dwell on the banks of the Pjana, and are diftinguished into two tribes, with whofe barbarous names we fhall not trouble our readers. Their manners are a little different from thofe of the generality of the Ruffians, and their drefs is like that worn by the Barfchkirians and other Tartar tribes. The women in their drefs are exceffively fond of fmall bells, medals, branches of coral, and whatever can make a noife when they are on a march. The bands of their caps are trimmed with them; their ftomachers are overloaded with them, and their girdles are made up of them. So that the preparations of a woman of this country for a feftival day, in its weight and the pieces of me. tal, which compofe it, are liker the harness of a horfe, than the drefs of a woman. "The Mordwans are induftrious, they cultivate the ground, and are fonder of vegetables than of fleth or fifh. They are Chriftians, at least fo the Ruffians affirm them to be. Thofe, who are not, or still keep by the religious practices of their ancestors, have no carved idols, nor intermediate divinities between the Supreme Being and themselves. Yet fuch a creed prevails among almost all the nations of the world, in fpite of reafon and philofophy. Wifer far the Mordwans of ancient faith, who have neither academy nor lyceum, they acknowledge only the Being of Beings, and to him alone addrefs their prayers. If this venerable religion really exifts in this nation, which we can fcarcely believe, it were to be wished they would fend miffionaries to the lefs enlightened quarters of the world. "Oftiacs Of this people and the Samoiedes we fall fay little, as they have been fo fully defcribed by other travellers, particularly La Harpe. We fhall only obferve here, that the Oftiacs poffefs the banks of the Jenifei and Oby, and are one of the first Siberian nations which the Ruffians fubdued. They are of middle ftature, and of a flender make. Their complexion is livid, and their features inexpreffive. They are dirty as hogs, cowardly as the timid dove, and fimple beyond what words can exprefs. They are much addicted to fuperftition, in which they are encouraged by their priests, who give themfelves out for forcerers, capable of controlling the elements, of diving into futurity, and of abfolving, by certain magic fpells, a man overwhelmed by iniquities and crimes. Thefe Oftiacs, to whom nature appears to have given only the form of men, poffefs an ungrateful foil, are industrious, hofpitable, faithful to their engagements, and have a horror at theft. Among them the cares of the family devolve on the women, as does the labour of fishing, from which they draw their only fupport. The drefs of both fexes is a kind of bag of the skin of fish or rein-deer prepared as our tanners prepare their hides. The women veil themfelves, and are right in doing fo. The Oftiacs live folely on fifh, with which nature has stocked their rivers in abundance, and of which they catch more than fufficient to fupply their wants, Their utenfils, arms, and oils are made of the bones, finews, and fat of fifh. They are all Pagans, and their worship correfponds with their intellectual faculties. The bear is for them the most terrible enemy, but his skin is an object of adoration. Like the Kalmucs they have jurtes, winter villages, and fummer camps. E 3 "Samoiedes "Samoiedes-They are neighbours to the Oftiacs, from whom they differ very little in manners, cuftoms, and drefs, but much in their perfons. Their faces are round, and fometimes, agreeable. They are of a robust conftitution, but they are lefs civilifed than the Oftiacs, and are impatient under the yoke of the Ruffians, which hangs very lightly upon them. Their women do not use the veil, have no fhirts, but wear drawers both day and night. They are far from being beautiful, and in our opinion would be not a little improved by the ufe of the veil. The Samoiedes are as dirty as the Of tiacs, and ftill lefs nice in what they eat. Even an animal in a ftate of putrefaction does not offend them. A Samoiede treats his wife worse than an Oftiac does. The latter makes her labour, but condefcends to make her a companion, whereas the Samoiede confiders her only a fervant. Yet it often happens that this wife has brought a portion, which is the only riches of her husband. It is faid, that new married wives fometimes continue virgins for a whole month, though lying every night at the fide of their hufbands. If this be a fact, the husbands must be very cool, or the wives muft poffefs few attractions. Like the Oftiacs they have forcerers, who pretend to be very knowing. Thefe forcerers ufe a tabor or an inftrument very like it, either to make his conjurations, or to aflift him in the fongs, by which he fucceeds in turning the heads of his credulous countrymen. The Samciedes too have their Bog. There is not a jurte, where one may not be found, and not a feason of the year, when a rein-deer is not facrificed to this fuppofed divinity. "The Tunguf, or Tungufians, are another tribe of Siberians, whom the arms of Ruffia have fubjugated. The deferts, or steppes which they inhabit, extend from west to east along the Jenifei, as far as the Lena and the river