

who purchase

are obliged to accept

it

For

Kiachta. this

drug

at Canton,

in the gross, without

separating the bad roots, and cutting

decayed parts, as

3.

is

the

away the

done at Kiachta.

It is also probable, that the long transport

of this drug by sea

humidity which

it

is

detrimental to

must

it,

necessarily

from the contract

during so long a voyage. *

This calculation comprehends only the rhubarb purchased magazines belonging to the College of Commerce for what was procured by contraband is of course not included. at the different

;

105

CHAP.

VII.

TABLE OF LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE.

For the convenience of the Reader, the following table exhibits in one point of view the longitude and latitude of the principal places

mentioned in

Their longitudes meridian of the Isle

this performance.

are estimated from the

first

of Fero, and from that of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. The longitude of Greenwich

from Fero

computed at 17 34' 45". The * has been taken longitude of the places marked from astronomical observations. is

titude.

D. 59 55 64 58 56 52 51 35 62 59 52 53 66

58

53

Longitude.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING

KAMTCHATKA,

&c.

WHERE THE FURS ARE COLLECTED FOR THE CHINESE MARKET.

CHAP.

VIII.

Discovery and conquest of Kamtchaika tribute

ninsulapopulation

THE

state

productions,

of that pe-

fyc.

peninsula of Kamtcfratka was not dis-

covered by the Russians before the latter end of the last century. those parts was sacks,

The made

first

expedition towards

in 1696,

by sixteen Cos-

under the command of Lucas Semsenoff

Morosko, who was sent against the Koriacks of the river Opooka by Volodimer Atlassoff, com-

mander of Anadirsk. march

until

Morosko continued

his

he came within four days' journey

of the river Kamtchatka, and having rendered a

Kamtchadal Anadirsk.

village

tributary,

he returned

to

108

The

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS following year Atlassoff himself, at the

head of a larger body of

troops,

penetrated

into the peninsula, took possession of the river

Kamtchatka by erecting a cross upon its banks and built some huts upon the spot, where Upper ;

Kamtchatkoi Ostrog now

stands.

These expeditions were continued during the following years

Upper and Lower Kamtchat-

:

koi Ostrogs and

Bolchcresk were built

southern district conquered and colonized in 1711, the

whole peninsula was

finally

;

;

the

and

reduced

under the dominion of the Russians.

During some years the possession of Kamtchatka brought very

little

excepting the

Crown,

advantage to the

small

exacted from the inhabitants. indeed,

occasionally hunted

foxes, wolves,

ermines,

of furs

tribute

The

Russians,

in that peninsula

sables,

and other

ani-

mals, whose valuable skins form an extensive article of

But the

commerce among the eastern

nations.

fur trade carried on from thence

inconsiderable,

until the

Russians

was

discovered

a CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

109

the islands situated between Asia and America, in a series of voyages.

Since these discoveries,

the variety of rich furs, which are procured from those islands, has greatly increased the trade of

Kamtchatka, and rendered

it

a very important

branch of the Russian commerce.

The peninsula

of

Kamtchatka

lies

between

51 and 62 degrees of north latitude, and 173

and 182 of longitude from the is

bounded on the

east

Isle of Fero.

It

and south by the sea of

Kamtchatka, on the west by the seas of Ochotsk

and Penshinsk, and on the north by the country of the Koriacks.

It is divided into

Tigilskaia Krepost,

four districts, Bolcheresk,

Verchnei or Upper

Kam-

'tchatkoi Ostrog,

and Mshnei or Lower Kam-

tchatkoi Ostrog.

The government

the chancery

upon, and

is

of

is

vested in

Bolcheresk, which

depends

subject to, the inspection of the

chancery of Ochotsk.

The whole Russian

stationed in the peninsula consists of nq

than three hundred men.

force

more

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

110

The

population

present

Kamtchatka

of

is

very small, amounting to scarce four thousand

Formerly the inhabitants were more

souls.

numerous, but in 1768, that country was greatly ravages of the small-pox,

depopulated by the

by which disorder

five

thousand, three hundred,

and sixty-eight persons were carried are

now

There

oif.

only seven hundred and six males in

the whole peninsula

who

hundred and fourteen

in the Kuril Isles,

are tributary, and a

which

are subject to Russia.

The sables,

fixed

annual

464 red

and 38 cub

foxes,

sea-otters.

tribute

50

consists

sea-otters

the

;

279

with a dam,

All furs exported from

Kamtchatka pay a duty of ten per

Crown

in

cent, to the

the tenth of the cargoes brought from

New

Discovered Islands

is

also

delivered

into the customs.

Many

traces of volcanos

in this peninsula; tains,

which

The most

at

have been observed

and there are some moun-

present are in a burning state.

considerable of these volcanos

is situ-

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

Lower

ated near the noise

Ostrog.

In 1762, a great

was heard issuing from the

mountain, and flames of

from different

parts.

diately succeeded

fire

inside of that

were seen

to burst

These flames were imme-

by a large stream of melted

snow water, which flowed valley,

Ill

into the neighbouring

and drowned two Kamtchadals, who were

at that time

upon a hunting

party.

The

ashes,

and other combustible matter, thrown from the mountain, spread to the circumference of three

hundred

In 1767, there was another

versts.

discharge, but

less considerable.

