Siberia

1691. A most compleat compendium of geography by Laurence Echard.

Kingdom of Siberia, on the S. of Obdora and Petzora; ch. T. is Tobalska.

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Siberia, a Province of great extent, under the Crown of Muscovy; towards the river Obb, in the Desart Tartary; between the Provinces of Condora, Legomoria, and Permia. Some few years since first discovered; all covered with uninhabited Woods, Marshes, and desolate Countries; having only a few Inhabitants, which have a particular Language of their own, and not the use of Bread. The Moscovites have of late built the Cities Tobolsk, upon the River Y••im and Siber on the Obb here, and united both in one Archbishoprick. At the former the Vice Duke, under the Grand Duke of Moscovy, resides; he commands over both Siberia and Samoyeda. They have also set up Churches in divers places, for the Moscovian Christians.

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Siberia, a great Province of Moscovy in the Desert Tartary, between the Provinces of Candora, Lucomoria and Permski, the Capital whereof is Siber upon the River Obb or Oby, and the second is Tobol or Tobolska, which two Cities are both Sees of one and the same Archbishop; for in Moscovia the Archbishops and Bishops have two Sees. This Province is of a very large Extent, so that in some parts thereof the Winter is not so Violent, but in others again the Cold is so Excessive, that the Ground bears neither Grass nor Fruit. It is into these Barren Frozen Parts the Great Duke banisheth those he has a mind to be rid of. The Great Duke keeps in this City a Vice-Duke, to whom all the Governours of Siberia and Samoyeda are subject. A great part of this Country is Marshy, affords little but excellent Furs, with which they Trade to Archangel, and pay Tribute to the Czar. The Inhabitants speak the Hungarian Language, which makes many think that the ancient Huns came hence. Their King Czar Sibersky, with most of his Nobility, were taken Prisoners by Theodor. Ivanowich Great Czar of Moscovy in 1584. Towards the East of this Country are the Tingoes and Lucomorian Tartars, who the most part of them are obedient to a Tartarian Prince. Olearius's Travels into Moscovy.

1698. The antient and present state of Muscovy by Jodocus Crull.

and among them, to say something of the Province of Siberia.

This Province which lies quite Northward from Muscovy, betwixt the Provinces of Obdora and Jugoria, bordering towards the North upon the Samojedes, is of a great extent, but not very populous, being inhabited by Tartars. Its Capital City, being also the Seat of an Archbishop, is Tobol, built upon a rising Ground, near a small River; and, except some Muscovites, inhabited by Tartars. On the Frontiers of the Calmuck Tartars, is the City of Daour; And far beyond Tobol is Chnesortski, the chief place of Commerce in the whole Province for Sables, and other sorts of Firrs, the Products of this Country. The Natives are a poor and wretched sort of People, notwithstanding that they have in some Parts good Corn Fields, and great Store of Fish. But the chief and most precious Commodity of this Country, besides other Furrs, are the Skins of Sables. These Animals they catch either with Traps, not unlike to those we catch our Rats with; or by spreading of Nets under the Trees, where they feed, which being cut down, they are entangled in the Nets; In the Winter they have also a Way of hunting them with Dogs. They were formerly Pagans, being Govern'd by their own Czar or King, till near 150 Years ago, they were subdu'd by Czar Jobn Basilovits in the following manner: A certain Famous Pirate among the Cosacks, living near the River Wolga, whose Name was Jormack Timorhof, having taken a Ship loaden with Amunition, and belonging to the Czar, was for fear of being pursued and discovered, fled for Shelter into a certain Island, near the River Kama, which coming from Permia (one of the Northern Provinces of Muscovy) falls below Casan into the River Wolga. This Island belonging then to a certain Muscovian Merchant, he proposed to him no less than the Conquest of some of those Tartarian Countreys, lying more towards the North; and being furnished by him with Arms, Ammunition, and other Necessaries, he, with about five or six hundred of his Followers went up the River Tagit, and from thence to the River Tura, where having possess'd himself of a small Island, called Japouchin, he march'd from thence to the City of Tumen, which he also took without much opposition. Being flush'd with this Success, he directed his March streight ways to Tobol, the Metropolis of the Province, and then the Residence of the Siberian King, where having also met with very little Resistance, he soon became Master of the Place: But being not contented with thi• extraordinary Success, and proposing to himself no less than the Conquest of the whole Province, he lost soon after both his Life and Conquests. For, having pursued the flying Enemy a great way beyond the City of Tobol, all along the River Irtish, 300 of his Men, whom he had sent out on purpose, to Atrack the Enemy at a certain pass, being drawn into an Ambush, were all kill'd upon the Spot, so, that Jormack with the rest, being about 200, was forced to retire into a small Island there abouts, where he Entrench'd himself as well as he could. But the Tartars having by their late Victory, got new Courage, and being informed of what number of Men he had with him, Attack'd him by Night, where he with all his Followers, except 40, who found means to get into Muscovy, were either drowned or cut to pieces. The remnants of Jormack's Party, being at last come to the City of Musco, and having given to the Czar a relation of what had past in Siberia, it was thought advisable to give them some Forces, thereby to enable them to try their Fortune a second time. Having therefore obtained 600 Men, with Amunition, and other Necessaries suitable to such an Expedition, they marched directly towards the City of Tobol, the Metropolis and Residence of the Prince of Siberia; and having a second time possess'd themselves of it without much opposition, they took quite other measures to secure their Conquests, from what Jormack had done before; for they so strongly fortified themselves there, that they soon were beyond all apprehension of being Attack'd by the Tartars, and being afterwards reinforced with new Supplies of Men, and other Necessaries, by their frequent Incursions so fatigu'd the Neighbouring Tartars, that they were 〈◊〉 to submit themselves under the Czar's Protection; tho' it is not altogether improbable, but that the Necessity of vending their Sables and other Furrs to the Muscovites, might be their Chief Motive of surrendring themselves under the Czar of Muscovy's Subjection. Since which time, the Muscovites have built in these Parts several Cities, fortified after the Russiian Fashion; and much imp•oved others, as Narim, and the great City of Tooina, on the other side of the River Oby; The Castle of Comgoscoi, upon the River Telta, and others.

