projecting on each side 5 feet beyond the wheels. Over the felt, they laid mortar, marle, or bone ashes, to make it a clear white, adorning the roof with beautiful pictures, and hanging before the door a felt carpet painted with birds, beasts, and trees. He counted 22 oxen drawing a cart, 11 to a side. The axletree was as large as the mast of a ship, and the driver stood at the door of the house. Their household stuff and treasure were kept in square wicker chests, rounded at top, and covered with felt, greased over to keep out rain. They were adorned with paintings, or feathers, and fixed on carts carried by camels for crossing rivers, but never taken down like the houses. These houses when set down, are placed, as all their habitations are, with the door facing the south, to avoid the cold north winds, so very piercing over all this region; then the chest carts are ranged at a small distance on each side, as it were two walls. One rich Mongol had 200 carts with such chests, so that his court seemed a great village. The tents are all round and conical, having an aperture at the top to let out the smoke, which ascends from the hearth placed in the middle underneath. The tents of the chiefs are hung with silk stuffs in the interior, and the floors covered with Persian carpets. Silver and porcelain vessels are used in the tents of the great. The Mongols burn their dead, especially the bodies of their chiefs and lamas, and inter their ashes on some eminence, over which they raise an obo or cairn of stones, on which are mounted small flags or banners. Cities.] Cities are not to be expected in the territories of nomadic tribes. Such are neither sufficiently numerous, nor rich, nor industrious as to build them. Like the patriarchs of olden time, the Mongols have no fixed place of abode. Even the famous Karakorom, the capital of the vaunted but imaginary Prester John and his conqueror the mighty Zingis, was built of earth and wood, and has left no vestiges of its past existence. Geographers and historians have been sadly puzzled where to find its site; and some, as Malte Brun, have supposed it to have been merely a summer abode of the Karait and Mongolian Khans, like that of Zheholl, where the emperor or khan long received the British embassy. But there are no grounds for such an opinion, as its existence both as a summer and winter residence of its nomadic lords, is incontestibly proved by all authorities, whether Chinese, Toorkish, or European. It is, however, no matter of surprise, that travellers have not found its remains, considering the nature of its frail materials, earth and wood. On the contrary, it is rather surprising they should have expected to find them. From this want of ocular proof, no other mode of knowing its site, but that of such historical notices as could be gleaned from the meagre accounts of oriental authors, and the Chinese records, remained. But these researches, though the combined results of the labours of a Gaubil, a Souciet, a Des Guignes, and a D'Anville, have all proved fruitless, and the inquiry terminated just where it began 9 So obscure is the subject, and so few are the remains of any thing that bore the resemblance of ruins, or a ruined city, that wherever such were found, the conclusion was drawn, or at least the conjecture was made, that such marked the site of Korakorom. The Jesuits who surveyed Mongolia, imagined it to be Kara Usson, in the vicinity of a ruined city, called Para Hotun, Lat. 48° 4' 48" N. long. 2° 49′ 30 W. of Peking, Gaubil fixed it 420 miles S. W. of the above supposed site, in 44° 21' N. lat. and 10° 1r W. of Peking, by computation on the Onghin Muren, near the lake Kurahan Ulen. See Souciet Mathem. Observa. page 185. D'Anville followed Gaubil in this statement, implicitly: for, says he, that place which remained unrecognized in the maps sent from China, is determined by an astronomical observation in the latitude, and respecting the longitude from Peking, there is not one point of difference. This observa History.] It is impossible to determine the different races of the various nomadic hordes, which at different times bore sway in Northern Mon tion it seems was made by some Chinese astronomers sent in 1279 by Khouvilai to make observations in Mongolia, at the request of the imperial astronomer Kouo-cheouking, and in this Chinese report, Karokorom is called