by the jun&ion o f the Onoa and the Scbilka, to the weft o f Nert-
fhinjk. From thence it flows eafterly, takes a vaft bend fouthernly,
and then returns to the north-eaft, and falls through a mouth
four or five leagues wide into the lower part o f the fea of
Ocbotzk, oppofite to the great ifland Sacbalin, in Lat. 530. The
Tartars call the river Sacbalin ula, or the black r iv er; the C b i nefe,
Helong Kiang, or the river o f the black dragon; and the
Ruffians, the Amur. It was firft known to them in 1.639, ^7
means o f fome Cofacks, fent on an expedition towards the river
Whim. According to Du Halde*, it is navigable for large barks
for the fpace o f five hundred leagues.
T h e Ruffians were charmed with the difcovery o f a river
which report made to fling up gold and filver; and its neighborhood
to abound with the moft pretious fables, cattle, fruit,
and grainy and its inhabitants to be clad in nothing but damaik
and gold brocades : in ihort, it was reprefented as a land of Canaan.
The Ruffian-colonifts o f the neighboring places migrated
thither in crowds, and depopulated their former country. They
Fort Albusin. founded a fort in Lat. 53% which they called Albafm, the Cbinefe,
Jakfa, from the river near which it was feated. The Cbinefe
burnt it in 1680; but it was refounded, and at length ftrongly
garrifoned, till it gave fuch ferious caufe o f jealoufy to that nation
as to bring on the treaty which occafioned its total demolition.
It is no wonder that they were alarmed : the borders o f
the river were remarkably fertile, had numbers o f large cities,
and a moft populous territory; befides, the mountains to the
♦Vol. ii. p. 311,.
north
north were productive o f the richeft fables and other furs, and
inhabited by a hardy race o f hunters. Had the Ruffians rendered
themfelves matters o f the Amur, even Katherine, the moderate,
might have made the Cbinefe tremble for the fate o f Peking
itfelf.
T h e Cbinefe had feveral places on the Argun of fome im- Aigun.
portance, fuch as Aigun, or, as it is called by them, Sacbalin
ula Cboton, near the junction o f the Seja with that great river,
a fort from which they detached their fleets againft the Ruf- .
Jian encroachments. Tondon is another town, in Lat. 50o, where
the cold begins with great feverity as early as the beginning of
September; later in the year the greateft rivers are frozen over.
Tigers inhabit even thefe high Latitudes. This country was
yifited and furveyed by fome of the miflionaries, by order of
Kang-bi. Whoever wiihes to gratify his curiofity farther, may
confult Du Halde, vol, ii. p. 245, and the following pages.
T h e country is full o f forefts; the miflionaries were nine
days in palling through one. They obferved that the inhabitants
of Ufuni made ufe of fledges drawn by dogs, and perfons
o f rank have fometimes a hundred to relieve each other on long
journies. on the fnows or frozen rivers. The river o f Ufuri *,
which rifes far to the fouth, and falls into the Amur, abounds
with filh, moftly o f fpecies common to Europe. Thefe ferve
the Ypi Tartars for food and raiment. They are very inge- Ypi T a r t a r s ,
nious in drefling the ikins, which they dye o f various colors,-
cut them into ihape, and few them fo neatly that they appear
like filk. Sturgeons fwárm in thefe waters. The native
* Du Halde, vol. ii. map the fixth,
V o l. III. B b Tartars