and his own knowledge in phyfic and furgery, which he wished to render fubfervient to the purpose of travelling, he was appointed to attend an embaffy to the Sophy of Perfia, and afterwards a fimilar miffion to the court of China. His adventures, in this laft expedition, we have felected to enrich our volumes.

The embaffy confifted of Leoff Vaffilovich Ifmayloff, as principal, a gentleman of family, and a captain of the Ruffian guards, his fecretary, fix gentlemen, and a priest, with interpreters, clerks, a band of mufic, valets and footmen, &c. to the number of fixty perfons; befides a troop of twenty-five dragoons, and an efcort from To bolfky to Pekin, and back to the fame place.

The prefents for the emperor of China, being got ready, as well as the ambaffador's dispatches, I fet out from St. Petersburgh, the 14th of July, 1719, in company with Meffieurs Lange and Grave, attended by a few servants; the first was a native of Sweden, and the other of Courland. We travelled to the city of Moscow in small parties, the more eafy to procure poft horses. September 9th, having fhipped our baggage, and prepared every thing for our departure, we went ourfelves on board, and after firing nine guns, rowed down the river Moscow.

After a voyage of fix weeks, we arrived at Cazan on the 20th of October. We ftaid here about five weeks, waiting for the fnow falling to fmooth the roads; and in the mean time were employed in preparing fledges and other neceffaries, for our journey towards Siberia.

November 24th, we fent off the heavy baggage: but Monfieur Ifmayloff, with a few of the ntlemen, remained fome days longer; becaufe

it was difagreeable travelling on rough roads with loaded fledges. At last, on the 28th, late in the night, the ambaffador quitted Cazan, keeping to the north-eastward. There being

many villages on the road, we changed horfes as often as occafion required.

On the 7th we reached Kay-gorod, a fmall town. We perceived the cold becoming daily. more intenfe, as we proceeded northward along the banks of the Kama.

The 8th, we quitted Kay-gorod in a vehement cold. Though there was little wind and a thick fog, the froft continued fo penetrating, that feveral of our people, who were moft expofed, had their fingers and toes frozen. Moft of them, however, recovered by the common method of rubbing the numbed parts with fnow.

On the 9th, we arrived at the town of Solikamiky, derived from Sole, Salt, and Kama, the river, on the banks of which it is fituated. This river is of great fame in thefe parts of the world. It rifes far to the north, and, in its courfe, receives the Parma, Pilva, Koyva, and many other rivers, which, together, form a mighty ftream, very nearly equal to the Volga, into which it difcharges itself about fixty verits below the city of Cazan, and lofes its name.

In the neighbourhood of Solikamfky is found the foffil called asbestos; of which is made a kind of cloth like linen, that may be put into the fire, and taken out again unconfumed. This cloth was known among the ancients, and used by them n feveral occafions.

The afbeftos, like many both curious and ufeful discoveries, was found out by mere accident in thefe parts. A certain huntfman, being about

to

to load his fowling-piece, and wanting wadding, obferved a great stone in the woods, which feemed to have fome flakes upon it like loose threads, he foon found that, by rubbing, it turned into a foft downy fubftance, fit for his ufe; he therefore filled his pocket with it; but, having fired his piece, was furprised to fee that the gunpowder had no effect upon the wadding. This raifed his curiofity fo far, that he kindled a fire on purpose, into which he put the afbeftos; but ftill took it out entire, and it was of the fame use as formerly. This experiment fo frightened the poor fportfman, that he imagined the devil had taken poffeffion of the foflil. On returning home, he told what had happened to the priest of the parish, who, amazed at the relation, repeated it fo frequently, that, at laft, he told it to a person who was acquainted with the qualities peculiar to the aíbeltos, and, on examination, found the flakes to be that foffil.

The 16th, about noon, we were in fight of the city of Toboltky, though diftant from us about twenty English miles. The walls are white, and the croffes and cupolas of the churches gilded, which make a very fine appearance. About two o'clock, we arrived fafe at this place, which is the capital of Siberia, and the refidence of the governor.

This city is fituated in latitude 58 deg. 40 min. north, at the conflux of the Irtifh and Tobol. From this laft, the city has its name. Both these rivers are navigable for feveral hundred miles above this place. The Irtith, after receiving the Tobol, becomes a noble stream, and difcharges itself into the Oby. This fituation was choten by the Ruffians, both for its ftrength and

beauty.

beauty. Formerly the Tartar princes had their abode at a place about thirty verfts fouth from Toboliky, which is now neglected and ruinous. The inhabitants are chiefly Ruffians, of different profeffions; many of them are merchants, and very rich, by the profitable trade they carry on to the borders of China, and throughout the extenfive limits of their own country.

The Irtish takes its rife from a great lake, named Korfan, in a mountainous country, about one thousand fix hundred verfts to the fouthward of Toboliky. The country about this lake is inhabited by the black Kalmucks, a mighty and numerous people, governed by a prince, called Kontaysha. From these the Kalmucks on the Volga are defcended. After the Irtifh has run for many miles through a hilly country, covered with wood, it paffes through a fine fruitful plain, inhabited by the Kalmucks, till it comes to a houfe called Sedmy-Palaty, or the Seven Rooms, fituated to the right in coming down the river. It is very furprifing to find fuch a regular edifice in the middle of a defert. Some of the Tartars fay, it was built by Tamerlane, called by the Tartars Temyr-Ack-Sack, or Lame-Temyr; others by the Gingeeze-Chan. The building, according to the best information I could obtain, is of brick or ftone, well finished, and continues ftill entire. It confifts of feven apartments, under one roof, from whence it has the name of the Seven Palaces. Several of these rooms are filled with scrolls of glazed paper, fairly wrote, and many of them in gilt characters. Some of the fcrolls are black, but the greatest part white. The language in which they are written, is that of the Tongufts, or Kalmucks. While I was at VOL. XII. Toboliky

Q

Tobolfky, I met with a foldier in the street, with a bundle of these papers in his hand. He asked me to buy them; which I did for a small sum. I kept them till my arrival in England, when I diftributed them among my friends, particularly to that learned antiquarian, Sir Hans Sloane, who valued them at a high rate, and gave them a place in his celebrated museum.

Two of these fcrolls were fent, by order of the emperor, Peter I. to the royal academy at Paris. The academy returned a tranflation, which I faw in the rarity chamber at St. Peteríburgh. One of them contained a commiffion to a lama, or prieft; and the other a form of prayer to the Deity. Whether this interpretation may be depended on, I fhall not determine. The Tartars efteem them all facred writings, as appears from the care they take to preserve them. Perhaps they may contain fome curious pieces of antiquity, particularly of ancient hiftory. Above the Sedmy-Palaty, toward the fource of the Irtifh, upon the hills and valleys, grows the beft rhubarb in the world, without the leaft culture.

January 9th, 1720, we proceeded toward Tara. We paffed through many Tartar villages, and at night lodged in one of their little huts, and warmed ourselves at a good fire on the hearth. Thefe houfes confift generally of one or two rooms, according to the ability of the landlord. Near to the hearth is fixed an iron kettle to dress the victuals. In one end of the apartment is placed a bench, about eighteen inches high, and fix feet broad, covered with mats, or skins of wild beafts, upon which all the family fit by day, and fleep in the night. The walls are built of wood and mofs, 'confifting of large beams, laid one above another,