ong plaited lock behind their backs.

Their arms are a bow and feveral forts of arrows, according to the different kinds of game they intend to hunt. The arrows are carried in a quiver, on their backs, and the bow always in their left hand. Befides thefe, they have a fhort lance, and a little hatchet. Thus accoutred, they are not afraid to attack the fierceft creature in the woods, even the ftrongest bear; for they are ftout men, and dexterous archers. In winter, which is the feafon for hunting wild beafts, they travel on what are called fnow fhoes, without which it would be impoffible to make their way through the deep fnow. Thefe are made of a very thin piece of light wood, about five feet long, and five or fix inches broad, inclining to a point before, and fquare behind. In the middle is fixed a thong, through which the feet are put. On thefe fhoes a perfon may walk fafely over the deepest fnow; for a man's weight will not fink them above an inch; thefe however can only be used on plains. They have a different kind for afcending hills, with the fkins of feals glued to the boards, having the hair inclined backwards, which prevents the fliding of the fhoes; fo that they can afcend a hill very eafily; and, in defcending, they flide downwards at a great rate.

The nation of the Tongufy was very numerous; but is, of late, much diminished by the fmallpox. It is remarkable, that they knew nothing of this diftemper, till the Ruffians arrived among them. They are fo much afraid of this difeafe, that, if any one

of a family is feized with it, the reft immediately make the patient a little hut, and fet by him fome water and victuals; then, packing up every thing, they march off to the windward, each carrying an earthen pot, with burning coals in it, and making a dreadful lamentation as they go along. They never revifit the fick, till they think the danger paft. If the perfon dies, they place him on a branch of a tree, to which he is tied with ftrong wythes, to prevent his falling.

When they go a hunting into the woods, they carry with them no provifions; but depend entirely on what they are to catch. They eat every animal that comes in their way, even a bear, fox, or wolf. The fquirrels are reckoned delicate food; but the ermins have fuch a strong rank tafte and fmell, that nothing but ftarving can oblige them to eat their flesh. When a Tongufe kills an elk or deer, he never moves from the place, till he has eat it up, unlefs he happens to be near his family; in which cafe, he carries part of it home. He is never at a lofs for fire, having always a tinder-box about him; if this fhould happen to be wanting, he kindles a fire by rubbing two pieces of wood againit each other. They eat nothing raw but in great extremity.

The fables are not caught in the fame manner as other animals. The fur is fo tender, that the leaft mark of an arrow, or ruffling of the hair, fpoils the fale of the kin. In hunting them they only use a little dog, and a net. When a hunter finds the track of a fable upon the fnow, he follows it, perhaps, for two or three days, till

the

the poor animal, quite tired, takes refuge in fome tall tree; for it can climb like a cat; the hunter then fpreads his net around the tree, and makes a fire; the fable, unable to endure the fmoke, immediately defcends, and is caught in the net. I have been told, by fome of thefe hunters, that, when hard pinched with hunger, on fuch long chaces, they take two thin boards, one of which they apply to the pit of the ftomach, and the other to the back oppofite to it; the extremities of thefe boards, are tied with cords, which are drawn tighter by degrees, and prevent their feeling the cravings of hunger.

Although I have obferved, that the Tongufy, in general, worship the fun and moon, there are many exceptions to this obfervation. I have found intelligent people a mong them, who believed there was a being fuperior to both fun and moon; and who created them and all the world.

I fhall only remark farther, that from all the accounts I have heard and read of the natives of Canada, there is no nation in the world, which they fo much refemble as the Tongufians. The distance between them is not fo great as is commonly imagined.

Of the Buraty.

Here we found another tribe of the natives of Siberia, who differ, in fome particulars, from all those I have formerly defcribed. They are called by the Ruffians Bratky, but by themfelves Buraty. They live in tents all the year; and, having large flocks of theep, and many cows and horfes, they re

move from place to place, as the convenience of grazing requires. Their language has a great affinity to that of the Kalmucks; and they have priefts among them who can read and write that language. As to their drefs, and manner of life, I could obferve little difference between them and the Kalmucks on the Volga; and therefore conclude they have both defcended from the fame original. Their faces, however, are not quite fo flat as thofe of the Kalmucks; their noses being fomewhat higher, and their countenances more open.