Every night

fire

mountain

;

were observed streaming from the

flames of

and the eruption which attended

them, did no small damage to the inhabitants of the

Lower

have been constant

Ostrog.

seen

smoke.

also observed

;

Since that year no flames

but the mountain emits a

The same phenomenon

upon another mountain,

is

called

Tabaetshinskian.

The sula

is

face of the country throughout the peninchiefly mountainous.

It produces in

some

parts birch, poplars, alders, willows, underwood,

PRELIMIMARY OBSERVATIONS

112

and berries of

different sorts.

Greens and other

vegetables are raised with great facility

white

cabbage,

carrots,

and some cucumbers.

a very low

state,

radishes,

turnips,

which

is

soil

though some

trials

such as

beet-root,

Agriculture

owing

chiefly

and the severe hoar

nature of the

;

in

is

to the

frosts

;

for

have been made with respect

to the cultivation of corn

rye have been sown

;

and

oats,

barley,

and

yet no crop has ever been

procured sufficient in quantity

or

quality

to

answer the pains and expense of raising

it.

Hemp, however, has of late

years been cultivated

with great success.*

Every year a vessel belonging sails salt,

to the

Crown,

from Ochotsk to Kamtchatka laden with provisions, corn,

and Russian manufactures

;

and returns in June or July of the following year with skins and furs for the Chinese market.

Journal of St. Petersburg.

CHAP.

IX.

General idea of the commerce carried on to the New Discovered Islands from Kamtchatka equipment of the vessels

risks

SINCE

of the

the

trade, profits,

conclusion

which was made

fyc.

of

Beering's voyage,

at the expense of the

the prosecution of the

new

him has been almost

entirely carried

dividuals.

discoveries

Crown,

began by on by

in-

These persons were principally mer-

chants of Irkutsk, Yakutsk, and other natives of Siberia,

who formed

themselves into small

trading companies, and fitted out vessels at their joint expense.

Most of the these

vessels

expeditions

commonly

are

which are equipped two masted:

built without iron,

badly constructed, that

it is

can weather so stormy a

H

they are

and in general

wonderful

sea.

They

for

how

so

they

are called

114

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

in Russian, Skitiki, or sewed

vessels,

because

the planks are sewed together with thongs of leather.

Some few

are built in the river of

Kam-

tchatka; but they are for the most part constructed at the haven of Ochotsk.

of these vessels are

manned with

and the smallest with

The

largest

seventy men,

The crew

forty.

gener-

ally consists of an equal number of Russians and Kamtchadals. The latter occasion a con-

siderable also

saving, as their

resist,

more

attacks of the are

pay

small

;

they

than the former, the

easily

But Russian mariners

scurvy.

more enterprising and more

upon

is

to

be depended

in time of danger than the others; some,

therefore, are unavoidably necessary.

The expenses

of building and fitting out the

vessels are very considerable; for their is nothing at

Ochotsk but timber

Accordingly cordage

for

sails,

their

construction.

and some

provisions,

must be brought from Yakutsk upon

The dearness

horses.

of corn and flour, which must be

transported from the districts, river Lena, renders

it

lying about the

impossible to lay in any

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

115

large quantity for the subsistence of the crew

during a voyage, which commonly four years.

than

For

this reason,

no more

necessary to supply the

is

lasts three or is

provided

Russian mariners

with quass and other fermented liquors.

From

the excessive scarcity of cattle, both at

Ochotsk, and Kamtchatka very

little

laid in at either of those places:

provision

is

but the crew

provide themselves with a large store of the flesh of

which are caught and cured

sea animals,

upon Beering's

Island,

where the

vessels for the

most part winter.

After

all

expenses are paid, the equipment

of each vessel ordinarily costs from 15,000 to

20,000 roubles

amount

and sometimes the expenses

;

to 30,000.

a certain number thirty to fifty;

300

to

The

Every vessel of

shares,

is

divided into

generally

and each share

is

from.

worth from

500 roubles.

risk of the trade

is

very great, as ship-

wrecks are common in the sea of Kamtchatka,

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

116

which

is

full

of rocks

and very tempestuous.

and

Besides, the crews are frequently surprised killed

by the

islanders,

In return, the

and the

from these voyages

profits arising

are very considerable, and

vessels destroyed.

compensate the

conveniences and dangers attending them. if

a ship comes back after having

fitable

in-

For,

made a

pro-

voyage, the gain, at the most moderate

computation, amounts to cent, frequently to as

much

per cent., and

Should the vessel

more.

be capable of performing a second expedition, the expenses, are, of course, considerably lessened,

and the shares are

Some from

may

notion

this trade

at a lower price.

of the

general profits arising

(when the voyage

be deduced from the

sale

is

successful),

of a rich cargo

of furs, brought to Kamtchatka, from the

Discovered

Islands, in

New-

a vessel belonging to

Ivan Popoff.

The tenth

part of the skins being delivered to

the customs, the remainder was distributed in fifty-five shares.

Each share

consisted of twenty

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA. sea-otters, sixteen

117

black and brown foxes, ten

red foxes, three sea-otter

tails

;

and such a

portion was sold upon the spot from 800 to 1000 roubles:

so that,

according to this price, the

whole lading was worth about 50,000 roubles.