Amour. They are divided into the Hunting Tungufians, and the Fishing Tungutians. They are of Mongol extraction, their language is the fame with that fpoken by the Burattians, and their features very like thofe of the Samoiedes. Their women pafs for the prettieft in Siberia, where the fex is not much favoured by nature. Yet fome travellers have feen young Tungufian women, who might have paffed for beauties in any quarter of the world. But they must be taken at twenty years of age, for the rose fades not fooner than the women of this country. Toil, mifery, and fmoke, are the caufes of them falling off fo early. Both men and women have the fenfes of hearing and feeing in much greater perfection than the Kalmucs. The Tungufians are faid to be free and open, to abhor lying, and to defpife the oath, which the impoftor loves to make his fhield. They are fatisfied with the pooreft fare, and the want of food for feveral days cannot difpirit them. But they are feldom reduced to this extremity, because to them every thing is good, as to the Oftiac, and they are never difgufted. Befides, along with the refources of fifhing, they have that of hunting, which is the furer to them, that the country abound's with game, and they are esteemed the beft archers of Siberia. It is faid that their courage is not inferior to their addrefs. Water is their only drink, and a Tungufian intoxicated is a phenomenon, in fpite of the ftrong liquors, for. which the Ruffians have endea voured to give him a taste. They are still a dirtier fet of people than the Oftiacs and Samoiedes. They are fo much fo, that no idea can be attempted to be given of them without turning the heart of the man, the least fufceptible of difguft. They are fubject to epidemical attacks of the fmall pox, whofe ravages are equal to thofe of the plague. So foon as any perfon is attacked by this loathfome disease, they quickly fly from him, after having provided him with what food is neceffary. Left to nature, this poor man often recovers better and fooner than if a hundred inoculators had attended him. The Tungufians marry very young. Among them it is nothing uncommon to fee husbands of fifteen, and widows of twelve years of age. Polygamy is allowed and practifed among them, especially by the rich; for as a wife must be bought, or procured by means of prefents, which comes to the fame thing, the poor man is contented with one wife, and lives not the lefs happy. When the parents and relations have agreed with regard to the reciprocal prefents, and conditions, the young people are bedded together, without their union being preceded by any feast or ceremony. Neither of these are ever minded, except at taking poffeffion of the new jurte. "The Tungufians have a practice, which prevails in America, in Africa, and among many nations, of marking their faces with the figures of animals, and even trees and flowers. The operation › is painful, but what will people not do to look beautiful? "These people wear no fhirts, their clothes are like thofe of the Samoiedes, but made with more proportion, and much more ornamented. The fhape is fomething like ours. Men and women wear breeches; or, to speak more properly, the women drefs like the men, from whom they are diftinguifhed only by their neck-laces and the ornaments, with which they overload themselves. "Their religious opinions are as grofs as their manners. Their priests, whom they call Chamanes, and who boaft of being infpired, act as interceffors with their divinities, of whom the number is con fiderable; but they are all fubject to one, whom they adore under the name of Boa. They have the follow ing idea of Boa. He is the God of gods, dwells above the clouds, diftributes the various departments in the administration of the world among the fubaltern divinities, and watches over them. He knows every thing, but is very little taken up about individuals. He punishes none, but does good to all. He is invifible, and confequently can be reprefented by no image. We must confefs this is a Boa, to whom a great number of Boas ought to bear refemblance. They would then ceafe to be cruel, and the human race would become more happy," VIEW of the GOVERNMENT, and RELIGION of the JAPANESE: fupple, mentary to the Account of that PEOPLE, inferted in our REGISTER for the Year 1793. [From the fourth Volume of TRAVELS in EUROPE, ASIA, and AFRICA, by Profeffor THUNBERG.] "T HE empire of Japan is encompaffed on all fides with water, and confifts of three large iflands, together with a vaft multitude of smaller ones. All these are divided into feven departments, which again are fubdivided into fixty-eight provinces, and these into fix hundred and four diftricts. "At prefent Kubo, or the fecular emperor, is lord of the whole country, and under him rules a prince or governor in each province. The princes that are first in dignity, are called Daimio; those of an inferior rank are denominated Siomio. If any of them is guilty of misdemeanors, he is amenable to the emperor, who has a right to difmifs him; to banish him to fome island; or even to inflict capital punishment upon him. It is farther incumbent upon all these princes to perform a journey once