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the feveral Nations of Tartars too wild, and the Coffacks too full of Freedom and Privilege, to be of any great Advantage.

Laplanders.

and Samoiedes.

The Laplanders and Samoiedes are difperfed all along the large Woods on the White and Ice Sea; their Stature is low, their Figure very disagreeable, their Apprehenfion and Understanding scarce above that of Brutes, and their Religion, if any at all, little understood by those who frequent them. Their Food is generally raw Fish, or whatever they kill or find dead, without Diftinction; they are of Ufe to the Muscovites in their Seal-fishery about Nova Zembla; and pay the Czar a fmall Tribute of Furs.

Tartars of
Siberia and
Daury.

The Kingdoms of Siberia and Daury were first entered by fome Russian Malefactors who fled from Juftice in the Time of John Bafilowitz, but on this Discovery received their Pardons, and being feconded by fome Soldiers made feveral Settlements on the nearest Rivers; which by Degrees have been extended to the Frontiers of China; the last Fortress of the Czar's Dominions called Nerczinfk, being built on the River Amur which falls into the South Sea; the original Inhabitants of these wide Countries were feveral Sorts of Tartars, who, living in little Hordes or Companies under diftinct Governments, like the Indian Nations in America, were eafily fubdued; near the Ruffian Plantations, they have learned to dwell in Houfes, to till the Ground, and pay the Czar an Annual Tribute

Tribute of Furs, as Sables, Foxes and Ermines : The other Tartars, who continue toringe about with their Tents, do not acknowledge the Czar's Sovereignity, and are often troublesome in little Parties, though not capable of making any great Impreffion.

of Cafan and

Aftracan.

Cafan and Aftracan were Tartarian Kingdoms, who once made the Muscovites tributary and several Times brought that Government to the Brink of Ruin; but were ertirely fubdued by John Bafilowitz, the first in 1552, and the other in 1554: After which, he built several Towns on the Wolga, ftrengthened them with good Garrisons, and fent Colonies of his own People to Cafan and Aftracan, who to this Day do not suffer Tartarians to fettle within the Walls.

any

Czeremees

The Czeremees and Morduars poffefs a large Tract of Land between Nifen-Novogrod and Caand fan, on both Sides of the River Wolga; Morduars. they live in Houses, follow Husbandry, and pay the Czar Taxes and Services as his other Subjects, but never furnish Recruits to the War.

The Bafkirs are a powerful Nation, extended

from Cafan to the Frontiers of Siberia; they Bafkirs have fome Villages, but maintain their old Freedom, and rebelled in 1707, when the Czar's Officers would have loaded them with new Impofitions, and forced feveral of them to be baptized: They were appeafed by the fhew of Force, and Redrefs of their Grievances.

The

Calmucks

The reft of the Country, to Aftracan and the Fron tiers of the Ufbecques, is haunted by the Calmucks, and other Hordes, who remove with their Tents according to the Seafon and Convenience of Subfiftence: The Czar makes them Prefents every Year of Cloth, Money and fome Arms; and in Return they are obliged to ferve him in his Wars without Pay, which they fufficiently make up to themselves, by plundering Friends and Foes whereever they march; the greatest Number which has of late appeared in Arms for the Czar, was about twelve Thousand, who, coming eight Days after the Battle of Poltawa, were difmiffed back again; only about two Thousand were fent into Livonia. The Religion of the Tartars is either Mahometan or Hea then, in which they have been left undisturbed by the Czar and his Ancestors.

Coffacks

The Coffacks are diftinguifhed into three Sorts, known by the Places where they firft fettled themfelves; but are all of the fame Nation, Language, Religion, and Form of Government. They were originally Polish Peafants, formed into a Militia under their own Officers and Difcipline, and placed in the fruitful Plains of the Ukraine, to fecure the Frontiers of the Common-wealth against the Tartars; after fome Years, they increased prodigiously in Number and Riches, and could no longer bear the Indignities of the Polish Nobility, who affected to treat them as their Slaves on all Occa VOL. II, fions;

N

fions; this Ufage was the Rise of several bloody Wars, with different Success.

the Don.

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In one of the first, the Coffacks being worsted, feCoffacks of veral of them, rather than fubmit to the Yoke, removed from the Ukraine to the unfrequented Banks of the Don, or Tanais, where they begun a new Plantation. In the Year 1637, another Detachment on the fame Occafion refolved to feek their Fortune as far as the Cafpian Sea, but in their Paffage were perfuaded, by their old Countrymen on the Don, to stop short and join in an Attempt against Afoph, which they took the fame Year and kept till 1642, when the Turks approaching with a great Army, and the Muscovites refufing them timely Succours, they burnt the Place, and fixed the Seat of their little Common-wealth at Circafky, a Town on an Ifland in the Don: Some Time after they put themselves under the Protection of the Muscovites; and had lately thirty-nine Towns on that River, from Rybna to Afoph, moft of them on the NorthEaft Side: The Country is generally without Trees, but fruitful to a Wonder in Grafs, Flowers, sweet Herbs, wild Afparagus, &c. They fow very little Corn, that being only the Employment of their Slaves; nor do they eat much Bread, Roots, or Herbs; their chief Diet being Fish, Flesh, and Fruits; their Riches confift in Cattle, Horfes, Dromedaries and Camels; in their Houses and Cloathes they are generally neater than the Muscovites; the Religion is after the Greek, or Eaftern Church; they have very

few

few Tradefmen, or Artificers; Arms are their Employment and Delight, which in Times of Peace they exercife by Parties against their constant Enemies, the Calmuck, Guban, and Crim Tartars, and in Time of open War against the Turks on the Palus Maotis. Their Government is a Sort of military Democracy; their chief Hetman, or Colonel over all, keeps his Refidence at Cercafky: He is elected in a general Meeting of the Captains and civil Officers of the Nation, but is confirmed by the Czar, and then his Employment lafts for Life, which he often lofes on an unfortunate Expedition, or other Tumult: Every Town is like a little Common-wealth, and has its own Hetman, or Captain, chofen Yearly, who has the Care of all Bufinefs Civil and Military, and in the Field acts as Captain of his own Community: They are left in Poffeffion of their old Laws and Customs, pay the Czar no Tribute, furnish no Recruits, and are only bound to appear in Arms at their own Charge when fummoned: But on the contrary their Captains ufed to receive yearly Prefents from his Treafury of Cloth, Money and Corn: they have very great Privileges; one of the most confiderable was the Freedom of any Peasant or Slave, who being once in the Country could not be reclaimed by his Mafter, or the Muscovite Govern ment; and on this Account vaft Numbers of Deferters sheltered themfelves here in the prefent War, of which the Czar being informed, Prince Dolgoruki was fent four Years ago with twelve hundred Men to fearch them out: he found fome hundreds; but, not being on his Guard, was in his Re

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