CHAP. X. Furs and

New

skins

THE

principal furs

the peninsula of

covered

Islands

ermines,

to be

disposed of

wolves,

the

Chinese.

to the

and skins procured from

Kamtchatka and the are

and

Kamtchatka

procured from

Discovered Islands

sea-otters,

bears,

New

sables,

foxes,

These furs

&c.

Dis-

are

transported to Ochotsk by sea, and from thence carried to Kiachta

upon the

frontiers of Siberia,

where the greatest part of them are sold Chinese at a very considerable

Of all

profit.

these furs the skins of the sea-otters are

the richest and most valuable. resort in great

Islands

;

to the

numbers

Those animals

to the Aleutian

and Fox

they are called by the Russians Bobry

Morski or sea-beavers, and sometimes Kamtchadal beavers, on account of the resemblance of their fur to that of the

common

beaver.

From

these circumstances several authors have been

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

120

led into a mistake, and have supposed that this

animal

is

of the beaver species, whereas

it is

the

true sea-otter.

The females the cubs, bears,

till

are called

months

five

Matka

old,

or dams; and

Madviedki or

little

because their coat resembles that of a

bear ; they lose that coat after

five

months, and

then are called Koschloki.

The

fur of the finest sort

is

thick and long, of

a dark colour, and a fine glossy hue. taken four ways

;

They

are

struck with darts as they are

upon their backs in the sea, followed in boats and hunted down till they are tired, sursleeping

prised in caverns, and taken in nets.

Their skins fetch different prices, according to their quality. ROUBLES.

ROUBLES.

At Kamtchatka

the best

per skin from

sell for

30 to 40

30

Middle

sort

20

Worst

sort

15 to 25

to

-

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

121

ROUBLES.

At

ROUBLES.

Kiaclita the old and middle-

aged sea-otter skins are sold to the Chinese per skin from

The worst

As

sort

80

to

100

30 to

40

these furs fetch so great a price to the

Chinese, they are seldom brought into Russia for

and

sale:

Moscow

which have been carried

several,

to

a tribute, were purchased for 30

as

roubles per skin; and sent from thence to the

Chinese frontiers, where they were disposed of at

a very high

interest.

There are several species of foxes, whose skins are

sent from

Russia.

Of

Kamtchatka

into

Siberia

and

these the principal are the black

foxes, the Petsi or Arctic foxes,

and the red and

stone foxes.

The parts

finest

black foxes are caught in different

of Siberia,

and more commonly in the

northern regions between the rivers Lena, Indigirka,

and Kovyma

:

the black foxes found upon

the remotest eastern islands discovered by the

122

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

Russians,

or

valuable.

the

are very black

They

the coat for the most part

The

a wolf. of the Siberia

Ostrova,

Lyssie

are not

and large

so

but

;

as coarse as that of

is

great difference in the fineness

between these foxes and those of

fur,

arises

circumstances

probably

from

the

following

In those islands the cold

:

so severe as in Siberia

;

and

is

not

no wood,

as there is

the foxes live in holes and caverns of the rocks

;

whereas in the above-mentioned parts of Siberia, there are large tracts of forests in which they

Some black

find shelter.

the

remotest

eastern

wholly destitute of wood, and these

islands, not

In general the Chinese, who

are of great value.

pay the dearest for

in

caught

occasionally

are

foxes, however,

for black furs,

the black foxes

of

the

do not give more

New

Discovered

Islands than from 20 to 30 roubles per skin.

The Arctic

or ice foxes are very

common upon

some of the

New

called Petsi

by the Russians, and by the Ger-

mans blue

foxes.

bluish grey

or

Discovered Islands.

They

Their natural colour ash

colour;

is

are

of a

but they change

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA. their

coat

at different

123

and in

ages,

different

In general they are born

seasons of the year.

brown, are white in winter, and brown in summer;

and in spring and autumn,

gradually

falls

the

off,

and

different specks

coat

as the hair

marked with

is

crosses. ROUBLES.

At Kiachta

all

the

upon an average

varieties sell

to the Chinese per skin

50 copecs

COP.

several

from

to

%l

Stone foxes at Kamtchatka per skin from

1 to

Red Foxes, from 80 copecs to At Kiachta, from 80 copecs to

.

1

.

9

2j

80

Common wolves' skins at per skin

2

Best sort per skin from

8 to 16

Sables per ditto

A pood

.

.

.

.....

2jto 10

of the best sea-horse teeth

sells ROUBLES.

At Yakutsk for Of the middling

10 8 5 to 7

Inferior ditto

Four,

five,

or six teeth generally

and sometimes, but very

weigh a pood,

rarely, three.

sold to the Chinese, Mongols,

They

and Calmucks.

are

CHAP.

XI.

Commencement and progress of

the first

Russian discoveries

of KamtchatJca general division of the New Discovered Islands, where furs were procured for the China market. in the sea

A

THIRST after riches was the chief motive

which excited the Spaniards

to the discovery of

and which turned the attention of

America;

other maritime nations

same passion

that quarter.

to

for riches

The

about the

occasioned,

middle of the sixteenth century, the discovery

and

conquest of

Northern Asia,

before that time, as as

Thule

of this

less

to the ancients.

at

civilized,

human

was

to the

The

Europeans foundation

laid

but, at the

same time, not

so in-

as the conquerors of America.

accession of this vast territory,

the

first

country,

by the celebrated the head of a band of adventurers,

conquest

Yermac,

unknown

a

name

By the now known by

of Siberia, the Russians have acquired

an extent of empire never before attained by any other nation.