The Buraty are ftout active men, but hate all kind of labour. For, though they have the example of the Ruffians ploughing and fowing their ground, and living plentifully on the produce of this rich and fertile foil, they chufe ftill to live in their tents, and tend their flocks, on which their fubfiftence entirely depends.

The chief exercife of the men is hunting and riding. They have a good breed of faddle.horfes; and their horned cattle are very large. Their fheep have broad tails, and their mutton is excellent. They have alfo great abundance of goats. For all these animals they make no provifion of fodder; but leave them to feed in the open fields. When the fnow falls to a great depth, which feldom happens in thefe parts, they drive them fouthward, to rifing grounds, where little fnow lies.

Their arms are bows and arrows, lances and fabres; all of which are ufed on horfe-back; for, like the Kalmucks, they have no infantry. They are dexterous archers, and fkilful horfemen.

Thefe people were formerly fub

ject to a prince of the Mongalls, but now live very quietly under the Ruffian government. They are at prefent a very numerous people, reaching towards the east and fouth of the Baykall lake; and are generally reckoned very honeft and fincere.

As to their drefs, the men wear a coat, or rather gown, of fheepfkins, girt about the middle, in all feafons; a fmall round cap, faced with fur, having a taffel of red filk at the top; which, together with a pair of drawers and boots, makes up the whole of their apparel. The women's drefs is nearly the fame; only their gowns are plaited about the waift, and hang down like a petticoat. The married women have their hair hanging in two locks, one on each fide of the head, drawn through two iron rings, to prevent its floating on the breaft; and looking very like a tye-wig. Round their foreheads they wear a hoop of polished iron, made faft behind; and on their head a small round cap, faced with fur, and embroidered, in their fashion, to diftinguish it from thofe of the men. The maids are dreffed in the fame manner; only, their hair is all plaited, hanging in feparate locks round their head, and is as black as a raven; fome of them have good complexions. Both the men and women are courteous in their behaviour. Ifhould like them much better if they were a little more cleanly. Both their perfons and tents are extremely nafty, from their ufing only fkins to preferve them from the cold; on thefe they fit, or lie, round a little fire, in their tents.

The religion of the Buraty feems to be the fame with that of

the Kalmucks, which is downright paganism of the groffeft kind. They talk indeed of an almighty and good being, who created all things, whom they call Burchun; but feem bewildered, in obfcure and fabulous notions, concerning his nature and government. They have two high priests, to whom they pay great refpect; one is called Delay-Lama, the other Kutuchtu. Of these priests I fhall have an opportunity to give fome account afterwards.

In paffing the tents of the Buraty, I often obferved a long pole; whereon was hung, by the horns, the head and fkin of a fheep. On enquiring the reafon of this appearance, I was told that the ani mal, whofe head and fkin these were, had been flain, and offered in facrifice, to the God who protected their flocks and herds. I could obferve no images among them, except fome relics given them by their priests, which they had from the Delay-Lama; thefe are commonly hung up in a corner of their tents, and fometimes about their necks, by way of an amulet, to preferve them from misfortunes.

Of a Buratfky Shaman, or Conjurer.

We were entertained with a famous Buratfky fhaman, who was alfo a lama, or prieft, and was brought from a great distance. As thefe fhamans make a great noife in this part of the world, and are believed, by the ignorant vulgar, to be infpired, I thall give fome account of the behaviour of this one, in particular, by which it will appear that the whole is an impofition.

He

He was introduced to the ambaffador by the commandant, accompanied by feveral chiefs of his own tribe, who treat him with great refpect. He was a man of about thirty years of age, of a grave afpect and deportment. At his introduction he had a cup of brandy prefented to him, which he drank, but refufed any more.

