culous, which the people in this country tell and believe.

This extraordinary man affumes to himself the character of omnifcience, which is the interpretation of the word Kutuchtu; and the people are taught to believe that he really knows all things, paft, prefent, and future. As his intelligence, by means of his lamas, is very extenfive, he is eafily able to impofe on the vulgar in this particular. They alfo believe that he is immortal; not that his body lives always; but that his foul, upon the decay of an old one, immediately tranfmigrates into fome young human body; which, by certain marks, the lamas difcover to be animated by the foul of the Kutuchtu, and he is accordingly treated as high priest.

When the fpirit of the Kutuchtu has taken poffeffion of a new body, that is, in plain English, when he is dead, the lamas are immediately employed to discover in what part of the world this wonderful perfon is regenerated, or born again, as they exprefs it. They need, however, go to no great distance to find him; for the affair being previoufly concerted among the chief lamas, they foon determine the choice of a fucceffor; who generally happens to be a young boy, that has been well inftructed how to behave on that occafion. When a fucceffor is pretended to be found, a company of lamas are fent to examine the matter, who carry along with them many toys, fuch as fmall filver bells, and things of that nature, which belonged to the former Kutuchtu, intermixed with others that did not. All these are laid before the child, who picks out fuch things as belonged to his pre.

deceffor, and difcovers the greatest fondness for them; but rejects, with difguft, whatever is not genuine. Befides this trial, fome queftions are put to him, relative to wars, or remarkable events, in his former ftate; all which are anfwered to the fatisfaction of the conclave. Whereupon he is unanimously declared to be the felf, fame Kutuchtu, is conducted with great pomp and ceremony to Urga, and lodged in the tent of the high priest.

Till the new Kutuchtu arrives at a certain age, he is entirely under the government of the lamas ; and few are permitted to fee him, except at a great distance, and even then it is not eafy to get access to him. It may feem furprifing, that, in fo numerous an affembly of lamas, no intrigues fhould be carried on, nor difputes arife, among the electors. All is conducted without noife or contention. It is however imagined, that the authority of the prince greatly contributes to their unanimity.

The Mongalls relate, that their Kutuchtu has now lived fourteen generations, and renews his age every moon; for, at the new moon, he appears like a youth; when the is full, like a full-grown man; but, when near the change, he is an old man with grey hairs.

What they call the Urga is the court, or the place where the prince and high priest refide; who are always encamped at no great distance from one another. They have feveral thoufand tents about them, which are removed from time to time. The Urga is much frequented by merchants from China, and Ruffia, and other places; where all trade is carried on by barter

without money of any kind. The Chinese bring hither ingots of gold, damark, and other filk and cotton ftuffs, tea, and fome porcelain; which are generally of an inferior quality, and proper for fuch a market. The Ruffian commodities are chiefly furs of all forts. Rhubarb is the principal article which is exchanged for thefe goods, great quantities whereof are produced in this country, without any culture. The Mongalls gather and dry it in autumn, and bring it to this market, where it is bought up at an eafy rate, both by the Ruffian and Chinese merchants.

The Kutuchtu and his lamas are all clothed in yellow, and no lay. man is allowed to wear this colour, except the prince. This mark of diftinction makes them known and refpected every where. They alfo wear about their necks a ftring of beads, which are used in saying their prayers. The Mongalls believe in, and worship, one Almighty Creator of all things. They hold that the Kutuchtu is God's vicegerent on earth; and that there will be a ftate of future rewards and punishments.

The following relation, which I had from a Ruffian merchant, to whom the thing happened, will fhew the methods taken by these lamas, to maintain the dignity and character of their mighty high prieft. This merchant had gone to the Urga, with an intention to trade with the Chinefe. While he was at this place, fome pieces of damafk were ftolen out of his tent. He made a complaint to fome of the lamas with whom he was acquainted, and the matter was foon brought before the Ku. tuchtu, who immediately ordered proper fteps to be taken with a

view to find out the thief. The affair was conducted in this uncommon manner; one of the la mas took a bench with four feet, which feems to have been of the conjuring kind; after turning it feveral times, in different directions, at laft it pointed directly to the tent where the ftolen goods lay concealed. The lama now mounted aftride on the bench, and foon carried it, or, as was commonly believed, it carried him to the very tent; where he ordered the damafk to be produced. The demand was directly complied with; for it is vain, in fuch cafes, to offer any excufe.

