did not leave them alone. In 1609 the Tatars, Voguls,
and Ostiaks endeavoured to plunder Tiumen, and in
the following year the Nogai Tatars devastated the
country around. Nor was the onslaught of arms the
only difficulty with which the Russians had to contend.
Three times in the century the wooden town of Tobolsk
was destroyed by fire, and in 1638 it was inundated by
floods. The native tribes, nevertheless, continued to
offer submission, and Russian influence was strengthened
by the opposing native factions, each of whom
bid for Russian help.
Another factor that helped to consolidate the Russian
power was the opening of trade with the natives. In
1648 the merchants of the Central Asian Khanates
were permitted to trade in Siberia. The Bokhariots
brought furs to the country about Tiumen, and half a
century later a considerable exchange had sprung up,
concentrated at the Yamyshef lake, east of the Irtish,
between the Russians, Kalmuks, Bokhariots, and Tash-
kendians. This intercourse with Central Asiatics could
not but furnish the Russians with information as to the
interior of the continent, of which they took advantage
in 1665 to send the Boyar Theodore Baikof, byway of
Sungaria, to China. Starting from Tobolsk, he reached
the camp of Taishi Ablai, a Kalmuk chief, and passed
the winter there. In spring he proceeded to the Beska
rivulet, near which Ablai was then erecting two stone
palaces, now known as “ Ablai’s Halls.” This spot
he left on 24th July, and by the 7th August arrived at
the camp of the Kontaisha, or emperor’s sons, from
which another 10 days’ journey brought him to Nor
Zaisan, whence he journeyed for 17 days to the sources
of the Irtish, and then proceeded to China. This
journey would appear to have been undertaken at a
favourable opportunity, for 30 years later we find
Ysbrant Ides at Tiumen, journeying on a political
mission to China, and dryly remarking, “ I f it were safe
to travel the Kalmukian country, the most expeditious
way would be to pass the Jamuschowa (Yamyshef)
lake ” ; and then he adds, “ Strolling incursions are
very frequently made by the Kalmuks upon their
czarish majesties’ frontiers, but are repelled by the
Tobolskians.” Accordingly, like a discreet man, he
A TORGOUT KALMUK.
gave the Kalmuks a wide berth,O and journeyed on by
way of the Obi.
In the fifteenth century some of the Mongol tribes
formed a union, known as the DuYb&fi (DzvcLt, or four
allies ” ; of which, at the beginning of the seventeenth
century, some of the petty chiefs endeavoured to make
themselves independent, and came to the Russians for
help.
Batur-kun-taitsi, son of Khara-kul, one of the sovereigns
of the Oirat, thus entered into relations with the
invaders in 1649, and was succeeded, first by his son