W jL ix M u l e s
a n d A sses.
T r e a t y or
Kj^ltshinsk.
C H I N A .
found amidft the fands to fupport the Takija, or wild horfes $
the DJhikketei, or wild mules; and the Koulan, or wild afs.
I refer the readers to p. 2. 4. 8. vol. i. o f ray Hiftory of Quadrupeds,
for an account o f thofe curious animals.
T h e Chinefe empire in Tartary extends to the north as high
as Lat. 56° 32'. Its moil weftern limit is not far from the fouthem
end of lake Baikal, in Lat. ¿T 30', and Long. 100° 3d welt from
Greenwich. It paffes fouthward, with fome irregularity, to the
kingdom o f Thibet; and has on that fide, as a difficult limit, the
great defert o f Shcitno. The northern boundary runs from the
fpat defined, near lake Baikal, call ward for fome fpace, then
turns northward along a vaft and lofty range o f mountains, the
more antient feat of the Mongols,- and at their extremity, not far
from the fource o f the river Aldan, in Lat.560 32', bends to the
fouth-eaft, and concludes in the fea, in Lat. 540 30', to the north
o f the river Atpur. All the trad* between thefe lines and tjie empire
o f China Proper are inhabited by Tartars, fubjedt to or
under the protection of the Chinese government. For the further
explanation, I refer to nay friend the Reverend William
Coxe's Ruffian Difcoveries and Mr. Arrawfmith's Map .of the
Worid, but above all to the Travels o f Father Gerbillon and other
Jefuits, who followed the progrefles o f the,great Kang-hi,. or
were employed in the aitual furvey o f his vaft empire,. Their
travels are. given in the fecond volume o f Du HaldeX Hiftpry qf
China.
T h e boundaries were fettled in 1689 by the treaty of Nert-
JhinJk, upon the river Ingoda, in the reigns oi John and. Petgry
* Fage lOOi. i 0] . * ; < «; , : i “ V. :
afterwards;
afterwards furnamed The Great, and that o f Kang-hi. The po1-
litic Ruffians had long been endeavoring, to make themfelves
mailers o f the important navigation o f the river Amur, which
in time might have given them the command o f the Japanefe
and Chinefe feas. This the Chinefe forefaw, attacked and took a
fort called Albaftn, built by the Ruffians. They levelled it to the
ground, and carried the garrifon prifoners into China. This
brought on an embaffy from the Ruffians. . Gallomn, governor
o f Siberia, was the embaflador, attended by a moil fplendid
train. So San, captain o f the life guard and miniiter of fiate,
and Tong Jau-ye, maternal uncle to the emperor, were embaf-
fadors on the part o f the Chinefe, both men of the highelt rank,
and to them were added four others o f the firll diitm£tiop. The
cunning o f the Chinefe was alfifted by the fubtlety of the Jefuits,
for Kangrhi added, to the negotiators Father Gerbillon and Father
Pereyra, The Chinefe minifters had a fuite inferior indeed
in magnificence; but what gave the greater weight to the negotiation
was, that the wife Kang-hi had added ten thoufand.
men befides the efcort, and which were attended by a fleet o f
feve.nty.-fix veflels,. each carrying apiece of artillery. The Ruffians
had fixed 011 Albafin as the place for fettling, the bufinefs.;;
but to their furprife, the Chinefe appeared fuddenly before Nert-
Jhinfk, or, as they call it,. Nip-cbu, encamped near the place,,
and the whole bufinefs was tranfafted under tents. All this g.ave
argument irrefiilible. The treaty was- concluded.. T h e Chinefe-
offered to fwear to the performance on the crucifix.. Gallowin:
chofe that they Ihould fwear by their own gods ; and both
couched, the facred appeal in thefe terms (imprecating the-
Divine