I fhall now fubjoin a few observations on the Delay-Lama, or prieft of the defart, who is reckoned ftill fuperior to the Kutuchtu. He lives about a month's journey to the fouth-east of this place, among a people called the Ton guts, who ufe a different language from the Kulmucks. I am informed that the religion of the Tonguts is the fame with that of the Mongalls; that they hold the fame opinions with refpect to the tranfmigration of the Delay-Lama, as the Mongalls do about the Kutuchtu, and that he is elected in the fame manner. What appears moft furprising is, that thefe two mighty Lamas keep a good correfpondence, and never encroach on one another's privileges. The word delay fignifies either the fea, or a great plain, such as this priest inhabits.

Of an Interview, and Hunting Match with a Mongall Batya, or Hero.

A chief, named Tayfha, of thofe Mongalls who are fubjects of his

ma

majefty, came to pay his refpects to the ambaffador, who gave him a friendly reception, and kept him to dinner. He was a merry old man, near fourfcore, but fo vigorous, that he could mount a horfe with as much agility as many young men. He was accompanied with five fons, and many attendants, who treated him with equal refpect as a king; and even his fons would not fit down in his prefence, till he defired them. I confefs it gave me great pleafure to fee the decency with which they behaved. One of our company, a pretty fat man, afked the Tayha what he would do in order to be as lean as he was. The old man replied in these few words, "Eat lefs, and work more:" a faying worty of Hippocrates himself. In his youth he had been engaged in many battles with the Chinese, whom he held in great contempt. As he was a keen fportfman, the ambaffador made an appointment with him for a grand hunting match. After which he and his retinue returned to their tents.

The Tafha-Batyr arrived, in confequence of his appointment with the ambaffador, and brought along with him three hundred men, well mounted for the chace. This old gentleman had the appellation of Batyr; a title of great refpect among the Mongalls. It fignifies a hero; and is conferred only on those who have fignalized themfelves, by their courage and conduct, in the field of battle. Befides thefe Mongalls, we carried with us fifty of our Coffacks, and our tents, as we proposed to be abroad fome days.

Early on the 6th, we took our way to the eastward, over high

hills, and through tall woods, hav. ing almoft no underwood to incommode the horfes, or interrupt our view, which made it very pleasant. After riding a few miles, the Tayfha, being mafter of the chace, or. dered his men to extend their lines. The Tayfha and we were in the centre; and often faw the game pafs us, purfued by the horsemen, at full fpeed, without the least noife, but the whiftling of arrows. The horses, being accuftomed to this kind of sport, follow the game as a greyhound does a hare; fo that the riders lay the bridles on their necks, and attend to nothing but their bows and arrows. One may easily imagine the exquifite entertainment, in feeing several of these horfemen in the pursuit of an elk or ftag through the valleys. When the animal is driven from the woods, it flies, for fafety, to the nearest rocks. Some of these cŕeatures are nearly as large, and ftrong, as the horfes that hunt them. The ftags are of two kinds; one called zuber, the same with the German crownhirsh, but fomewhat larger. The zuber is large and beautiful, and carries its head almoft upright as it runs; which prevents its horns being entangled with branches of trees. There are none of them in Ruffia, nor even in Siberia, except about the Baykall lake, and eastward from it; the places farther to the north being too cold for them. The elk is larger than the ftag, and ftronger made; having alfo long branchy horns, but a little flat.

Tired with fport, we left the hills in the afternoon, and came down into a fine valley, where we pitched our tents, near a pure brook. The Tayfha then ordered

all

all the dead game to be brought before him, and ranged in proper order. We found, that, this day, we had killed no lefs than five large elks, four ftags, a dozen roebucks, feveral wolves and foxes, befides fawns and hares.

The Tayfha caufed the game to be divided among the huntfmen; who began immediately to drefs it, fome of them by boiling, others by broiling, and eat it without either bread, or falt. The tails of the ftags, which, by these people, are reckoned very delicate, fell to the Tayha's fhare. He cut them into flices, and eat them raw. I eat a bit of one of them, and thought it very palatable. The tafte refembled nothing fo much as that of fresh caviare. After we had feafted on variety of excellent venifon, for we had no other provifions, we went to reft, well fatisfied with the diverfion of the day.

Our author gives the following account of the custom amongst the Mongall Tartars, of Jetting the grafs on fire, in the vast plains of

their country.

