afed to effect the establishment of oppreffive measures by military force, and the inflaming a fifter country, would be precedents that might well make them feel for themselves."

Notwithstanding all that has been here advanced by Sir James, it would be very easy to fhew that the laft is the principal objection to an union. Were not the Irish so attached to that degree of independence and fhew of royal pageantry which they poffefs, it would not be very difficult te furmount the other obftacles; and this perhaps is the principal confideration that fhould make the British legiflature hefitate in granting them an unlimited freedom of trade. The poffibility of a future rupture, like that of the colonies, fhould not be wholly overlooked; and yet it is not ufual for friends to oppofe one another's intereft on account of the poffibility of an eventual quarrel. The removal of the evil day is of fome confequence; and the event may never take place.

Ruffia: Or, a compleat Hiftorical Account of all the Nations which compofe that Empire, 2 vols. 8vo. 12s. Nichols.

We have in these volumes a work moft particularly interefting to Great Britain; and the inore fo, as it is evidently written by a judicious obferver of men and manners, who refides in the vaft empire he is defcribing; a circumftance of infinitely more confequence in the prefent cafe than at first it appears to be. To publifh a defcription of modern Ruffia, without having actually feen it, would not only be an Herculean tafk ;—it would be labour moft miferably mifemployed. The concluding fections of Harris's Voyages, containing the Ruffian difcoveries, are accurately noticed, and very well written; but they are twenty years old and within half that period such elucidations have been made, as render all the former of no more value now (otherwife than as matters of mere idle curiofity) than it would be to defcribe the English empire under William Rufus. The progiefs in Ruffia, when it actually begins, is made with large and long ftrides, and in fo many directions at once that it is not ealy to mark them; not to mention the difficulty of getting accounts, documents, &c.

The prefent Historical Account opens with an elaborate and learned introduction, containing a general defcription of Siberia and of the Mongouls, which have hitherto been but

little

Little known in Europe. All the relations of them, this author observes, and particularly thofe in the English language, are not only vague and confuled, but fo erroneous in many effential particulars as to be of but doubtful authority in all.

A complete aceount of these people is fearcely ever to be expected. We have no account of any kingdom in Europe deferving of that title. But, as only fuch facts will be here exhibited as may be depended on, and no conjectures advanced but fuch as the reader is left at liberty either to, admit or reject, the relations of future travellers must rather confift of additional facts and more probable conjectures, than detections of falfhood or refutations of an ideal hypothefis.

"Siberia, in the fignification now adopted, comprehends the whole tract of land under the dominion of the Ruffians, from the Ouralian mountains to the Penfhinean fea and the Eaftern ocean, on one fide; and on the other from the Frozen fea to the fron tiers of the Mandfhours, Mongouls, Kalmucs, and Kirguifian Koface.

*

"Were the boundaries of Europe and Afia in the North to be afcertained by rivers, the Don, the Volga, the Kama, the Kolva, and the Petichora, would obviously form the lines. No more than two voloks are to be met with between the Don and the Volga. One is at Zaritzin, where Peter the Great had a design of making a canal of communication between the two rivers. The other volok is beyond Tischerdin, between the Kolva and the Petfchora. By this divifion the whole chain of Ouralian mountains and all Siberia would be in Afia.

"Siberia is called by the Ruffians Siber, and formerly meant no more than the inferior regions about the Ob, which, under the reign of Ivan Vaflillievitch, became tributary to the Ruffian empire. This name Sibir was entirely unknown to the Tartars about the Irtifch; and the ancient refidence of Kutfchum Kan (called commonly by the Ruffians Siber) was ftyled by them lsker.

"In procefs of time this appellative obtained a more extenfive fignification, by comprehending under it thofe lands which Kutfchum Kan poffeffed about the Irtifch, the Tobol, and the Tura. As the Ruffians made greater progrefs, this name was given likewife to a larger tract of country; and, at length, to all the conquefts of the Ruffians as far as the Eaftern Ocean. About the year 1563, Siberia was firft added to the title of the Ruffian

tzars.

