JOHN BELL, ESQ. FROM ST. PETERSBURGH ΤΟ PEKIN. With an Embay from his Imperial Majefty, Peter the Great, to Kambi, Emperor of China. WHI HEN the mind of man is once warmed with a favourite object or pursuit, difficulties only ferve to give new refolution, and every nerve is ftrained to accomplish the end in view. The defire of vifiting foreign countries, though not a very general paffion, is one of the ftrangeft that can feize on the imagination; and fancy, fertile in expedients, under this paffion, fo difficult to be gratified, converts every talent into the means of forwarding the purpose of the heart. Mr. Bell informs us, that it was this ardour to vifit feveral parts of Afia, particularly thote that border on the dominions of Ruffia, which induced him to folicit a recommendation to Dr. Erkine, chief phyfician and privy counfeller to the Czar Peter I. By this gentleman's influence, and his own knowledge in phyfic and furgery, which he wished to render fubfervient to the purpofe 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 selected 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 music, valets and footmen, &c. to the number of fixty perfons; befides a troop of twenty-five dragoons, and an escort from Toboltky to Pekin, and back to the fame place. The prefents for the emperor of China, being got ready, as well as the ambaffador's difpatches, I fet out from St. Petersburgh, the 14th of July, 1719, in company with Meffieurs Lange and Grave, attended by a few fervants; the firft was a native of Sweden, and the other of Courland. We travelled to the city of Moscow in finall parties, the more easy to procure poft horses. Šeptember 9th, having fhipped our baggage, and prepared every thing for our departure, we went ourfelves on board, and after firing nine guns, wed down the river Mofcow. Ster a voyage of fix weeks, we arrived at n on the 20th of October. We ftaid here five weeks, waiting for the fnow falling to bth the roads; and in the mean time were ployed in preparing fledges and other necefIries, for our journey towards Siberia. November 24th, we fent off the heavy baggage: but Monfieur Ifmayloff, with a few of the genen, remained fome days longer; becaufe it was difagreeable travelling on rough roads with loaded fledges. At laft, 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 small 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 most expofed, had their fingers and, toes frozen.. Most 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 these 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 discharges itself about fixty verfts below the city of Cazan, and lofes its name. In the neighbourhood of Solikamfky is found. the fofil called afbios; 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 on feveral occations. The afbeftos, like many both curious and ufeful difcoveries, was found out by mere accident in thefe parts. A certain huntfman, being about to load his fowling-piece, and wanting wadding, obferved a great ftone in the woods, which feent ed 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 afbestos; 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 foffil. On returning home, he told what had happened to the priest of the parith, who, amazed at the relation, repeated it fo frequently, that, at laft, he told it to a perfon who was acquainted with the qualities peculiar to the afbettos, and, on examination, found the flakes to be that foffil. The 16th, about noon, we were in fight of the city of Toboliky, 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 Irtish and Tobol. From this laft, the city has its name. Both la rivers are navigable for feveral hundred this place. The Irtish, after receivol, becomes a noble itream, and dif If into the Oby. This fituation was the Rullians, both for its ftrength and beauty. beauty. Formerly the Tartar princes had their abode at a place about thirty verfts fouth from Foboliky, 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 Irtifh takes its rife from a great lake, named Korfan, in a mountainous country, about one thousand fix hundred verfts to the southward of Tobolfky. 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 finifhed, 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 fcrolls 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. Tobolik Q |