After fome converfation, he was defired to exhibit fome fpecimen of his art; but he replied, he could do nothing in a Ruffian houfe; because there were fome images of faints, which prevented his fuccefs. The performance was therefore adjourned to a Buratiky tent in the fuburbs. Accordingly, in the evening, we went to the place appointed, where we found the fhaman, with feveral of his companions, round a little fire, fmoking tobacco; but no women among them. We placed ourselves on one fide of the tent, leaving the other for him and his countrymen. After fitting about half, an hour, the fhaman placed himfelf cross-legged upon the floor, clofe by a few burning coals upon the hearth, with his face towards his companions; then he took two fticks, about four feet long each, one in each hand, and began to fing a difmal tune, beating time with the fticks; all his followers joined in the chorus. During this part of the performance, he turned and dif. torted his body into many dif. ferent poltures, till, at laft, he wrought himfelf up to fuch a degree of fury that he foamed at the mouth, and his eyes looked red and flaring. He now started up his legs, and fell a danc ing, like one distracted, till he

on

trode out the fire with his bare feet. These unnatural motions were, by the vulgar, attributed to the operations of a divinity; and, in truth, one would almoft have imagined him poffeffed by fome demon. After being quite fpent with dancing, he retired to the door of the tent, and gave three dreadful fhrieks, by which, his companions faid, he called the demon to direct him in anfwering fuch queftions as fhould be propofed. He then returned, and fat down in great compofure, telling he was ready to refolve any queftion that might be afked. Several of our people put queftions in abundance; all which he anfwered readily, but in fuch ambiguous terms, that nothing could be made of them. He now performed feveral legerdemain tricks; fuch as ftabbing himself with a knife, and bringing it up at his mouth, running himself through with a sword, and many others too trifling to mention. In short, nothing is more evident than that these thamans are a parcel of jugglers, who impofe on the ignorant and credulous vulgar.

Of a Buratfky Tea-drinking.

Our horfes having fwam the river, we went into one of the Buratsky tents, till they were dried. The hofpitable landlady immediately fet her kettle on the fire, to make us fome tea; the extraordinary cookery of which I cannot omit defcribing. After placing a large iron kettle over the fire, he took care to wipe it very clean with a horfe's tail, that hung in a corner of the tent for that purpofe; then the water was put

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into

into it, and foon after, fome coarfe bohea tea, which is got from China, and a little falt. When near boiling, fhe took a large brafs ladle and toffed the tea, till the liquor turned very brown. It was now taken off the fire, and, after fubfiding a little, was poured clear into another veffel. The kettle being wiped clean with, the horfe's tail, as before, was again fet upon the fire. The mistress now prepared a pafte, of meal and fresh butter, that hung in a fkin near the horfe's tail, which was put into the tea-kettle and fried. Upon this pafte the tea was again poured; to which was added fome good thick cream, taken out of a clean fheep's fkin, which hung upon a peg among the other things. The ladle was again employed, for the fpace of fix minutes, when the tea, being removed from the fire, was allowed to ftand a while in order to cool. The landlady now took fome wooden cups, which held about half a pint each, and ferved her tea to all the company. The principal advantage of this tea is, that it both fatisfies hunger and quenches thirst. I thought it not difagreeable; but fhould have liked it much better had it been prepared in a manner a little more cleanly. Our bountiful hoftefs, however, gave us a hearty welcome; and, as these people know not the ufe of money, there was nothing to pay for our entertainment.

We

only made her a prefent of a little tobacco to fmoke, of which thefe people are very fond. I have given this receipt with a view that fome European ladies may improve upon it.

Of the Mongall Tartars.

The Mongal's are a numerous people, and occupy a large extent of country, from this place to the Kallgan, which fignifies the everlafting wall, or the great wall of China. From this wall they ftretch themselves northward as far as the river Amoor; and from the Amoor, weftward, to the Baykall fea; where they border with the territories of the Kontayfha, or prince of the black Kalmucks. On the fouth, they are bounded by a nation called Tonguts, among whom the Delay-Lama has his refidence. One may eafily imagine, from the vast track of land which the Mongalls occupy, that they must be very numerous; efpecially when it is confidered, that they live in a healthy climate, and have been engaged in no wars, fince they were conquered, partly by the Ruffians on the weft, and partly by the Chinese on the eaft; to whom all these people are now tributaries. In former times the Mongalls were troublesome neighbours the Chinefe, against whofe incurfions the great wall was built.

Kamhi, the prefent emperor of China, was the first who fubdued thefe hardy Tartars; which he effected more by kind ufage and humanity than by his fword; for thefe people are great lovers of liberty. The fame gentle treat ment hath been obferved by the Ruffians, towards thofe of them who are their fubjects. And they themselves confefs, that, under the protection of thefe two mighty emperors, they enjoy more li berty, and live at more eafe, than

they