"Both the derivation and fignification of the word are entirely unknown. It cannot come from the Ruffian word Sever [the north] as fome authors have imagined, Sibir and Sever being very different words; but what ftill more refutes the notion is, that Siberia lies not to the North, but to the Eaft of Ruffia.

* A volok in the Ruffian language fignifies a small tract of land between any two rivers that run nearly in the fame direction.

The

The name moft probably was found in ufe amongst the Permians and Syrans; the latter of whom carried on their commerce about the inferior regions of the Ob, a long time before the country was fubdued by the Ruffians; from whom perhaps it found its way to them. Several of the names of places about the Ob and Solva, which are evidently from the Syranian language, fecm to corroborate this conjecture. For inftance, this people were the firft who gave the name Ob to that river, before called Umar; and the regions about its mouths they ftyled Obdor, which fignifies in their language the mouth of the Ob.

"Siberia, fince it became a Ruffian province, is tolerably well peopled by the Ruffians, who have founded therein towns, fortref fes, and villages, of various proportions. It nevertheless prefents but a void and defert view; fince, by its extent, it is capable of fupporting feveral millions more than it at prefent contains. The climate is cold, but the air pure and wholefome; and its inhabitants in all probability would live to an extreme old age if they were not fo much addicted to an immoderate ufe of intoxicating liquors.

"This country produces rye, oats, and barley, almost to the both degree of northern latitude. In former times a pood† of rye was fold there for two or three copeeks, and even at prefent it fetches no more than 6 or 8 copeeks 1. But this is to be underflood of fertile years.

"The provinces moft fruitful in grain are thofe of Tobolik, Tomfk, and Yenifeifk, the country about the upper parts of the Lena, and the fouthern and fouth-eaftern fide of the Baikal fea, as far as Nertschiník.

"Cabbages, radishes, turnips, and cucumbers, thrive here tolerably well; but fcarcely any other greens. All experiments to bring fruit-trees to bear have hitherto been in vain : but there is reafon to believe that induftry and patience may at length overcome the rudenefs of the climate. Cedar-nuts are here in great plenty about Tumen and in the district of Catharinenburg in the neighbourhood of the river Iffet, and fo are wild cherries, A fort of fmall almond grows in the parts about the Irtifch in the neighbourhood of the Kalmucs; and in the government of Irkutz are little apples, hardly bigger than peas, though resembling our common ones in fubftance and taste. Currants and ftrawberries of several forts grow here in as great perfection as they do in our gardens. Herbs, as well officinal as common, together with various edible roots, are found every where. a remarkable circumftance is, that there are no bees in all Siberia,

"Siberia is abundantly provided with iron, copper, and other minerals. The filver mines of Argun have been a long while

† A pood is 36 pounds English.

VOL. XI,

Three or four pence.

E

famous;

famous; and in our times the much richer one of Kalivan, on the frontiers of the Kalmucs, has been difcovered ❤.

The Mamut's bones are a production of nature peculiar to Siberia +

"The forefts are well ftocked with a variety of animals, fome of which are not to be found in other countries. Thefe fupply the inhabitants with food and cloaths; and at the fame time furnish them with commodities for an advantageous trade, Siberia may be confidered as the native country of black foxes, fables, and ermines, the fkins of which are here fuperior to thofe of any part of the world. The valuable beaver-skins, only known fince the expedition to Kamtfchatka and the Eaftern ocean, are purchafed by the Chinese at 40 and 50 rubles the skin. Horfes and cattle are in great plenty, and fold at a low price.

"Moft of the rivers abound in all forts of large and fmall fifh. We may therefore venture to affirm that Siberia is as plentifully provided with bread, flesh, and fish, as any country in the world.

"Of the Siberian rivers there are three, which both for length and breadth have few equals, the Qb, the Yenifei, and the Lena. Into each of thefe is received another, not much inferior to itself, The Irtifch falls into the Ob, the Angara into the Yenisei, and the Aldan into the Lena. Almost all the rivers of Siberia ditembogue into the Frozen Ocean. Not one of all whofe fource is in Siberia runs down to the countries of the Mongouls, Bucharians, Kalmucs, and Tartars; but, on the contrary, many of them

*In Barnaul, the most important filver-hut, upwards of 400 pood of fine filver, and from 11 to 1 5 pood of gold, is fmelted annually. In the year 1763, all the Siberian mines together yielded 330 pood of filver (or 13,200 Ruffian pounds) and 990 lb. of gold. Laxmann's Sibirifche Briefe, p. 86.