Since the Conquest of Siberia, it is chiefly to the Muscovites we are beholding for the particular Discovery they have made of that vast Extent of the Northern Countreys, that lie betwixt the River Oby (which traverses this Province, and has been mentioned before) and the Famous Chinese Wall, which divides that Famous Empire from the Grand Tartary. For the Muscovites having once been made sensible of the prodigious Quantities of all Sorts of precious Furrs, as the Sables, Martins and black Foxes those Countreys afforded, and the vast Profit that must needs arise to their own Country, by engrossing the Traffick of those Commodities, have left no stone unturn'd, not only to make the best Discovery they could of those Tartarian Nations, but also by settling a fair Correspondence with them, to open to themselves a free passage into China. Among the Tartarian Nations which inhabit that vast Tract of Ground betwixt Siberia and China, the Tartars of Calmuck, of Mongul and Bogdoi, are the most considerable, whether for the extent of the Countreys they inhabit, or the prodigious number of their Inhabitants. The first discovery of these Parts has chiefly been owing to the Industry of those employed by the Muscovites in Sable Hunting, whom they in their Language call Yachutehiki, or Hunters of Sable Martins; These are for the most part, composed not only out of Malefactors or Criminals, but also out of some Officers or Boyars, who for some reason or another, having fall'n under the Grand Czar's Displeasure, and being banished into those places where these Creatures are caught, the hopes of Gains has by degrees drawn them further and further after the Search of these Creatures, even as far as the River Yamour, where, for their better Conveniency, the Muscovites not many years ago, have built a Fort in a certain Island of that River, which has occasioned no small Contests betwixt them and the Chinese. Besides the two ways of catching these Creatures by the Trap and Net, mentioned before, they observe this Method in these remote Parts: There is a certain number of Men Arm'd with Cross-bows, engag'd for this Service, during the space of seven Years, and divided under certain Officers; One of these Officers goes abroad, at least once a Week with his Hunters and Dogs in Search after these precious Creatures, which commonly are lurking among the little Islands, which they kill with their Cross-Bows, not making use of any Fire-arms, for fear of endamaging the Furrs; What is thus caught is all for the Czar's Use, except a certain Allowance, the Officers have for their Pains, which however, they are obliged to divide in proportion with their Huntsmen, to encourage them in prosecuting the Game with the utmost diligence; The eagerness after which has at last opened to them the Knowledge of those several Roads, which insensibly have led them to the very Borders of China. But we will return to those Tartarian Nations, and begin with the Tartars Calmucks, or Calmouches.