126

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

The

making discoveries in which lies between Kam-

project* for

first

that tempestuous sea,

tchatka and America, was conceived and planned

by Peter L, the greatest sovereign who ever The nature and sat upon the Russian throne. completion of this project under his immediate successors are well

the relation

of

known

the

sooner had Beering-j*

to the public

from

No

celebrated Muller.

and

Tschirikoff,

There seems a want of connection

in this place,

in which

the will

be cleared up by considering, that, by the conquest of Siberia, the Russians advanced to the shores of the Eastern Ocean, the scene of the discoveries here alluded

to.

f Beering had already made several expeditions in the sea of Kamtchatka, by orders of the Crown, before he undertook the voyage mentioned in the text.

In 1728, he departed from the mouth of the Kamtchatka company with Tschirikoff. The purport of this voyage was to ascertain, whether the two continents of Asia and America river, in

were separated

;

and Peter

I.

a short time before his death, had

own hand for that purpose. coasted the eastern shore of Siberia as high as latitude Beering 67 18 f ; but made no discovery of the opposite continent. drawn up

instructions

with

his

In 1729, he set sail again for the prosecution of the same design but this second attempt equally failed of success. ;

In 1741, Beering and Tschirikoff went out upon the celebrated expedition (alluded to in the text, and which is so often

mentioned in the course of America.

this

work) towards the coasts of

This expedition led the way to

coveries since

made by

Beering's vessel was wrecked in

and Tschirikoff landed

all

the important dis-

the Russians.

at

December of

the same year ;

Kamtchatka on the 9th October, 1742.

1

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

127

prosecution of this plan, opened their islands

abounding in valuable

furs,

way

to

than private

merchants immediately engaged with ardour in similar expeditions years,

;

and, within a period of ten

more important

discoveries

these individuals, at their

had been hitherto

own

effected

were made by

private cost, than

by

all

the expensive

of the Crown.

efforts

Soon

after the return

of Beering's crew from

the island where he was shipwrecked and died,

and which of

tants

island, to

called after his

is

Kamtchatka ventured over which the

animals were

numbers. full in

name, the inhabi-

sea-otters

accustomed

Mednoi

to

and other resort

Ostroff Island,

sight of Beering's Isle,

that

to

in

sea-

great

which

lies

was an easy and

speedy discovery.

These two small uninhabited spots were

some time the only

islands that

until a scarcity of land

for

were known

;

and sea-animals, whose

numbers were greatly diminished by the Russian

hunters,

occasioned

other

expeditions.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

128

Several of the vessels which were sent out these voyages were driven to the south-east

the Aleutian

upon

by stormy weather

and discovered by that means

;

195th*

situated about the

Isles,

degree of longitude, and but moderately peopled.

From islands

the year 1745,

were

visited, until

first

tribute of furs

first

when

seems these

it

when

1750,

the

was brought from thence

to

Ochotsk, the government appears not to have

been

fully

In the

informed of their discovery.

last-mentioned

year,

one Lebedeff was com-

mander of Kamtchatka.

From 1755

to 1760,

Captain TsheredoiF and Lieutenant Kashkareff

were his successors.

In 1760, Feodor Ivano-

vitch Soimonoff,

governor of Tobolsk, turned

his

the above-mentioned islands;

attention

and,

same

the

Ochotsk, The from the

to

year,

Captain

instructed Lieutenant

Rtistsheff,

Shmaleff,

at

the

author reckons, throughout this narrative, the longitude first

meridian of the Isle of Fero.

The

longitude

which he gives to the Fox Islands, corresponds with in which they are laid down upon the general those exactly of Russia. The map longitude of Beering's and of the Aleutian

and

latitude,

Isles, are

somewhat

different.

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

129

same who was afterwards commander in Kamtchatka, to promote and favour all expeditions in

Until this time,

those seas.

subsequent

to

all

the discoveries

voyage were made^

Beering's

without the interposition of the court, by

small vessels fitted out at

vate merchants in their

own

As

pri-

expense.

to the

New

must be given

Discovered Islands, no credit

to a chart published in the

graphical Calendar of

St.

Geo-

Petersburg for 1774;

in

which they are inaccurately

laid

is

the ancient chart of

new

the

down.

Nor

discoveries,

published by the Imperial Academy, and which

seems to have been drawn up from mere reports,

more deserving of

The

late navigators give a far different des-

cription of the their accounts is

situated due

in the

Northern Archipelago.

we

From

learn, that Beering's Island 1

east

from Kamtchatkoi Noss,

185th degree of longitude.

another island;

them,

attention.

and,

east-south-east,

at

it

is

some distance from

there i

Near

are

three

small

130

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

named by

islands,

their

Semitshi, and Shemiya

Aleutian Isles;

inhabitants,

Attack,

these are properly the

;

they stretch from west-north-

west towards east-south-east, in the same direction as Beering's Islands, in

the

longitude of

195, and latitude 54.

To

the north-east of these, at the distance of

600 or 800

more

lies

versts,

islands,

another group of six or

known by

the

name

of the Andrea-

noffskie Ostrova.