every year to the imperial court, to refide there fix months, and to keep their whole family there conftantly, as hoftages for their allegiance. "But, befides this monarch, there is a fpiritual or ecclefiaftical emperor, whofe power at prefent is totally confined to the concerns of religion and the, church establishment; although this fpiritual regent, or pope, derives his defcent in a direct and uninterrupted line from the ancient rulers of this country, for upwards of 2000 years back. "If we carry our refearches back to the remoteft ages of antiquity, which are enveloped in obfcurity and uncertainty, it will appear probable, that Japan, like other countries, was governed by. patriarchs, or petty chiefs, who afterwards united together under one head. The most authentic hiftory of the Japanese monarchs com. mences about 660 years before the birth of Chrift, when the government was bestowed upon Syn Mu, of a very confpicuous race, called Tenfio Dai Sin. This Syn M is the founder of the monarchy; be intro duced an accurate chronology, called Nin O, and improved not only the laws of the country, but likewife the very form of the government. The emperors of this tribe were most usually denominated Dairi, and fometimes, but not fo fre quently, Mikaddo, Dai, Tai, Tenfin, and Oo. One hundred and nineteen Dairis have afcended the throne in fucceffion, from that period down to the time of my refi dence at Japan; although their power and authority have been very different and diffimilar at three different periods. These reigned alone with unlimited authority, till the year 1142. From that time the fecular power was divided between the oldeft and lawful potentate of the country and the fecular rulers or generaliffimos of the army, till the year 1585, fince which time his authority has only manifested itfelf in matters matters which concern the government of the church "The veneration which is entertained for Dairi falls little fhort of the divine honours which are paid to the gods themselves. He feldom goes out of his palace, his perfon being confidered as too facred to be exposed to the air and the rays of the fun, and still lefs to the view of any human creature. If at any time he has abfolute occafion to go abroad, he is generally carried upon men's fhoulders, that he may not come into contact with the earth. He is brought into the world, lives, and dies within the precincts of his court, the boundaries of which he never once exceeds during his whole life. His hair, nails, and beard, are accounted fo facred, that they are never fuffered to be cleanfed or cut by day-light; but this, whenever it happens, must be done by stealth, during the night, whilft he is afleep. His holiness never eats twice off the fame plate, nor uses any vessel for his meals a fecond time; they being for the most part broken to pieces immediately after they have been used, to prevent their falling into unhallowed hands. For this reason, the furniture of his table confifts of a cheap and inferior fort of porcelain. The cafe is pretty much the fame with refpect to his cloaths, which are diftributed among those who refide at his court. Without the precincts of the court there is none, or at least hardly any one, that knows his name, till long after his death. His whole court, with very few exceptions, confifts of none but fuch as are of his own race; all of whom have their appointments at court, in like manner as others of them, who are not employed at court, are promoted to the richest benefices, and the best convents. He has twelve wives, only one of whom, however, is emprefs. The pomp which reigns in his court, though not fo fplendid as formerly, is yet very great. Since the retrenchment of his power, he derives his revenues from the town and adjacent country of Miaco; and has likewife an allowance from Kubo's treasury, befides immenfe fums which he acquires by the conferring of titles; and yet his revenue is frequently inadequate to his expences. The right of bestowing titles of honour remains to this day vested in the perfon of the ecclefiaftical emperor, and ferves confiderably to increase his income Even Kubo himself, and the hereditary prince, receive titles at his hand; as do likewife on Kubo's recommendation, the highest officers of state at his court. Those who have fpiritual titles, are diftinguifhed both at court and in the churches all over the country, by a particular drefs, conformable to their rank and dignity. I had the honour to fee one of thefe prelates at a convent in Nagafaki; his dress confifted of a pair of trowsers, and a large cloak with a long flowing train. I found him very affable and courteous, and we had a long converfation together, through the medium of our interpreters, refpecting various matters; which, however, afforded me far lefs pleafure than the fhrubs I met with in the vicinity of his church. "Dairi's court was formerly removed at pleasure from one part of the country to the other, but now his refidence is fixed in the town of Miaco. This court is very extenfive, and forms of itself no inconfiderable town, being provided with walls, foffes, ramparts, and gates; in the centre ftands Dairi's palace, |