+ Notwithstanding Kalm, in his travels to North America, speaks of the incredibly large horns of fome animal, which he calls the Moofe-deer, found fometimes in North America, and, he adds, likewife in Ireland: this in Siberia is a natural production. The race of this animal he fuppofed was extinct. According to his opinion, it was a kind of elk, only much larger than the common, Now Mamut, or as the Ruffians formerly pronounced it, Memot, feems to Mr. Kalm to have been des rived from Behemoth, which the Arabians thought to be the largest animal in the world. This people, coming into Tartary, finding there these relics of the Siberian animal, and obferving that they were discovered about rivers and in fens, thought they could have belonged to no other animal than the famous Behemoth, and thus the word was thenceforth received as a proper name. He ftrengthens this con jecture by afferting that Mamut is not a Siberian word; for, according to Strahlenberg, the Oftiacks of the Ob call these bones khofar, and the Tartars khir, A new argument in favour of this opinion is, that many other Arabic words are met with in Siberia; namely, basar, arak, tarif, kaftan, bolvan, guba, tulpa, &c, The word Behemoth might there fore probably come the fame way into Tartary and Siberia, by which fa many others were introduced, that is to fay, by the religion of Mohammed.

which rife in Mongalia, and the country of the Kalmucs, flow northward through Siberia. They are fo commodious for navigation, that a vessel might go through Petersburg to Selenginík, were it not for only two voloks; one between the river Tichuf fovaia and the Tagil, and the other between the Ket and the Yenifei; the latter of about 90 verfts, and the former not fo wide. It is worth remarking, that all the rivers which fall into the Frozen Ocean, notwithstanding they are uncommonly abundant in fish, are entirely deftitute of crabs.

"The old inhabitants of this country are still moftly idolaters. They confift of many nations, entirely differing from each other in their manner of living, religion, language, and countenances. But in this they agree, that none of them follow agriculture, which is carried on by fome Tartars, and such as are converted to Christianity.

"A few of them breed cattle; and others follow hunting, which would have been profitable enough, had it been. fubjected at first to better regulations, and had the Ruffian promuifchlenniki * been more fparing in their depredations.

"The primitive natives of Siberia may be divided into two kinds, viz. thofe whose race exifts to this day, and those that have died away and become extinct.

"Among the ancient inhabitants of Siberia which exifts no more, we reckon the Kara-Kitans and the Kirguifes. Of those that still flourish the most remarkable are the Burattians, the Teleutans, the Jakutans, the Tungufians, the Samoledes, the Voguls, Oftiacs and Tartars, Mongouls and Kalmucs." :

This intelligent writer begins with the Kara-Kitans, and proceeds with the other nations according to the order in which the countries they inhabit are fituated.

t

Of the ancient Mongouls, he obferves, it is not to be doubt. ed but that they first became known by the conquefts of Tschingiskhan, and were the real progenitors of the prefents

"Tichingis-khan was at firit no more than a petty fovereign. His father had been before him only the head of a Mongolian hord, and was forced to pay tribute to the Kins.

*The word promuifchlennie or promuifchlenniki, must be explained, On the discovery and reduction of Siberia, great reports were made of its very valuable furs. This allured vaft numbers of loose people to form themselves into bands, and run from Ruffia to Siberia, partly on occount of its advantageous commerce, and partly for the fake of the chace. These adventurers were called promuifchlènniki, and became of great fervice to the crown in making farther discoveries, and extending its conquefts. But endeavouring to enrich themfelves in too short a time, they did the country irreparable damage, by ftripping whole 'regions of their beft and moft valuable animals, beginning in the north and driving them fouthward into the Chinefe dominions. They enjoyed the protection of the crown, for which they gave the tithe of what they caught. Muller's Samlung Ruffifcher gefchichte, vi. p. 491. "On

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