Holin, that is, the Black City. Unfortunately for the credit of this Chinese observation, there is more than a degree of difference between the height of the pole and the shadow of the gnomon, which is sufficient to overthrow all the authority of the mathematicians employed by Kouo cheouking to fix its situation. Prefixed to the first volume of the history of the Mongols, written in Chinese, by Youan-phing, is a map of Tartary and the Great desert, with an explication in the form of a note on the different places, where the Mongol princes kept their court, at different epochs. Des Guignes, in his history of the Huns and Turks, has given two itineraries to Karakorom, from Pi-low-tai on the N. bank of the Whangho in the northern part of the country of the Ortous Tartars, in 40° 37′16′′ N. and 7 long. W. of Peking, and adds the remark, that these different routes well accord with the position which M. D'Anville has assigned Karakorom in his maps. Mr Remusat in his very learned memoir on the site of Karakorom, having compared these routes together, and with the chart above mentioned, given in the Chinese history of the Mongols, and the explication given in the note of the different places where the Mongols held their court at different epochs, has found, in addition to the erroneous astronomical observation of the Chinese astronomers, so pompously given by Gaubil and Souciet, and followed so implicitly by D'Anville, that the two routes given by Des Guignes, out of the Thang-cheou, will not, nor can agree at all with the position assigned it by D'Anville, as Des Guignes asserted, for these routes give a distance of more than 700 B. miles from Pi-lou-tai to Karakorom, whereas by D'Anville's map it is only a third of that distance in a direct line, from Pi-lou-tai, and that in a country flat, desert, and without rivers, and consequently where the windings can neither be many nor great. Des Guignes has, besides, in his extract from the Thang-chou, from the effect of carelessness which is scarcely conceivable, nimbly slipped over many remarkable particulars there contained, and passed, sub silentio, over all that which was sufficient of itself to prevent mistake and dispel error. The part which he has suppres sed, is as follows: To the E. of that city, (the capital of the Whey-hoo or Karakorom,) are uncultivated plains. To the W. it reclines upon the mountain Ou-te-kian, to the S. it touches the bank of the river Wen-kouen, to the N. 6 or 700 ly distant, appears the river Sian-o. Upon the northern bank of that river, is the city of Sou kouei. In going more to the N. and a little to the E. appear mountains covered with snow, and forests of pines, and birches, and a lake with many springs. At the two sides of the Ou-te-kian, are the rivers Wen-kouen and To-lo. These two rivers in making a great circuit, run to the N. E. from the capital of the Whey-hoo, and unite at the distance of 500 ly. To the N. E. more than 1000 ly is the lake Kiu-lun, the four sides of which are peopled by the Chi-wei. We have given just so much of what Des Guignes has suppressed as is sufficient to point out the site of Karakorom. The position of mount Ou-te-kian is wholly unknown to us; but as that mountain lay to the W. of Karakorom, it undoubtedly made a part of the eastern chain of the Altaian mountains; and there is every reason to believe, that it is the same mountain of which mention is made at the commencement of the history of the Whey-hoo, under the names of Yotou-kian, and Tou-wey-kian, and it is possible that these very names are none other than varied alterations of Tou-kin, which is that which Matouanlin has given to the mountain where dwelt the Khagan of the Turks. It was about the environs of that mountain where the Tchen-yoo of the Heeong-noo anciently reigned. The most western part of this mountain Tu-kin, is, according to Gaubil, about 50° N. and 170 W. of Peking, and the chief mountain belonging to it, in 46° 50 and 14° 38′ W. of the same meridian, and its most eastern part, in 46° N. and from 12° to 13° W. of that same city. The Wenkouen is clearly the Orkkon, a name which the Chinese cannot exactly express, and which they also sometimes call Kouen and Wang-ki. The Sian-o is the Selingha. Respecting the To-lo, there can be no difficulty in recognizing it as the Toola. confluence of the Wen-khouen (Orkhon) and To-lo (Toola) is