South-east, or east-south-east, of these, at the

distance of about 15 degrees, and north

of the

Aleutian,

Ostrova, or

and

isles

Fox

Islands:

east

chain of Lyssie

the

begins

by

this

chain of rocks

stretches east-north-east

between the

56 and 61 degrees of north latitude, from 211 degrees of longitude most probably to the Continent of

which Isles

America

;

and in a

crosses with that in lie.

The

largest

line

of direction,

which the Aleutian

and most remarkable

of these islands are

Umnak, Aghunalashka,

as

shortened, Unalashka,

it

is

commonly

dyak, and Alagshak.

or,

Ka-

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

Of these and

131

the Aleutian Isles, the distance

and position are tolerably well ascertained by ships' reckonings, and latitudes taken by pilots.

But the

situation of the Andreanoffskie Isles* is

somewhat doubtful, though probably their direction is east and west and some of them

still

;

may

unite with that part of the

which are most contiguous

Fox

Islands

to the opposite con-

tinent.

A

very

full

and judicious account of

discoveries hitherto

has

been

Mullerf.

made

in the Eastern

by the

published

I

Meanwhile,

all

the

Ocean

celebrated

Mr.

hope the following

account, extracted from the original papers, and

procured from the best intelligence, the more acceptable to the public;

*

These are the same islands which are

Staehlin,

will

as

it

called,

Anadirsky Islands, from their supposed

be

may

by Mr.

vicinity to

the river Anadyr.

f Mr. Muller has already arranged and put in order several of the journals, and sent them* to the Board of Admiralty at St. Petersburg,

where they are

at present kept,

the charts of the respective voyages. i

2

together with

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

132

prove an inducement to the Russians to publish fuller

and

more

circumstantial

Besides, the reader will find here

more authentic and

accurate,

relations.

a narrative

than what has

been published in the above-mentioned work;

and several mistakes in that memoir are here corrected.

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

CHAP.

133

XIII.

Voyages in 1745, from Kamtchatka first discovery of the Aleutian Isles ly Michael Nevodtsikojf.

A VOYAGE BassofF

made

scarce

is

in the year 1745

worth mentioning,

by Emilian as

he only

reached Beering's Island, and two smaller ones,

which

lie

south of the former,

and returned on

the 31st of July, 1746.

The

first

voyage which

is

in any wise re-

markable, was undertaken in the year

1745.

The

fitted

vessel

was a Shitik named Eudokia,

out at the expense of Aphanassei Tsebaefskoi,

Jacob Tsiuproff and others; she sailed from the

Kamtchatka

river Sept. 19,

under the command

of Michael Nevodtsikoif a native

of Tobolsk.

Having discovered three unknown

islands, they

wintered upon one of them, in order to otters,

of

kill sea-

which there was a large quantity.

These islands

were

undoubtedly the

nearest

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

134

Aleutian Islands:*

the

language

of the

in-

habitants was not understood by an interpreter,

whom

they had brought with them from

Kam-

For the purpose therefore of learning

tchatka.

this language,

they carried back with them one

of the islanders;

and presented him

chancery of Bolcheresk, with a their proceedings. as soon as

false

the

to

account of

This islander was examined

he had acquired a

of the Russian language

;

and

He

the following report.

slight as

was

knowledge

it is said,

called

gave

Temnac,

and Att was the name of the island of which he was a lies

native.

At some

distance from thence

a great island called Sabya, of which the

inhabitants, are denominated

Rogii

:

these

in-

habitants, as the Russians understood, or thought

they understood him, made crosses, had books,

and

fire-arms,

thern canoes. island

and navigated in baidars or

At no

lea-

great distance from the

where they wintered, there were two

* The small group of islands lying S.E. of Beering's Island, are the real Aleutian Isles they are sometimes called the ;

Nearest Aleutian Islands, and the Fox Islands, the Furthest Aleutian

Isles.

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA. well-inhabited

and

islander

and sent

As

the

first

east-

lying

and south-east by south, the second

south-east east

islands:

135

east

by

south.

The above-mentioned

was baptized under the name of Paul, to Ochotsk.

the misconduct of the ship's crew towards

the natives was suspected, partly from the loss of several

men, and partly from the report of those

who were

Russians,

not concerned in the

orderly conduct of their companions,

a

dis-

strict

examination took place; by which the following circumstances

brought to

relating

to

the

light.

According

to the account of

some of the crew,

and particularly of the commander,

after

they came in sight of the

days' sailing

island

on the 24th of September,

They

sailed

by,

discovered the at

were

voyage

and

towards

second island,

six first

at mid-day.

evening

they

where they lay

anchor until the next morning.

The 25th coast,

several inhabitants appeared

and the

pilot

on the

was making towards shore in

136

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

the small boat, with an intention of landing; but

observing

their

hundred, he

numbers increase

was

to about a

of venturing

afraid

them, although they beckoned to him. tented

himself,

He

con-

with flinging some

therefore,

needles amongst them:

among

the islanders in return

threw into the boat some sea-fowl of the

morant

He

kind.

but

language.

row the

no

one could

And now

hold a

understand their

the crew endeavoured to

vessel out to sea; but the

contrary, they

to

them by means of the inter-

conversation with preters,

endeavoured

cor-

were driven

wind being

to the other side of

the same island, where they cast anchor.