The grafs is rank and thick, and, as the feafon is very dry, would, with little labour, make excellent hay. The grafs is often fet on fire, by the Mongalls, in the fpring, during high winds. At fuch times it burns moft furiously, running like wild-fire, and fpreading its flames to the distance of perhaps ten or twenty miles, till Its progrefs is interrupted by fome river or barren hill. The impetuofity of thefe flames, their smoke and crackling noife, cannot eafily be conceived by those who have not feen them. When any person

finds himself to the leeward of them, the only method, by which he can fave himself from their fury, is to kindle immediately the grafs where he ftands, and follow his own fire. For this purpose, every perfon is provided with flints, fteel, and tinder. The reafon why the Mongalls fet fire to the grafs is to procure early pafture for their cattle.

The afhes, left upon the ground, fink into the earth at the melting of the fnow, and prove an excellent manure; fo that the grafs, in the fpring, rifes on the lands, which have been prepared in this manner, as thick as a field of wheat. Caravans, travellers with merchandife, but especially armies, never encamp upon this rank grafs. And there are feveral inftances of confiderable bodies of men being put in confusion, and even defeated, by the enemy's fetting fire to the grafs.

Character of the Duke of Shrewsbury: From a book entitled, Thoughts, Efays, and Maxims, chiefly Religious and Political. By Charles Howard, Efq. of Greyftock, in Cumberland.

Harles Talbot, duke of Shrewf

Ca bury, was a great man, first earl in England, of a moft ancient family, and either a lineal or a collateral defcendant from the renowned Talbot, who made fo confpicuous a figure in France, in the wars between England and France in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. He was not brought up to the military art, but had great talents and abilities as a minifter and statesman, and the real and true politeness of a nobleman. He

paffed

paffed through most of the great offices of ftate; he was knight of the garter, ambaffador in France, lord-lieutenant in Ireland, and, I believe, once fecretary of ftate; in all which stations he had the happiness to pleafe, and give fatisfaction. He is very well spoken of in France and Ireland, though this latter country was at that time the most difficult to govern and content, from the rage of party and faction which then pre. vailed in the remnants of Jacobitifm, fo rooted in that people's understanding; it being immediately or foon after the revolution, when king William gained the crown of Great Britain with out the lofs of one man's life but as he established himself in Ireland by victory, courage, and military fkill fuperior to his opponent, this of courfe left more rancour in that people's mind, from the natural confequences of the humiliating confideration of being beaten; and a lively people, as the Irish are, were more particularly affected by it. This fpirit of remembrance was fully kept up by all the principles of religion, and the most violent jealoufy; and perhaps encouraged by foreign powers, as well as all the intereft and influence of the Stuart family, who then refided at St. Germain in France, and who ever lived in the flattering hopes of a restoration; for which reafon it is the writer's opinion, that unhappy Stuart family has done more harm to Irish Roman Catholics, than many of the penal laws, as they were fundamentally the occafion of their being made. At this time, and under thefe circumftances, this nobleman gave con

art.

tent and fatisfaction to a people who are not eafily pleafed, from the above reafons; which is a very ftrong proof of the folidity of his understanding, juftnefs of thinking, difinterested and upright be. haviour, and more particularly fo in him, as he had to ftruggle with the odium of having changed his religion among a nation who, at that time, were five to one Roman Catholics, and were, from religious and political principles, very zealous and furious to those they looked upon or regarded as apoftates. The duke of Norfolk and himfelf conformed to the Proteftant religion in Charles II's reign, at the time of Oates's plot; but as he had no iffue by the Italian lady he married (Poaloty,) the family continue Roman Catholics, and is very refpectably reprefented in the moral and truly religious earl of Shrewsbury. His attachment to his family was noble, juft, and praife-worthy; for though he difliked his fucceffor, he left him all his eftate, free and unencumbered, with this faying, "Though I diflike George Talbot, I leave my cftate to the earl of Shrewsbury.'

In James II's reign, he went over to Holland, to young Naffau, prince of Orange, and landed with him in England, and was very inftrumental in the revolution, Perhaps he might be induced to take this step, from the Letters of Coleman, who was fecretary to the duke of York, and which were publifhed at the time of Oates's plot: by thefe it plainly appears, that the meafures purfued by that unhappy monarch could anfwer no end but to defeat his own intentions, ruin and dethrone himself,

and