placed at 500 ly, or 50 leagues to the N. E. of Karakoram, and the Kiu-lun lake is the sea of Baikal. If we examine the 8th sheet of Chinese Tartary, we shall find the remains of a place called Talarho-kara-balgasoun, 50 leagues S. W. of the confluence of the Orkhon and Toola, which seems corrupted, but in which the words kara (black), and balgasoun (city), are found, which correspond to those of the Turkish Kara-koroum and the Chinese Holin, the black city,' or city of the black river.' This place is in 47° 32′ 24′′ N. and 13° 21' 30" W. of Peking, and 150 geographical miles S. W. of Oorga, on the Toola, the present capital of the Khalkhas. In the time of the Mongols, when they had obtained some of the knowledge of the Chinese, we see Karakorom, or Holin, situated to the E. of one of the branches of the Altai, to the S. of the Selinga, to the N. of the Orkhon, and to the W. of the Toola, near that point of Tartary where the rivers diverge to different seas. It would prove tedious to detail all the proofs, that Karakorom was far to the N. of the position assigned it by Gaubil, Souciet, and D'Anville, and that it was very probably the same with the ruined city of Talarho-kara-balgasoun, a The Over the felt, they projecting on each side 5 feet beyond the wheels. laid mortar, marle, or bone ashes, to make it a clear white, adorning the roof with beautiful pictures, and hanging before the door a felt carpet painted with birds, beasts, and trees. He counted 22 oxen drawing a cart, 11 to a side. The axletree was as large as the mast of a ship, and the driver stood at the door of the house. Their household stuff and treasure were kept in square wicker chests, rounded at top, and covered with felt, greased over to keep out rain. They were adorned with paintings, or feathers, and fixed on carts carried by camels for crossing rivers, but never taken down like the houses. These houses when set down, are placed, as all their habitations are, with the door facing the south, to avoid the cold north winds, so very piercing over all this region; then the chest carts are ranged at a small distance on each side, as it were two walls. One rich Mongol had 200 carts with such chests, so that his court seemed a great village. The tents are all round and conical, having an aperture at the top to let out the smoke, which ascends from the hearth placed in the middle underneath. The tents of the chiefs are hung with silk stuffs in the interior, and the floors covered with Persian carpets. Silver and porcelain vessels are used in the tents of the great. The Mongols burn their dead, especially the bodies of their chiefs and lamas, and inter their ashes on some eminence, over which they raise an obo or cairn of stones, on which are mounted small flags or banners. Cities.] Cities are not to be expected in the territories of nomadic tribes. Such are neither sufficiently numerous, nor rich, nor industrious as to build them. Like the patriarchs of olden time, the Mongols have no fixed place of abode. Even the famous Karakorom, the capital of the vaunted but imaginary Prester John and his conqueror the mighty Zingis, was built of earth and wood, and has left no vestiges of its past existence. Geographers and historians have been sadly puzzled where to find its site; and some, as Malte Brun, have supposed it to have been merely a summer abode of the Karait and Mongolian Khans, like that of Zheholl, where the emperor or khan long received the British embassy. But there are no grounds for such an opinion, as its existence both as a summer and winter residence of its nomadic lords, is incontestibly proved by all authorities, whether Chinese, Toorkish, or European. It is, however, no matter of surprise, that travellers have not found its remains, considering the nature of its frail materials, earth and wood. On the contrary, it is rather surprising they should have expected to find them. From this want of ocular proof, no other mode of knowing its site, but that of such historical notices as could be gleaned from the meagre accounts of oriental authors, and the Chinese records, remained. But these researches, though the combined results of the labours of a Gaubil, a Souciet, a Des Guignes, and a D'Anville, have all proved fruitless, and the inquiry terminated just where it began 9 So obscure is the subject, and so few are the remains of any thing that