The of the

26th, Tsiuproff having landed with some

crew in order

several inhabitants

:

look for water, met

to

he gave them some tobacco

and small Chinese pipes

;

and received in

re-

turn a present of a stick, upon which the head of a seal was carved.

wrest his

They endeavoured hunting gun from him but upon

refusing to part with

;

it

and

to

his

retiring to the small

boat, the islanders ran after him, an$l seized the

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA. rope by which the boat was

made

137

fast to shore.

This violent attack obliged Tsiuproff to

fire

;

and having wounded one person in the hand, they

all let

go their hold

and he rowed

;

The savages no sooner saw

the ship.

that their

companion was hurt, than they threw clothes,

into the sea,

of this

the

carried

the

off their

wounded person naked

and washed him.

encounter

off to

In consequence

crew would not

ship's

venture to winter at this place, but rowed back again to the other island, where they came to

an anchor.

The next morning Shaffyrin landed with a

they observed

and a certain

Tsiuproff,

more considerable party

several traces

of

:

inhabitants;

but meeting no one, they returned to the ship,

and coasted along the

The

island.

following

day the Cossack Shekurdin went on shore,

companied by

five sailors

two of

:

back with a supply of water

;

whom

ac-

he sent

and remained

himself with the others in order to hunt seaotters.

At night they came

inhabited by five families

:

to

some dwellings

upon

their approach

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

138

the natives abandoned their huts with precipitation,

and hid themselves among the

Shekurdin no sooner returned

rocks.

to the ship,

than

he was again sent on shore with a larger company, in order to look out for a proper place to

up the

lay

vessel during winter.

In their way

they observed fifteen islanders upon an height

and threw them some fragments of dried in order

But

as

to

approach nearer.

to

of the party, ordered some of the

mount the

the inhabitants, their language

:

height,

for this

and

to seize

the purpose

of

islanders

made with

Russians

to

their

immediately

prisoner to the ship. sea

by a

one of

learning

order was accordingly ex-

ecuted, notwithstanding the resistance

driven

fish,

this overture did not succeed, TsiuprofF,

who was one crew

them

entice

to

;

which the

bone spears;

returned

with

They were soon

the their

afterwards

storm, and beat

violent

about from the 2nd to the 9th of October, during

which time they at

lost their

anchor and boat;

length they came back to the same island,

where they passed the winter.

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

Soon

their landing

after

they found in an of two

adjacent hut the dead bodies inhabitants,

139

of the

who had probably been killed

last encounter.

in the

In their way the Russians were

met by an old woman, who had been taken She was accompanied prisoner and set at liberty. by

thirty-four islanders of both sexes,

came dancing

who

all

sound of a drum; and

to the

brought with them a present of coloured earth. Pieces of cloth, thimbles, and needles, were dis-

among them

tributed

amicably.

in return

;

and they parted

Before the end of October, the same

persons, together with the old

woman and

children, returned dancing as before, birds, fish,

the

and other

provision.

Soon

Shaifyrin,

after

and brought

Having passed

Russians, they took their

night with the

leave.

several

their

departure,

Tsiuproff,

and Nevodsikoff, accompanied by seven

them

of the crew, went after them, and found

among

In

the rocks.

behaved

in

the

most

this interview the natives

friendly

exchanged a baidar and some skins

They were observed

to

manner, for

two

and

shirts.

have hatchets of sharp-

ened stone, and needles made of bone 4 they lived

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

140

on the

flesh of sea-otters,

which they

and

seals,

killed with clubs

sea-lions,

and bone

lances.

So early as the 24th of October, Tsiuproff had sent ten persons, under the Belayeff,

a

upon

command

reconnoitering

of Larion

latter treated the inhabitants in a hostile

upon which they defended themselves they could with their bone lances.

ance gave him a pretext for firing ingly he shot the to fifteen

Shekurdin,

as well as

and accord-

;

amounting

to get at their wives.

of

the

to

unperceived

brought an account

all

ship,

had

that

Tsiuproif, instead of punishing these

as .they

them;

deserved, for

was

he himself

secretly

in

which he saw in

consequence

of

at

the

him an

iron

He

had,

their possession. refusal,

several acts of hostilities against

them

even formed the horrid design

passed. cruelties

was affronted

their

and

pleased with

islanders for having refused to give bolt,

resist-

shocked at these cruel proceed-

retired

ings,

manner,

This

whole number,

men, in order

The

party.

of

committed ;

and had poisoning

/

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

them with a mixture of

corrosive

141 sublimate.

In order, however, to preserve appearances, he dispatched

Shekurdin and Nevodsikoff to

proach Belayeff for his disorderly conduct sent him, at the same time,

;

re-

but

by the above-men-

tioned persons, more powder and ball.

