C H A. P. V.
Defcription of Zuruchaitu— and its trade— 7 ’ranfport of
the merchandife through Siberia.
t | 'H E general account of the Ruffian commerce to
China has been given in the preceding chapter,
fcecaufe almoft the whole traffic is confined to Kiachta.
The defcription of Zuruchaitu, which was alfo fixed by
the'treaty of Kiachta for the purpofè of carrying on the
fame trade, will be comprifed of courfe in a narrow
compafs.
z S ïÉ .° f Zuruchaitu is fituated in 137° longitude, and 490. zo''
N. latitude, upon the Weftern branch of the river Ar-
g-oon, at a fmall diftance from its foutce. It is provided
with a fmall garrifon, and. a few wretched barracks fur-
rounded with chevaux de frife. No* merchants are fettled
at this place ; they come every fummer from Nerlhinfk,
and other Ruffian towns in order to meet two parties of
Mongol troops: thefe troops are fent from the Chinefe
towns Naun and Merghen, and arrive at the frontiers
about July. They encamp near Zuruchaitu upon the
other fide of the river Argoon, and barter with the
Siberian
Siberian merchants a few Chinefe commodities, which
they bring with them.
Formerly the commerce carried on at Zuruchaitu was
more confiderable ; but at prefent it is fo trifling, that
it hardly deferves to be mentioned. Thefe Mongols
furnifli the diftridt of Nerfhinlk with bad tea and to-Commercc*
bacco, bad filks, and fome tolerable cottons;' They receive
in return ordinary furs, cloth, cattle, and Ruffian
leather. ^ This trade lafts about a month or fix weeks
and the annual duties of the cuftoms amount upon an
average to no more than 500 roubles. About the middle
of Auguft the Mongols retire ; part proceed immediately
to China, and the others delcend the ftream of
the Amoor as: far as its mouth, in order to obferve i f
there has been no ufurpation upon the limits. At the
fame time the Ruffian merchants return to Nerlhinfk,
and, were it not for the fmall garrifon, Zuruchaitu would
remain uninhabited *.
The Ruffian commodities, are tranfported by land
from Peterfburg and Mofcow to Tobolfk. From thence a L S S ,
the merchants may embark upon the Irtiffi down to 8 |P i g B
junction with the Oby ; then they either tow up their
boats, or fail up the laft mentioned river as far as
* S. R. G. III. p. 465. Pallas Reife, P. III. p. ^ 8.
* M a r ym .