bore the resemblance of ruins, or a ruined city, that wherever such were found, the conclusion was drawn, or at least the conjecture was made, that such marked the site of Korakorom. The Jesuits who surveyed Mongolia, imagined it to be Kara Usson, in the vicinity of a ruined city, called Para Hotun, Lat. 48° 4 48" N. long. 2° 49′ 30′′ W. of Peking, Gaubil fixed it 420 miles S. W. of the above supposed site, in 44° 21' N. lat. and 10° ir W. of Peking, by computation on the Onghin Muren, near the lake Kurahan Ulen. See Souciet Mathem. Observa. page 185. D'Anville followed Gaubil in this statement, implicitly: for, says he, that place which remained unrecognized in the maps sent from China, is determined by an astronomical observation in the latitude, and respecting the longitude from Peking, there is not one point of difference. This observa ficient to overtize ai a king to fix its cat has given two terms a Loure cord with the positive 1 I 1 arb Souciet, and followed so impurity & Jamie THE SP vir a ce signed it by D'Anville, as Des Guigte served many nor great. Des Guignes has tense in ne sufficient of itself to prevent mistake and disse ermee S. it touches the bank of the river Weste the river Sian-o. Upon the northern going more to the N. and a little to the E pra forests of pines, and birches, and a lake with many SONG Ou-te-kian, are the rivers Wen-kogen and Tom Themes i mating cirenit, run to the N. E. from the capital of the Wer- and unne at the of 500 ly. To the N.E. more than 1000 ly is the the jour dira e are peopled by the Chi-wei. We have given just nu in big suppressed as is sufficient to point out the site of Karwei Te item Ou-te-kian is wholly unknown to us; but as that mean the Vican it undoubtedly made a part of the eastern cut off the dibuat UTATO is every reason to believe, that it is the sette muticala é via mendes the commencement of the history of the inner-bon Ander The Batur dý and Tou-wey-kian, and it is poster that these very batters ate bene sive that "En alterations of Tou-kin, which is that we hamma to pa se te marinat where dwelt the Khagan of the Turks it we ordered ir where the Tchen-yoo of the Heng-pus airbagy Metel this mountain Tu-kin. is, according to Gran 12 alur JA A the chief mountain belong with its most eastern part, in 40 N. and from 12° w. 50 leagues to the N.E. of Karakorama, and “de Ana tan ma ve Buddh we examine the 8th sheet of Chiese Tartary, we al fut an remade it à Me called Talarho-kara-balgasons. 30 agus Novi, at the cand-ware at an Orama md Toola, which seems corrupted, but in when the wiH GITI swa. astet (city), are found, which ostrespond to those of the I akan karborum aut tie nese Holin, the black city, or-city of the back rear. 20 pax 2. and 13° 21′ 30 W. of Peking, and 150 gengrapaizai murs 5.7 V8 Uhren, in the Inst the present capital of the Khaikhas. In the time of the Mingus, when they at 1tained some of the knowledge of the Chinese, we see Kariaceva de 1 Lo to the E. of one of the branches of the Altai, to the S. of the design to the N. để tâme Orkhon, and to the W. of the Toola, near that point of Tartary where the rivers ten verge to different seas. It would prove tedious to detail all the prints that Kanaarim was far to the N. of the position assigned it by Gauni, Seriet, and D Astile, and that it was very probably the same with the ruined city si izarno-kara-ingera, a golia, which seems to have been peopled anciently with Toorkish as well as with Mongol tribes: sometimes the one race prevailed, and sometimes the other. But whatever dynasty was for the time lord of the ascendant, whether the Heeongnoo, the Whey-Hoo, the Kin, or the Mongols, the different races were united under one conqueror. But as these dynasties were composed of princes, or tanyoos, or khans, as savage and illiterate as their subjects, we have no accounts of them but from their neighbours the Chinese, who seem never to have had sufficient knowledge to discriminate one race from another, but confounded them all under the sweeping appellation of Ta-tse. Hence the very learned but fanciful Des Guignes, who knew only the Eastern Tartars, or Mandshoors, and the Western Tartars, or the Turks and Mongols, believed these latter to be the same race, and that the Mongols were the descendants of the former, whom he makes to little to the N. W. of the Orkhon. There is another ruined city to