The Russians

continued

upon

this

where they caught a large quantity of until the

island,

sea-otters,

14th of September, 1746; when, no

longer thinking themselves secure, they put to sea with an intention of looking out for

uninhabited islands.

by a

Being, however, overtaken

violent storm, they

the 30th of October,

upon a rocky

shore,

the loss

almost

of

some

were driven about until

when

their vessel struck

and was shipwrecked, with all

greatest part of the furs.

the

tackle,

Worn

and the

out at length

with cold and fatigue, they ventured, the 1st of

November, of the

uneven.

to penetrate

country,

Upon

into the interior part

which they found rocky and their

coming

to

some

huts, they

were informed, that they were cast away upon the island of Karaga, the inhabitants of which

142

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

were tributary

The

tribe.

to Russia,

islanders

and of the Koraki

behaved

great kindness, until Belayeff

to

them with

had the impru-

dence to make proposals to the wife of the

The woman gave immediate

chief.

intelligence

to

her husband

to

such a degree, that they threatened the whole

;

and the natives were incensed

crew with immediate death

but means were

:

found to pacify them, and they continued live

to

Russians upon the same good

with the

terms as before.

The 30th

of may, 1747, a party of Olotorians

made a descent upon

the island in three baidars,

and attacked the natives on both

sides,

;

but, after

they went away.

some

loss

They returned

soon after with a larger force, and were again forced to

come again the

But

retire.

as

they threatened

in a short time,

inhabitants

who

and

to

paid tribute,

destroy

to all

the latter

advised the Russians to retire from the island,

and

With

assisted

them

in

building two

baidars,

these they put to sea on the 27th of June,

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

and landed the 21st of July

at

143

Kamtchatka.

with the rest of their cargo, consisting of 320 sea-otters,

the

of which they paid the tenth into

customs.

men were

lost.

During

this

expedition twelve

CHAP. Successive voyages,

Aleutian Isles

from 1747

to

1753,

some account of

IN the year 1747* the

XIII.

Kamtchatka

river,

two

to

Beerings and

thv

the inhabitants.

vessels sailed

from

according to a permission

granted

by the chancery of Bolcheresk

hunting

sea-otters.

One was

Andrew Wsevidoff, and besides eight Cossacks:

fitted

for

out by

carried forty-six men,

the other belonged to

Feodor CholodilofF, Andrew Tolstyk, and com-

pany

;

and had on board a crew, consisting of

forty-one Russians

and Kamtchadals, with

six

Cossacks.

The

latter vessel sailed the

and was *

It

forced,

may be

by

stress of

20th of October,

weather and other

necessary to inform the reader, that, in this

chapter, some circumstances are occasionally omitted, which are to be found in the original. These omissions relate chiefly to the

names of some of the partners engaged to a detail of immaterial

in the equipments,

and

occurrences prior to the actual de-

parture of the vessels.

K

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

146

From

accidents, to winter in Beering's Island.

thence they departed

May

and

1748,

31st,

touched at another small island, in order to provide themselves with water and other neces-

They then

saries.

way without

steered S. E. for a considerable

discovering any

new

islands

;

and,

being in great want of provisions, returned into

Kamtchatka

river,

August 14th, with a cargo

of 250 old sea-otter ones,

and 148

were

all slain

above

100 young

petsi, or Arctic fox-skins,

upon Beering's

We have no

sufficient

All that

voyage.

skins,

Island.

account of Wsevidoffs

known amounts

is

which

only to

this,

that he returned the 25th of July, 1749,

after

having probably touched upon one of the

nearest Aleutian Isles which was uninhabited: his cargo consisted of the skins of otters,

and 2000 Arctic

Emilian

Yugoff,

1040

sea-

foxes.

a

merchant of Yakutsk,

obtained from the senate of

St.

Petersburg the

permission of fitting out four vessels for himself

and his

associates.

He

procured, at the same

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

147

the exclusive privilege of hunting sea-

time,

upon Beering's Island during these expeditions and, for this monopoly, he agreed to otters

;

deliver to the customs the tenth of the furs.

October 6th, 1750, he put to sea from Bolcheresk, in the sloop John, five

and

Russians

Cossacks:

and the

manned with twenty-

Kamtchadals,

and

two

he was soon overtaken by a storm, driven

vessel

mouths of the

rivers

on shore between the

Kronotsk and Tschasminsk.

October, 1751, he again set

been commanded of the Russian

to take

Navy

;

sail.

on board some

He had officers

and, as he disobeyed this

injunction, the chancery of Irkutsk issued

an

order to confiscate his ship and cargo upon

its

return.

The

1754, to

New

ship returned on the

22nd of July,

Kamtchatkoi Ostrog, laden with

the skins of 755 old sea-otters, of 35 cub seaotters,

of 447

Arctic fox-skins

cubs of sea-bears, and of 7044 ;

and 1765 black.

upon Beering's

of the latter, 2000 were white,

These furs were procured

Island.

YugofF himself died

at

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

148 this

The

island.

cargo

of

the

ship

was,

according to the above-mentioned order, sealed

and properly secured. certain persons

But, as

it

appeared that

had deposited money

in

Yugoff 's

hands, for the purpose of equipping a second vessel, the

Crown

delivered

up the

confiscated

cargo, after reserving the third part, according to the original stipulation.

This kind of charter-company, called,

if it

may be

so

being soon dissolved, for misconduct and

want of

sufficient

stock, other

merchants were

allowed the privilege of fitting out vessels, even before the return of

Yugoff s ship

;

and these

persons were more fortunate, in making discoveries,

new

than the above-mentioned monopolist.

Nikiphor TrapesnikofF, a merchant of Irkutsk, obtained the permission of sending out a ship, called the Boris

and Glebb, upon the condition

of paying, besides the tribute which might be exacted, the tenth of Sila ShefFyrin,

all

the furs.

went on board

The Cossack,

this vessel for the

purpose of collecting the tribute.

