P e.q c s .es - -
g r a p h y .
Hiftorical
Epochs. •
Antiquities.
•the möft' recent refearches, would be required tó.reduce hia.geography
/to- any prëcifïoo.
The more recent accounts, among which may be mentioned the
travels of Gerbillon, published by Du Halde, and thofe of Bell, with
fome hints of Pallas, may be- faid to embrace but frnall portions of this
vaft territory.* The imperfect ftate of knowledge concerning'» «this
country may be imagined, when even D’Anville has been obliged to
have recourfe to Marco Polo ! ,
The chief hiftorical/epochs of this part ofAfia may perhaps be-more
.certainly traced in the -.Chinefe annals, than in any other documents.
The firft appearance of ' the Huns, or Tatars may be. obferved -in sthe
pages of Roman hiftory. The annals of the* Manguls,' -the .-moftdm-
portant nation, faintly illuminate the pages of Abulgafi,. whence it
would appear that prior to Zingis^gre^ was only <ottè celebrated hhan
named Oguz, who feéms to have flourilhed about the 130th year off-the
Chriftian era. The reigns of Zingis and: Timur are fufficiently. known
in generaThiftory; but the divifions Of their cpnquefts, and~rtiae;’di&
fentions of their fucceflors, have now almoft annihilated the power of
the Monguk, who being partly fubject to China, and partly to Ruffia,
it is fcarcely conceivable that they can again difturb the peace of their-
neighbours. *
Few antiquities remain to illüftrate the power of the Mongols. Ka-
racura, or Caracorum, alfo called Holin by the Chinefe, the capital city
of the Mongolian power, is now fo far obliterated that geographérs dispute
concerning its fituation, D’Anville placing it, with a. confeflion of
uncertainty, on the river Onghin, while others affign the banks. of the
river Orchon, about 150 B. miles to the N. W. It is probable, that
when this region (hall be more fully explored by travellers, feveral
tombs, temples, and other remains of antiquity, may be difcdVered.
* The notes to the Hijloire Genéalogique da Tatars, Leyde, 1726, 8vo. moil not be forgotten
-zmidft the few materials.
C lfA P'TE-r * If;
P o x - rT ieA L G-e g g r a p h t .
R e lig io n . — ( t o v e r n m e n ^ . ^ V a ^ ^ F o M t f m . ^ J m y ^ ^ ^ l m ^ o r t a n c e
' ' a » a -'R e& 0 fs t;_
rrMg|bri: *moft' umverfally diffufed’in^Kj®|t1 of Aua/i’is wSa^'Retio-ios.
has b,een called Sh^manifn^ 01 the bdltf m aTupreme authpf of -
nature, who governs the univerfe Hy thejage|c|'" oramM-rous*dfiferior
Jpri'ts of great power. The Kalkas'were ahc^tfhmed to acknowledge a
living Lama, or great^fpirit embodied; a forrn offi^erftitioh-which will
Jje Better illuftrated in'&e ac^ouftt of TihetJ' ,
The government was formerly monarchical, , with a ftrong( fixture of Government;
afiilocracy, and' ev en 5 of^emocmcyf At prefeht it W p |lS ^ te d by
princes who pay. homage'to the Chinefe empire,- and r e ^ e ^ S r ip e ^
titles o f h on o u r ^ :but .many oFthe*#fcidnt forms are retailed. - Though
writing be’not’Unknown among the MorigUl^, yef^che laws appfear to he
chiefly traditional. • . 1
O f the population of thefe regions-#'is difficult fo'form "any prbcife Populh&a, ,
ideal!' As the numerou^tribes fubjedt to.R.u_ffia
did appellations, to ^eT e§ f 'h u r’'a ’ftendex hiffiber^of'lMliv^iafs, not .
exceeding two o r three millions,(it mayperhaps be re^Ohab&to infer
•that amidft the wide defarts and barren: mountains.^central Afia, there
do not inhabit above fix million^.
A proper enumeratiqn Wpuld indeed depend Upon authgnpcjpnquixies
into the ftate of th'e.y-afious tribes.-, The country of the lyiapdlhuts is
hy, the. Chinefe divided' «Uq. three^greaj, goverrifi^nts.' ^ T h a t^ q f
* -A curibus:account of the leligimj *ef the Mbnguls may be fqund; in the- fixtb volume of the _
. De'couvertes Riffles, The gellmgs or priefts are the gylotigs .of Tibet, and the other features feejn .
tojcorrefpond..