the N. of this and the Orkhon, named Baisiri-Bouritou, (the Paysheri Puriton of the Jesuits' map,) in 48° 23′ 50 N. and 13° 29′ W. of Peking, which, may also correspond to the site of the ancient Karakorom. It is, however, but conjecture; for, till we have its Mongolian name, we cannot be certain of its identity, the names in the map being Mandshoorian or corrupted Turkish. Rubruquis traversed the country of the Naimans, where Khayouk had his residence, and pursuing his route by the high country towards the N., he arrived at the court of the great khan, ten days' journey to the W. of the country of Onan Cherule, which is the peculiar and true country of the Moal (Mongols), where was the court of Kingis. That name of Onan Cherule has been well restored by Fischer, in his history of Siberia, who saw that it indicated the country watered by the two rivers, Onon and Kerulon, or Kerlon, between which the Mongols actually dwelt. Had Karakorom stood where D'Anville has placed it, this could not have been true. Marco Polo, after he has described the cities of Soutcheou, Kantcheou, and Etzine, places to the N. of this last ruined city a great sandy desert of 40 days' journey; and after having passed it, says he, we arrive at the city of Karakorom, where the Tartars drew their origin. These 40 days required to pass the desert are unquestionably a great ex aggeration. But that exaggeration would be doubled if the breadth of the desert only had separated Karakorom from Etzine, and if, consequently, these two cities were only 100 leagues distant from each other, as these are delineated in the maps of D'Anville. Fischer placed it to the S. of the Orkhon, in 470 N. and 1030 E., whereas we have seen that it lay to the N. of that stream. But his conjecture is far less absurd than that of D'Anville, which actually placed it, if we may so speak, in the very heart of the kobi or desert-a most unfit place for either a camp or a city. Murray has fixed its position far W. in the country of the Eluths, in Soongaria. The annotator of Abulghazi placed it near the sources of the Jenisea and the Selinga. Ebn Said and Abulfeda placed it in 116° 40′ E. of the Fortunate islands, Al Harair in 115° E., father Ricci in 170 W. of Peking, and father Visdelou, in his history of Tartary, in 20° W. of the same meridian. According to a Chinese history of the Mongols by Youanphing, Holin, or Karakorom, derived its name of Holin, or the black city,' from the river Ha-laHolin, and that it was built by Pi-kia, khan of the Whey-Hoo, who lived in the middle of the 8th century under the Tang dynasty. An ancestor of Pi-kia, named Phousa, of the family of Lo-lo-ko, was chosen for the first time to be the khan of the WheyHoo, which then dwelt on the Selinga river; but he fixed his camp on the banks of the Toola in 628,-and his descendant, Kou-lou-lou Pi-kia, fixed his camp, in 755, where Holin or Karakorom afterwards stood, and which then became the capital of the Whey-Hoo, as afterwards of the Karaites, under the Vang khan, and then afterwards of Zingis Khagan and his successors. When or by whom Karakorom was finally destroyed, we are not told, but probably in the wars which took place between the Eluths and Khalkhas. Remusat expected to find a full account of the site of Karakorom in the Pian-i-tian, or foreign geography of the Mandshoors, but was sadly disappointed to find almost nothing on the subject, after a rapid reading of that work, which he was permitted to do by the kindness of Klaproth, who lent him the work, as the Dai-sin-i-toundchi, it seems, is not in the royal library of Paris. But, however dignified it might be as the regal abode of the khans of the Whey-Hoo, or of the Mongols, it was still but a village, less than the town of St Denis, near Paris,— and the whole palace of Mangoo was scarcely equal to a tenth part of the Benedictine abbey. It then contained only two streets, one for Chinese mechanics, and anoother for Mohammedan traders; and the places of religious worship, as one Nestorian church, two moschs, and twelve Boodhist or Shaman temples, may in some degree, as Gibbon remarks, represent the number and degree of its various inhabitants. Yet this acute and critical historian seems to have felt no difficulty respecting the site of Karakorom, but to have reposed perfect confidence in the oracular decisions of D'Anville and Des Guignes. |