They

sailed

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

149

August, 1749, from the Kamtchatka river

in

and re-entered

it

the 16th of the same month,

In the spring

1753, with a large cargo of furs. of the

same

unknown

had touched upon an

year, they

island,

;

probably one of the Aleutians,

were several of the inhabitants were prevailed

upon

to

pay a tribute of sea-otter

names of the

islanders

skins.

The

who had been made tri-

butary, were Igya, Oeknu, Ogogoektack, Sha-

Ononushan. Rotogei,

bukiauck, Alak, Tutun,

Tschinitu, Vatsch, Ashagat, Avyjanishaga,

Una-

shayupu, Lak, Yanshugalik, Umgalikan, Shati,

Kyipago, and Oloshkot

;*

another Aleiitian had

contributed three sea-otters.

them 320

They brought with

best sea-otter skins, 480 of the second,

and 400 of the third middle-aged, and 220

Andrew

sort;

500 female and

Medwedki

or

young

ones.

Tolstyk, a merchant of Selengensk,

having obtained permission from the chancery *

The author here remarks

in a note, that the proper

names

of the islanders mentioned in this place, and in other parts,

bear a surprising resemblance, both in their sound and termination, to those of the Greenlanders.

,

150

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

of Bolcheresk, refitted the same ship which had

made a former voyage; he

sailed

from

Kam-

tchatka August the 19th, 1749, and returned

July the 3rd, 1752.

According to the commander's account, the ship lay at anchor from the 6th of September,

1749, to the 20th of May, 1750, before Bearing's Island,

where they caught only 47

From thence which were

they

first

made

sea-otters.

to those Aleutian Islands,

discovered by Nevodtsikoff, and

slew there 1662 old and middled-aged sea-otters,

and 119 cubs; besides which, sisted of the skins of

their cargo con-

720 blue foxes, and of 840

sea-bears.

The

inhabitants of these islands appeared to

have never before paid tribute

be akin to the Tschutkski

;

tribe,

and seemed their

to

women

being ornamented with different figures sewed into the skin in the

of the Tungusians

manner of that of

Siberia.

people,

They

and

differed,

however, from them, by having two small holes cut

through the bottom of their under

lips,

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

151

through each of which they pass a

bit of the

worked

sea-horse tusk,

into the form of a tooth,

with a small button at one end to keep

when

within the mouth

They had

killed,

it is

it

placed in the hole.

without being provoked, two

who belonged

of the Kamtchadals

to the ship.

the third island some inhabitants had

Upon

payed tribute

;

their

names were reported

to

be

Anitin, Altakukor, and Aleshkut, with his son

The weapons of the whole island of no more than twelve spears pointed

Atschelap. consisted

with

flint,

same

;

and one dart of bone pointed with the

and the Russians observed in the posses-

sion of the natives

wood, resembling

August fitted

3,

two

figures,

carved out of

sea-lions.

1750, the vessel Simeon and John,

out by the

above-mentioned WsevidoiF,

agent for the Russian merchant, A. Rybenskoi,

and manned with fourteen Russians (who were partly merchants and partly hunters) and thirty Kamtchadals, sailed out for the discovery of

new

islands,

Vorobieff.

under the command of the Cossack

They were driven by a

violent cur-

rent and tempestuous weather to a small desert

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

152

whose position

island,

is

not determined; but

which was probably one of those that

The

Beering's Island.

by the storm, that tion

keep the

to

small vessel with

Jeremiah in

in

;

it

near

lie

ship being so shattered

was no longer in a condiVorobieff built another

sea,

drift-wood,

which he

which he arrived

at

called

Kamtchatka

Autumn, 1752.

Upon 700

the above-mentioned island were caught

and 120 cub

old

5700 black sea

foxes,

sea-otters,

bears,

1900 blue

and 1310 Kotiki,

or cub sea-bears.

The

trade between Kamtchatka, the last men-

tioned islands, and several other islands situated close to the continent of

North West America,

was carried on with great success years

;

at length the animals

for

several

became exceedingly

scarce,

on account of the dams being indiscrimi-

nately

slaughtered by the

the

cubs were

proper nurture.

withdrawn finding

it

to

on

to

left

Russian huntsmen,

perish for the

Individual this

want of

enterprize

was

account from the trade,

be no longer

profitable.

153

CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA.

Towards the

close of the last century, a

pany was formed royal

charter,

at St. Petersburg,

to carry

branch of commerce

on the

;

this

com-

under a

once profitable

company was

"The Royal American Company

of

styled

Russia."

Success attended the company's undertakings in those

time

seas, it

up

to the year

1814;

since

that

has been gradually decreasing, as the

animals have become exceedingly scarce. present the produce

of -the

At

trade barely pays

the company's expenses.

It

is

rumoured, that the company will be

obliged, shortly, to

abandon their

port says, that the Imperial

take charge of the

new

charter.

Government

Rewill

settlements and colonies,

founded by the company on some of the

islands,

and on the continent of North West America, near to Cook's Inlet and Nootka Sound.

In 1839, the sea-otter skins from Kamtchatka realized

enormous

prices, at the

annual

fairs

of

Kiachta, the supply not being sufficient to meet the demand.

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