L a n g u a g e .
Literature.
Cities and
Towns.
Aftracan.
traces of Steratare ; aaid ;aot a fef* manufeidptsi®
The hiftory of the Tatars, by Abulgafi, is a favourable fpecimen. of
Tataric' compofition.' The late. emperor of China ordered many of the
beft Chinefe works to be translated into the Mandffiur language, which,
havitfg an alphabet^ may be more eafily acquired than the original^
In the Mohgul language there are alfo manyhooks, written in the
various; countries to which their wide gonquefts extended. Superior,
even amid their barbarifm, to the chief original matkmsof Africa* and
America^.the central races of M a deferve an^e®tioa whlqï has been
In Afiatic Ruflia the principal city is Aftracan, at the mouth of ’ th'e
Volga, which is foppofed to contain 70,0©o inhabitants. This éity
was founded by the Tatars, or rather Mónguls of Kipfchak, -yët fome
affert that the Ruffians built Aftracan before Batu, the Mongut conqueror,
feized this region. In 1554 the Monguls were expelled ; and
in 1569 it .was befieged by the Turks, who, being fuddenly attacked
by the RuflTans, were defeat^ T^th great flaughter. In 1672 iff&I
under the deftrudtive power of the infurgent Rafin, wholmaffew years
met with a deferred punifhment. Aftracan is built on feveral fmall
hills, that rife amid the meadows of the Volga. The fórtrefs ön lhe
weft is triangular, but the walls of the* city'are neglected. • The
wooden houfes have expofed it to frequent conflagrations, and attempts
haye been vainly made to enforce the ufe of brick. Vines' are cultivated
in- the neighbourhood, and other fruits abound. There are twenty dive
Ruffian churches, and two convents.' The Armenians, Lutherans,
and Papifts, have alfo their places of worffiip ; and even the Hindoo's
have’ been permitted to jejrèft a temple*7 The chief trade of Aftracan is
in fait and fifh, particularly fturgeon, and kaviar, from the Volga j and
it alfo attracts feme portion of oriental commerce. The fiffiery on the
. Cafpian, which centers at Aftracan, is efteemed of the utmoft con-
•fequence to the empire.
Azof, on the Afiatic fide of the Don, is of fmall importance, except
as ,a fortified poft. The chief towns on the Afiatic fide of the
Azof.
C HA P. III. XT IT XL G E O G R A PH Y. 57
Volga are Samara, and :Stauropoll At the mouth of The river Ural, pfriE m
or Jajk,.i ftands Gurief; .byt the chief place after Aftracan ss.Drenhurg, °WMS
founded in the year 1740, to protea the acquifitions in thefe parts,
and promote their commerce. Nor have.thefe views failed, for Orenburg
is the . feat of a\ confiderable trade .with the tribes on the eaft of
tKei Cafpian.
- On paffing! the^IIfaliani ebaifr firft occurs t the icity qf'ToiboUk, , whidb
‘.only contains about 1 jjO&o foul|,, .but is efteemed As capital of Siberia.'
Being nioftly J^uijj of ^o©d,/.it fey a, violent fire
about ; .hut.jtis. Relieved | | now rebuilt chfody ,_Tpfeblfk
^,pqrg-diftinguifhedjps,the -.refidgaegaafthe governor,-%nd archbiffiop,
t^ a n jo r^ e impojlance^f^its The upper, ftaqds.gn
a hill, ,on the ne a |L i ^ o f tip raad, pontons ^ ftqpei fottrefs .of
fome %en|th. Indian,_g.o^§ afe,htgug|ilj^tiiet by Kalmuk aud Buchar.
’rian merchants*,and proy.ifi.oqs,,are cheap arid plentiful."
Kolyyanjs a town o f fome confequence on ihe rivet: In tfe'®,W7aB*
neighbourhood there are filver nfioss pf cohfiderable prodycg^ ;To the
tiorth oFKolyvan is Tomik, faid to contain about §opo- foufe.-
Further to ’ the eaft, the tow-qs become qf\lefs/poqfe<jue^e, hut a
Village attracts attention when i foliated in a d^fot. Qn the. river
Yenifei is a fmall towq of the fame name 5 and'another called Sayanlk,
whence the adjacent part,of the Altaian chain is galled the mountains of
•Sayanffc.
On the river Angara, which ilfoes from the fea.of Baikal, ftapds,
Irkutfk, /uppofed to contain I2,qqo inhabitants. Thefe are feseral irkutilt.'
churches. and the vjqq.d^ hnnfo^v31,5 large
and (convenient.,, Irkntlk die gbief iqytjqf-the.. qqmTjiflfc«', Tffiftren..
Ruffia and China, the fee,of an arghbiftiop* and tjie ,jeat of,fiipreme
jurftcfoHon over ,eaftern Siberia.7 jThe numerous ^effipers, and ma-
giftrates have introduced the cuftoms and faftiions of Peterlburg, and
European equipages are. not uncommon in this diftant region.
' Lêfleps, ■ Ü, 344.
On